Is it an autism thing to see connections that others say don't exist?

[FayetheAspie]

The really crazy thing is how some literally think we are insane just because we what to make sure things are accurate.

That reminds me of how I came to be diagnosed. I was trying to get information about applying for jobs online and had heard before that some of the jobs advertised are not legit. I asked the professional how you can tell which ones are legit or something like that and she says some off the wall comment that did not come near to answering my question so I asked again. After about the third time of her not understanding my question her face was fearful. She went to my dad and told him that I needed to see a psychiatrist.

 

[Judge]

That reminds me of how I came to be diagnosed. I was trying to get information about applying for jobs online and had heard before that some of the jobs advertised are not legit. I asked the professional how you can tell which ones are legit or something like that and she says some off the wall comment that did not come near to answering my question so I asked again. After about the third time of her not understanding my question her face was fearful. She went to my dad and told him that I needed to see a psychiatrist.

As in "not legit", were you referring to forms of fraud that do exist within most any job market?

Discouraging- even bizarre to think the person you were asking would not have taken this into consideration.

Ironically most of the time I consider my elevated degree of mistrust of others to be an asset, and not a liability. Certainly not paranoia either. Pragmatically coming in handy as an insurance underwriter.

Though it also lies at the heart of my opinion that it can be precarious to seek a formal diagnosis of autism in America as well, given the level of stigmatization here. Which often is the basis for many of us to advise others to keep their autism on a "need-to-know" basis, unless they are directly intending to seek government entitlements. Having to otherwise work or simply coexist with others who have little to no understanding of our particular neurology.

That we do see things others may not, but that it can have a negative effect as much as the possibility of positive effects as well. Though in other countries I'm inclined to think their autistic population is better treated.

 

[FayetheAspie]

As in "not legit", were you referring to forms of fraud that do exist within most any job market?

Discouraging- even bizarre to think the person you were asking would not have taken this into consideration.

Yes,anything shady like that or in any other way I wanted to know how to avoid. Ironically I later tried to put in an application for a clothing store and something did not seem right about the application process so I went out and googled about the job site's company name and it said that it was a spam site if I remember the wording correctly. Thankfully they did not have my SSN yet. I felt like showing it to her and saying "So I was crazy, huh."

 

[Judge]

Yes,anything shady like that or in any other way I wanted to know how to avoid. Ironically I later tried to put in an application for a clothing store and something did not seem right about the application process so I went out and googled about the job site's company name and it said that it was a spam site if I remember the wording correctly. Thankfully they did not have my SSN yet. I felt like showing it to her and saying "So I was crazy, huh."

Sad. Prospective employers should have seen such observations as an asset- not a liability.

And to think of seeing the major retailers now....locking up merchandise because of organized crime taking the biggest bite out of shoplifting. A whole lot of theft and fraud happening both online and over the counter.

 

[FayetheAspie]

It was not a prospective employer. It was someone at a company that helps people find jobs.

 

[Judge]

It was not a prospective employer. It was someone at a company that helps people find jobs.

That's even worse...

They should have encouraged you. But then your honest and accurate comments may have been seen as a threat to their very livelihood. An exaggerated and foolish response, though clearly it can and does happen.

I suppose the most common reaction is disbelief and disdain when so many cannot see that which so few do.

Great example relative to the thread title!

 

[tkcartoonist]

It was not a prospective employer. It was someone at a company that helps people find jobs.

There are a lot of BS job offers from scam/borderline scam artists. I saw a lot of that when looking for design jobs years ago (e.g. Creative Circle). Someone who supposed to help people find work should know that. That person needs another career, because they suck at the one they're at.

Another thing I learned from job hunting: if the job is legit, but they have the same listing come up every six months, that's usually a good sign that there is a lot of turnover and is likely not a good place to work at.

