Literal Thinking - Who has it?

[tree]

@Anarkitty

The word 'asinine' has only one letter 'S' in it
because it is derived from the Latin 'asinus' and
not the Old English 'assa.'

asinine | Origin and meaning of asinine by Online Etymology Dictionary
asinine - Wiktionary
A.Word.A.Day --asinine

 

[Anarkitty]

But often it's not about the merits of an idea it's our position in a group hierarchy.

I wonder if we have issues with acknowledging hierarchy partly because when we hear the phrase "kissing the boss's ass," the image in our minds is even less pleasant than it is for NTs.

 

[Anarkitty]

@Anarkitty

The word 'asinine' has only one letter 'S' in it
because it is derived from the Latin 'asinus' and
not the Old English 'assa.'

asinine | Origin and meaning of asinine by Online Etymology Dictionary
asinine - Wiktionary
A.Word.A.Day --asinine

I still really want it to have two s's.

 

[Judge]

Tyranny of the majority.

But often it's not about the merits of an idea it's our position in a group hierarchy.

It wasn't until I stumbled across my own autism that I truly began to understand my appreciation and fascination of philosopher Alexis de Tocqueville, who wrote his famous article "Democracy in America".

Where he outlined the dangers of majority tyranny. Where indeed the merits of an idea might be influenced or even trumped by a collective position in a group hierarchy. In this instance that hierarchy being government itself.

Where democracy itself suddenly no longer is the "end-all, be-all" solution to every problem in a body politic.

 

[Fridgemagnetman]

It wasn't until I stumbled across my own autism that I truly began to understand my appreciation and fascination of philosopher Alexis de Tocqueville, who wrote his famous article "Democracy in America".

Where he outlined the dangers of majority tyranny. Where indeed the merits of an idea might be influenced or even trumped by a collective position in a group hierarchy. In this instance that hierarchy being government itself.

Where democracy itself suddenly no longer is the "end-all, be-all" solution to every problem in a body politic.

It's interesting.
Esspecially how easily people can be influenced.
Which we are seeing a lot of today, I feel.

 

[Anarkitty]

It wasn't until I stumbled across my own autism that I truly began to understand my appreciation and fascination of philosopher Alexis de Tocqueville, who wrote his famous article "Democracy in America".

Where he outlined the dangers of majority tyranny. Where indeed the merits of an idea might be influenced or even trumped by a collective position in a group hierarchy. In this instance that hierarchy being government itself.

Where democracy itself suddenly no longer is the "end-all, be-all" solution to every problem in a body politic.

There's a great irony in the way that they talk about autistic people and others with an invisible, social disability. Think about what they're saying with their emphasis on ABA--"Be like us." Can you imagine telling any other group the things they are telling us?

"Hey, black and brown people, no one will discriminate against you if you just act more like white people. Can you use some makeup to try to look more white? Maybe change your name to Bob or Susan? And women, can you act just a tad more masculine so we don't have to notice anything all feminine and inferior about you? And scratch the suggestion of 'Susan' as a name. We're just going to call you all 'Bob.'"

 

[Judge]

There's a great irony in the way that they talk about autistic people and others with an invisible, social disability. Think about what they're saying with their emphasis on ABA--"Be like us." Can you imagine telling any other group the things they are telling us?

"Hey, black and brown people, no one will discriminate against you if you just act more like white people. Can you use some makeup to try to look more white? Maybe change your name to Bob or Susan? And women, can you act just a tad more masculine so we don't have to notice anything all feminine and inferior about you? And scratch the suggestion of 'Susan' as a name. We're just going to call you all 'Bob.'"

It does concern me sometimes that explaining how some of us can "mask" our traits and behaviors might be mistaken as a way to effectively "become" Neurotypical. That in reality it's a very stressful, exhausting and temporary attempt only to appear as to blend in.

Where our reality is that we can never really blend in to actually "be" Neurotypical.

 

[Anarkitty]

It does concern me sometimes that explaining how some of can "mask" our traits and behaviors might be mistaken as a way to effectively "become" Neurotypical. That in reality it's a very stressful, exhausting and temporary attempt only to appear as to blend in.

Where our reality is that we can never really blend in to actually "be" Neurotypical.

This is what I've seen repeatedly as an argument against "functioning" labels because as soon as we say "high functioning," people get the idea that we really just need to try harder without understanding how hard we already have to try. I prefer to say that I'm mildly impaired because it recognizes that I AM impaired even though my issues are mild relative to those of some others.

 

[Fridgemagnetman]

This is what I've seen repeatedly as an argument against "functioning" labels because as soon as we say "high functioning," people get the idea that we really just need to try harder without understanding how hard we already have to try. I prefer to say that I'm mildly impaired because it recognizes that I AM impaired even though my issues are mild relative to those of some others.

We say high functioning they think it's high faluting...

