Is Asperger's Syndrome a disability or a talent?

Being an Aspie with Depression I can not fit into society. I can not accept many of the ``values" of modern American society.

 

First of all, thank you for the post. I learned about this disorder. What are your symptoms if you don't mind me asking?

 

I am very familiar with Aspergers. It's generally placed at a particular point on the autistic spectrum, but in my experience everyone is different. Even among "Aspies" there is a spectrum. Some seem more gifted overall than impaired, and for others it's the other way around. There's good news though; many of us fit in more later in life.

 

Very narrow interest, difficulty finding friends.

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Mine is medium severity. I can function normally, but not socially.

Is American Society worth fitting in?

 

I really like the last question.

Generally, if you're asking, no, it's not. You shouldn't have to change yourself a lot to fit in and if you do, you won't be able to anyway, so it's better to look for more compatible people in the first place.

As I understand it having Asbergers is lot being a sociopath. Everybody is, to a greater or lesser extent, the idea is to find people who are more less like you but that is the warp and weft of human relationships anyway, yes?

 

I can not fit into any society, but American society is much worse then Russian society.

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Very much so. I can not bend my personality to fit in.

 

My wife has a kid with Asperger Syndrome. Other than the physical traits I don't know a great deal about it. This guy wears "Misfits" t shirts, don't have any friends, calls his mother several times a day, lives with his grandmother, and seems to have very limited interests.

So, that being said, what "values" do you not accept?

 

Why is American society much worse for you?

 

I know in Oklahoma there are organazations that offer help and get together events to help build social skills for Aspbergers. Lack is social skills is not aspberger exclusive is due by the way.

 

Liberal values -- long story for some other thread.

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Should I destroy my Identity to fit in?

 

I think a person with AS could learn social skills to fit in, but less intuitively. They can learn it intellectually, such as by reading books on body language, conversation, humor, etc.

 

You've got to decide what's more important to you, your identity or fitting in. But I don't see the two as being mutually exclusive in the first place.

It's a gigantic world, and you're always going to fit in somewhere, very likely many somewheres. American society is not something you can sit down and consider like you're reading a brochure. It's a living breathing thing like all societies are and it has many many parts. There is more than enough variance in that for you to find niches without destroying your identity. The best place to start is to figure out the major things that interest you. And then you find the places where those things are happening.

 

That would be your choice, but as for your question in the OP, it is a disability.

 

You shouldn't have to. I have severe social anxiety so I can somewhat relate. Either be content with who you are no matter what that is, or change (if you can). The only other option is suicide, and I have no interest in that.

 

Definitely -- if I had just a few telephone friends with similar worldview that would be great.

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Definitely -- it is harder to learn intuitively. Fortunately it is also harder to be shaped and lose my identity.

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Why? Many great people were/are Aspies.

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I would never do so -- I am afraid of eternal suffering.

 

You indicated it interfered with your ability to associate with others. That is a dysfunction. That which causes you not to be able to function properly is a disability.

 

Perhaps this is the realm of eternal suffering and it continues until we commit suicide.

 

the answer is it can be both, but its neither one nor the other exclusively...

 

Social skills is simply effectively communicating considerstion and interest for another person, and appreciating that person's company. If you want to destroy that image then a societies values are a bit moot.

 

programing is a good area for them to go into, they are usually good at it

programming doesn't play all the games social language does, it has very specific rules to follow

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Identity is actually a choice or an allegiance, not a thing in a statis. People are what they do.

A president is a president because of how he relates to others - in a void he would just be another homo sapien.

So in reality besides the normal fear of change that all people have, there's.no virtue in doing things the same way if one's not content with the results they're getting It's just like moving to another country and assuming a new citizenship, or changing jobs.

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There are axiomic social rules, they just aren't as hard-wired and there's more variable and less control.

Kind of like the difference between playing a video game and playing poker. Even though poker's a "chance" game, the people with the strongest skills still end up winning more in the long run.

 

I agree.

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I do not know. My opposition to Feminist and Liberal ideology causes me to be disliked in American society.

 

their views don't represent "american society" as a whole, they are just one sub-set of a sub-set...

 

To a very big degree they do. I do not fit into Russian forums for very different reasons -- many people there are Russian nationalists, and I am Consevadox Jew and a Jewish nationalist.

 

Have you considered moving to Israel and joining their military. They will pay for your relocation and make a man out of you. And you will be among fellow Jews who also didnt belong in their former countries.

Something to think about.