 

[mw2530]

A very serious problem for me in social interaction is that let's say there's a concept A and concept B, I tend to see a connection that's "obvious" for me and I speak about it normally. 90% people I interact with however either say that the connection doesn't exist or that the connection is too loose to talk about. Whenever this happens, I get highly confused and explain the connection that exists but it annoys people a lot. I don't know what to do because everyone else connects concepts and ideas and they don't encounter a problem. But for me, I don't know if it's a connection people would be willing to accept and acknowledge unless I actually tell them and get to know their reaction. I get really confused and I don't come across this anywhere related to autism. I identify with some other autistic traits although I may or may not be autistic. Is this an autistic thing? Has anyone encountered a similar problem before? If anyone has a suggestion to resolve this issue, please let me know. I just want to have basic, normal interactions with people but that seems to be impossible. I don't want to be introverted but there's really no choice for someone li

Yes, from my experience this tends to be more common in those on the spectrum. But the ability to make a connect between two seemingly unrelated topics is a sign of intelligence. It can be quite useful at times, but frustrating when NT's can't see something that we can.

 

[mw2530]

I tend to see some things in ways no one else had thought about. Unfortunately not everyone is able to see or accept the fact that maybe the way I see things differently opens up new possibilities and even opportunities to improve things. I remembered being bullied by classmates over me refusing to believe that forensic science was 100% accurate and never wrong. I asked the very simple question of the possibility of someone planting DNA evidence using latex gloves and tweezers and how do the scientists know it was from the perpetrator or planted by someone else and if it was possible to tell if it was planted. Everyone began to call me “stupid” and the forensic scientists speaking to us refused to acknowledge that it was a possibility. Because of that now I’m very hesitant to tell people my opinions at times.

Yeah oftentimes it is easier to refrain from stating your thoughts and go along with the group. From a social standpoint, I tend to fare better when I just agree with others even if I don't. Not worth the battle in many situations. It is best to pick your battles when you need to and try to let other things go. Although it is frustrating to not be able to express your true self.

 

[Au Naturel]

A very serious problem for me in social interaction is that let's say there's a concept A and concept B, I tend to see a connection that's "obvious" for me and I speak about it normally. 90% people I interact with however either say that the connection doesn't exist or that the connection is too loose to talk about. Whenever this happens, I get highly confused and explain the connection that exists but it annoys people a lot. I don't know what to do because everyone else connects concepts and ideas and they don't encounter a problem. But for me, I don't know if it's a connection people would be willing to accept and acknowledge unless I actually tell them and get to know their reaction. I get really confused and I don't come across this anywhere related to autism. I identify with some other autistic traits although I may or may not be autistic. Is this an autistic thing? Has anyone encountered a similar problem before? If anyone has a suggestion to resolve this issue, please let me know. I just want to have basic, normal interactions with people but that seems to be impossible. I don't want to be introverted but there's really no choice for someone like me.

The problem isn't seeing the connections. The problem is insisting that what you see must be true. Human perception is flawed. Present it as a possibility and accept that you might be wrong. Pushing your belief in the face of someone who doesn't see it only generates antagonism.

Humans are good at seeing patterns. Some people see them everywhere. The biggest error is probably conflating coincidence with correlation with causality.

 

[Shamar]

A very serious problem for me in social interaction is that let's say there's a concept A and concept B, I tend to see a connection that's "obvious" for me and I speak about it normally. 90% people I interact with however either say that the connection doesn't exist or that the connection is too loose to talk about. Whenever this happens, I get highly confused and explain the connection that exists but it annoys people a lot. I don't know what to do because everyone else connects concepts and ideas and they don't encounter a problem. But for me, I don't know if it's a connection people would be willing to accept and acknowledge unless I actually tell them and get to know their reaction. I get really confused and I don't come across this anywhere related to autism. I identify with some other autistic traits although I may or may not be autistic. Is this an autistic thing? Has anyone encountered a similar problem before? If anyone has a suggestion to resolve this issue, please let me know. I just want to have basic, normal interactions with people but that seems to be impossible. I don't want to be introverted but there's really no choice for someone like me.

I have been dealing with that for more than 60 years. Sometimes when I explain an obvious connection or solution, they say "Now that you explain it, yeah, it is obvious." Most of the time I get blank stares. Many times not worth the effort (as you have learned).

 

[Aspychata]

l can be thrown into something completely foreign to me and see connections. I also sometimes can look at random people and see a relationship exists, even if they aren't standing next to each other. My entire life revolves around connections and trying to reduce everything to odds to determine the possibility of success.