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What Would You Do If You Could Be An NT For 1 Week ???

Hopeless_Aspie_Guy

Hopeless_Aspie_Guy

Well-Known Member
Starting Midnight Monday morning you're brain temporarily re-wires itself so that you're now an NT, you keep as much of your personality as is possible during the transition but obviously there are now changes and they'll end at 11:59pm the following Sunday.

What (if anything) will do you with yourself for that one week?

Me, I'd go out to as many places to socialise as possible and secretly record it to help more poor aspie self. Assuming I were any more appealing to talk to than I am now.
 
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First off,I'm autie,not aspie and seriously,I wouldn't want to change to bland,boring and the status quo ;)
I do not ever want to be NT,not even for a minute.
 
I would use that week to be free of labels. That's one thing I don't like about being an Aspie woman...all the labels people on the specrtum use to describe themselves or their friends. I just want to be known as Sophie, nothing more, nothing less.
 
Nitro said:
Yes and no
Asperger's in the USA is now only a historical reference to a certain flavor of autism no longer listed in DSM 5
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Interesting. Not so here in the UK I don't think (and my world is small and doesn't exist outside of the UK, or England to be more specific :p). Besides, it's called 'aspie' central, not 'autie' central. When I think of someone who's austistic my mind leans more towards those who need constant supervision to get by and of whom have a major mental disability.

Catlover614 said:
I would use that week to be free of labels. That's one thing I don't like about being an Aspie woman...all the labels people on the specrtum use to describe themselves or their friends. I just want to be known as Sophie, nothing more, nothing less.
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Ah so that's your real name (new avatar too huh), hello 'just sophie'. It's ironic that neurotypicals don't know that that's what they are.
 
Autie is slang for someone who is autistic just like aspie is slang for someone with Aspergers. I think I have a little of both. I'll find out for sure soon, but I do share the characteristics of both. Would that make me an "aut-asp"?
 
I, too, would spend the entire week mightily wishing to be Autie again! :cool:
While I do have some significant challenges and require supports, my autistic experience is about amazing enthusiasm for my passions, joy in movement or sensory pleasures, and a delightfully rich, vivid, captivating, colorful Inner World.

Many Aspies do wish they could socialize easier. My autism means that I do not value that. I have deep, warm, caring feelings for those I know, but it would *simply never occur to me* to socialize, make a new friend, etc. I have never been lonely. I can yearn for a specific person I miss, but not be lonely. I am content with my own company. I am happy to see someone I know, but no urge to seek others out. My autism means I love those I know, but I have never been lonely.

Another perk is that if people snub me, I may (or may not) initially feel stung, but immediately after am back to my dominant default state of Inner World. While I totally understand the pull of Inner World is not always safe, I am content there. Rejection hurts everyone, but I really have no desire to fit in. If someone doesn't like me, they would make an unsuitable friend anyway. Know?

On a happy, practical note, I like you, Hopeless Aspie. I want you to enjoy a sense of inclusion. Could you find a social group in your area for Aspies? I went to one a few times, but couldn't handle that many people in a room. Talk about amazing people, though! VERY accepting, understanding, SMART, (the brain power in that room!) and so welcoming and supportive of eachother's differences! Just a consideration to try. Or not! ;)
 
Warmheart said:
I, too, would spend the entire week mightily wishing to be Autie again! :cool:
While I do have some significant challenges and require supports, my autistic experience is about amazing enthusiasm for my passions, joy in movement or sensory pleasures, and a delightfully rich, vivid, captivating, colorful Inner World.

Many Aspies do wish they could socialize easier. My autism means that I do not value that. I have deep, warm, caring feelings for those I know, but it would *simply never occur to me* to socialize, make a new friend, etc. I have never been lonely. I can yearn for a specific person I miss, but not be lonely. I am content with my own company. I am happy to see someone I know, but no urge to seek others out. My autism means I love those I know, but I have never been lonely.

Another perk is that if people snub me, I may (or may not) initially feel stung, but immediately after am back to my dominant default state of Inner World. While I totally understand the pull of Inner World is not always safe, I am content there. Rejection hurts everyone, but I really have no desire to fit in. If someone doesn't like me, they would make an unsuitable friend anyway. Know?