 

[Judge]

This is what I've seen repeatedly as an argument against "functioning" labels because as soon as we say "high functioning," people get the idea that we really just need to try harder without understanding how hard we already have to try. I prefer to say that I'm mildly impaired because it recognizes that I AM impaired even though my issues are mild relative to those of some others.

Good point. I might be the poster child of those who recognize "high-functioning".

Until they project sarcasm in my direction. Something I cannot neurologically process properly. Where suddenly my "high functioning" goes out the window. And then if people somehow catch onto my OCD they might consider me more on the side of being "crazy". So yeah, "high functioning" may not be the best way to describe a neurological state that in reality can be quite broad in terms of adapting to the outside world.

 

[Anarkitty]

NTs treat one another like this, too. My husband traveled for years to various companies, fixing computer problems, and he came up with a phrase to describe what diversity actually means to corporations--Look like you; think like me. He says that they all wanted the appearance of diversity, lots of faces of different colors and attributes around the office, but they want everyone actually thinking alike, all the time.

 

[GrownupGirl]

I don't usually take things literally. And it's a good thing, because then I'd be wondering why everyone else on the internet has such an obsession with feces and sexual intercourse. And wonder why I'm the one whose obsessions are abnormal?

But I can't always tell if someone is joking or not. Sometimes on the internet I hope they're only joking when they say they're not vaccinating their dogs or cats because it will make them autistic, but since they are on the internet I'll have to assume they're serious.

 

[Clueless in Canada]

I have this problem to the point where I believe everyone who uses non-literal language is just wrong.

Even when I learn the meaning of some of this nonsense, like "tongue in cheek," my brain won't retain the information and I keep learning it again and again! I have no clue what "tongue in cheek" means and I ain't googlin it again.

ERMAGERD I BROKEN

This is the part where I run in circles.
*does that*

I can get distracted thinking about the idiom and deciphering it or wondering what its origin is and then I am not paying attention to what the person is actually talking about.

 

[Clueless in Canada]

And I have an example from a less intense example than people's religious beliefs. My entire household (other than myself) plays the game Skyrim. They tell me that many NPCs in the game mention that they were adventurers until they "took an arrow to the knee." They tell me that at first, this just seemed rather odd to them, but then they eventually learned that fans think that the phrase means "got married" in this context. Now, most of them read that phrase as a fun way to say "got married," but my autistic son and I still see a knee with an arrow sticking out of it while, at the same time, understanding its metaphorical meaning.

It's bloody weird.

I am quite confused about how an arrow in the knee could have anything to do with marriage. Even when I know that idioms are a non-literal expression of something I tend to try to understand them as though they are literal. I will think, okay so once there was some aspect of marriage that had to do with knees or arrows? What was it? I must know!

 

[Kevin1968]

Is 'I Took an Arrow in the Knee' Slang for Getting Married?

 

[Clueless in Canada]

There's a simile in the song "Happy" that my husband had to explain to me. The line is "like a room without a roof." That sounds pretty negative to me. Actually, when we first moved and were building, we had a tarp for a roof, and it was raining like God was pouring five gallon buckets of water on our house (MY similes make sense), and "like a room without a roof" and "Happy" did NOT make sense in the same sentence. I was WET. I was not HAPPY.

Husband explained that it meant "no upper limit" to the singer's happiness. Now I see him floating up and out of the room when I think of that line. I still don't get it.

I really didn't get this song when I first heard it and even when I finally understood the concept I thought it was a silly way of saying it. It's a catchy song though. I often struggle to like a song if the lyrics disturb me in any way. I can't ignore lyrics.

 

[Clueless in Canada]

That's my second "get a room"!

Am I a whore?

Clearly! And I am very upset if you've been cheating on me.

 

[Fino]

Clearly! And I am very upset if you've been cheating on me.

That was a lot of suspense! Months for me to find out I'm a whore!

 

[SDRSpark]

I don't know that it's a real problem, but it's definitely a trait that I have. I'm capable of understanding non-literal communication, but I don't always 'get it' and Lord help us if someone gives me incorrect instructions for something, I'll do exactly what I'm told regardless of whether or not the instructions are wrong and it should have been obvious.

I once had a neuropsych evaluation where I was asked "do tags in your shirt bother you". It was a literal question. I answered 'no' because my shirts don't have tags. Only later did I realize they were probably trying to determine sensory sensitivities, and it would have been a great time to tell them about how my pants/underwear/my own skin bothers me and sometimes I just can't get comfortable no matter what.

 

[Clueless in Canada]

That was a lot of suspense! Months for me to find out I'm a whore!

LOL-yeah sorry. Somehow I missed this and I've been somewhat delinquent for a few months. Apparently even internet contact with other neurodiverse human beings is exhausting! I'm happy to have finally confirmed it for you though. And I should warn you, gay men love me. I am a total gay man magnet so you really won't be able to help yourself.