Look Me in The Eye

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I do relate to naming as well. I have my own names for my parents and some of my friends. But it's my partner who has a name for me that no one else knows or uses.

I'm reading it right now. I like it a lot so far. I'm about halfway through right now. Some of John Elder Robison's traits definitely fit the AS profile, but others don't. His ability to dupe others certainly doesn't fit the profile. AS people are usually perceived as the gullible ones. I am neither extreme, neither gullible nor a prankster. I couldn't think that fast on my feet and I don't have the talent for deception.

Other traits, like the poor eye contact, definitely apply to me, too. I can look into the eyes of familiar people, but eye contact with strangers is something I find threatening. I also grew up in a secure household, so I couldn't relate to the wildly dysfunctional family Robison grew up in.

All in all, this book seems like the most positive portrayal of AS so far. Robison, despite bumps in the road, has pretty much gone on to be successful.

I'll offer you a thought on "duping others," in the context of my pranks.

Just like many other posters, I am not very good at intentional lies. For example, if did something bad as a kid, I could not really lie and conceal it.

Somehow, my mind sees pranks in a different category as lies. The best way to explain it is to say, telling someone something that's not true as a prank is like being in a play, and playing the Klingon or the Horseman or the farmer or whatever.

It's worth pondering what defines a "lie" in our mind. We all learn to say things that are not strictly factually true. If we didn't, there would not be any novels, movies, etc.

Maybe it's cause you knew the other person would eventually know the truth about what you were doing? Or that it involved actions as well as words? I'm not sure. I've never had any problems with lying.