On a happy, practical note, I like you, Hopeless Aspie. I want you to enjoy a sense of inclusion. Could you find a social group in your area for Aspies? I went to one a few times, but couldn't handle that many people in a room. Talk about amazing people, though! VERY accepting, understanding, SMART, (the brain power in that room!) and so welcoming and supportive of eachother's differences! Just a consideration to try. Or not! ;)
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"I am content with my own company". Exactly! I think that to a certain extent, most of us feel that way. While I love and enjoy my wife & family, I still need my alone time. For me, I have spent all those years working alone, doing what I like to do. This recharges my batteries so that I can give my family the attention that they need and deserve.
 
Go and make friends, but cunningly ask them what they think about aspergers and so, when I go back to being an aspie, I won't lose them!
 
Honestly I wouldn't plan to change a thing from my normal routine. I am satisfied where I am. Of course I might feel differently about it once the NT mode kicked in. So I guess I don't know. :confused:
 
I can observe and mildly mimic Neurotypical behavior, but in no way does it mean I truly understand it or have a frame of reference adequate to speculate how I would or could live it. Even for just one week.

Ask me what I would do for a week as an Aspie. THAT I can properly answer. ;)
 
Was hovering around in the background, when this topic caught my eye...

I'd love the opportunity to see what it's like to be allistic for a week. I already have special interests in psychology, with particular interests in both Asperger's and allistics (amongst other things). After all, it's much harder to accurately compare apples from oranges if you've only ever eaten one or the other.

As you would imagine, so far my interest in allistics has only ever been through observation and participation, and so I've only ever been able to live vicariously through their emotional responses to particular experiences. While I have adapted enough of an understanding to navigate through particular social situations, new ones will always catch me a little off guard (and even familiar ones are hard to maintain so seamlessly). To actually see what it's like from the driver's seat would be a great educational opportunity, and it would definitely indulge my special interest.
 
I'd like to think that I'd spend the week trying to record as much in-depth information about how my NT brain was functioning and trying to describe the experience of being NT so that when the week ended I'd have a source of information to help me understand what it is like to be NT. However, I don't know if the interest I have in how things work, is connected to my neurology, if it were, being NT might mean that I was no longer interested in it and I might just turn into a social butterfly for the week.
 
Vinca said:
I'd like to think that I'd spend the week trying to record as much in-depth information about how my NT brain was functioning and trying to describe the experience of being NT so that when the week ended I'd have a source of information to help me understand what it is like to be NT. However, I don't know if the interest I have in how things work, is connected to my neurology, if it were, being NT might mean that I was no longer interested in it and I might just turn into a social butterfly for the week.
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Yes, that's probably likely to happen, although it wouldn't be an authentic experience if you weren't to behave like an allistic during your little adventure. Perhaps your Aspie self would appreciate the analytical side more once you return to your true self again :)
 
I think that if given the choice to do this, I would probably decline. It would be just too darn confusing! Like Warmheart said, I have a rich inner life which I would hate to give up for a whole week. The benefits of being NT for a week just escapes me, that's all.
 
The_Hopeless_Aspie_Guy said:
Interesting. Not so here in the UK I don't think (and my world is small and doesn't exist outside of the UK, or England to be more specific :p). Besides, it's called 'aspie' central, not 'autie' central. When I think of someone who's austistic my mind leans more towards those who need constant supervision to get by and of whom have a major mental disability.
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This is AspiesCentral Asperger's & Autism Community if you ever looked at the title. I am in fact very far removed from being a low functioning autistic person ;)

The deciding factor for me was due to a history of late speech development during my early childhood days that was present in our DSM IV in use at the time before the autism spectrum disorder umbrella of DSM 5 showed up. I couldn't play the aspie card even if I wanted to and I am a stickler for detail,so it wouldn't be right if I did.
I read most of the DSM III and all of the IV and only skimmed the DSM 5 as I was beginning to understand that it wasn't a diagnostic manual so much as it was a guide to assign fiscal responsibility when it came time to work with the client. I never studied the ICD and the psych end of your world because it didn't apply to me.
 
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