Can a life be meaningful without friends, community or a job?

[Neonatal RRT]

but to reach higher levels of philosophical/religious/spiritual meaning requires an embrace of solitude.

I would go further to suggest that to reach the "higher levels" of wisdom of any topic,...requires a level of focus and thought that tends to inhibit social interaction.

If there is any "stereotypical" characteristic of an autistic individual,...it's that we can have intense focus on certain things and topics,...the world around us,...how things work,...a natural curiosity,...but often at the expense of social interaction. It's within THIS context, I believe, some degree of autism is almost essential for pushing human civilization forward.

 

[Neonatal RRT]

It reminds me to those kids who play their own games surrounded by others kids, so they pretend to be in a group. Playing in parallel to them.

Thats how I feel masking, like I am there but I am not.

Also interested in your own interpretation.

Agree. Only I used the word "peripheral". I was always one,...to some degree, still am,...to have a group (professionally and socially) that I tend to hang out with. I am accepted,...but not part of. A weird dynamic that has just been my life.

 

[KimS]

I would go further to suggest that to reach the "higher levels" of wisdom of any topic,...requires a level of focus and thought that tends to inhibit social interaction.

If there is any "stereotypical" characteristic of an autistic individual,...it's that we can have intense focus on certain things and topics,...the world around us,...how things work,...a natural curiosity,...but often at the expense of social interaction. It's within THIS context, I believe, some degree of autism is almost essential for pushing human civilization forward.

Well put!

 

[Nervous Rex]

"...anyone who believes life can be meaningless also assumes the importance of value."

My first thought on reading this is that some Nihilists believe everything to be meaningless and that there is no point in attempting to assign value to anything. Then I remembered this quote that I read:

"Philosophers can argue until they're blue in the face about what is real and what is not, but they still collect their paychecks every Friday."

That is, even those people who claim that nothing has value will attribute value to their personal needs.

I really like that quote you posted. I had never thought about it that way before.

 

[SimonSays]

I believe, some degree of autism is almost essential for pushing human civilization forward.

It reminds me of those kids who play their own games surrounded by others kids, so they pretend to be in a group. Playing in parallel to them.

It is assumed I am doing it like everyone else, but I am not. I have long felt I live a parallel life. I look similar, appear to be doing similar things in a similar way, but I am doing it my way, which can sometimes be at odds with the socio typical, and I also believe that some degree of what we call autism pushes humanity forward. Just as I believe the ancient use of psychedelics did (and is doing), and why intentionally shifting outside of 'normal' reality, or just experiencing it that way because we do, changes things for everyone, evolutionarily.

 

[SimonSays]

but to reach higher levels of philosophical/religious/spiritual meaning requires an embrace of solitude. I recommend checking out Einzelgänger's other works as well.

Quite right (I also watch Einzelgänger's channel by the way ).

I live without friends, family, community or a job. I am also silent...mostly. Solitude allows me to explore those higher levels, and I will often share what I discover. Not everyone is able to live as I do, and yet everyone deserves to benefit from any realisations I make because we are all in this together. It is what the internet is really for. Sharing wisdom and experience.

 

[KimS]

Quite right (I also watch Einzelgänger's channel by the way ).


You're living the life I'm moving towards! I love the concept 'social minimalism'. I want to reduce the noise in my life in favor of focusing on what nurtures or teaches me.

 

[Jordy]

Agree. Only I used the word "peripheral". I was always one,...to some degree, still am,...to have a group (professionally and socially) that I tend to hang out with. I am accepted,...but not part of. A weird dynamic that has just been my life.

I have observed how other people with autism function in a group, they are never really a part of it, and are usually not aware of the fact they are just having monologues in the presens of other people

 

[Jordy]

No one would exchange their family for a life in solitude, redo their lifes but without their friends, no one would choose to have autism, be ugly etc. Not sure what even the point of this question was.

 

[Neonatal RRT]

No one would exchange their family for a life in solitude, redo their lifes but without their friends, no one would choose to have autism, be ugly etc. Not sure what even the point of this question was.

Exchanging their family for a life in solitude,...is what some of us have done due to toxic family dynamics. Redo their lives without friends,...is what many of us live with. No one would choose to have autism,...depends on many variables,...how it presents itself. I cannot imagine a life without my Asperger's condition, so I am not sure if I would be happier, or not. I wouldn't have my wife, my children, my career, my internal drive for learning,...a lot of positive things in my life IS due to my autism. Equally,...there are negative things,...letting go of family, not having friends, sensory issues, communication issues, etc.

This is one of those "grass being greener on the other side of the fence" perspectives that certainly may be true for some, but perhaps not for all.

 

[KimS]

Exchanging their family for a life in solitude,...is what some of us have done due to toxic family dynamics.

Far too many of us, autistic and NT, accept poor treatment from others because we are afraid of other peoples 'but family' judgments.

Redo their lives without friends,...is what many of us live with. No one would choose to have autism,...depends on many variables,...how it presents itself.

We're built different than the norm, with different strengths that grant us an opportunity to do what they can't. Without the need for social cohesion, we can focus our energies on growing intellectually, spiritually, or creatively. Our kind of people have accomplished so much for the species already, we don't need to keep proving our usefulness.