The actual difference between AS thinking & NT thinking

Post Reply New Topic

I never get what this actually means. If everybody thought the same, this world would be boring, wouldn't it?

I have quite a few NT friends now, and most of them are on job-seekers, but they all have different ways of searching for jobs, what sort of job they want, and how to go about it. One of my friends takes her job-seeking very seriously, even though she's not that financially desperate. When I say, ''I will tell the job-centre that I've done this, this and this'', and she always say, ''oh, no, don't say that to them - they will then expect you to do this, and might question you''. Then one of my other friends, who is also on job-seekers, is more calm about it. She writes down more than I do, and is more honest about it too. When I say what I'm going to do, she doesn't lecture me like my other friend does. She just says, ''yeah, I wrote this, this and this down too, and I told them that, that and that.'' So there's 2 different NTs who go about their job-searching in different ways (I'm more like friend B).

Or is this not what the differences are? What sort of thinking differs thinking between Aspies and NTs? Usually, deep down, I relate to NTs easily about most things, but I sometimes hate to admit it. It's like this competing with other people thing. You know how most NTs don't like going out looking different, and would rather blend in than to stand out and feel ridiculous. I feel the same too - I worry about what strangers think of me too, and I would rather blend in than to stand out and look ridiculous. I know exactly how they feel, and I follow them like sheep too. But I still seem to act like I don't care, and each time I see my mum dressing nicely to just walk up to the shops, I start yelling, ''why are you trying to impress people all the time?! Be an individual and stop worrying about how you look and what they might think of you, will ya?! !!'' - even though I worry about the same thing too. Is this the sort of thing what the difference between AS and NT thinking is? I know this isn't a very good example, since I agree with them too, but I'm just saying, is this the sort of thing? Finding it hard to figure out why NTs do X and Y, but not Z? Something like that? Help me out here.

I think the difference is while NTs think differently also, they are still able to head down the same path as everyone else. But with aspies, they think so differently, they don't head down the same path as everyone else so they are lost in their thinking and still don't understand. NTs are able to see it from another point of view and perspective while an aspie does not. Instead it would have to be explained to them for them to go down the same path as NTs because they can see other point of views now because it got spelled out to them.

But even NTs don't always see it from another point of view and still don't get it when you explain it to them, that's what we all call ignorance. They are still lost with their thinking so it makes it all confusing here about the difference between AS and NT thinking.

Id like to say that all NTs think differently. Its hard to put diverse groups of people into one stereotype. NT's can see things that aspies cant in other peoples behaviors and peoples reactions. They know if you do "this" in public, people will think "that" way negatively, etc. Most NT's attempt to blend with the crowd and not be seen as weirdos. Dont get me wrong, there are NT's out their who dont care about conforming and want to stick out. Whereas aspies often arent aware of what we are doing as well and the type of effect it has on other people. So we often do things which make others think we're weirdos. A lot aspies have just given up at a certain point of blending in because its so hard so we develop the "I dont give a f**k" attitude when some of us really do.

In my opinion most NT's are much more results-focused than aspies. This makes them a lot more competitive and ruthless generally under the surface of all their social niceties. The social stuff hides a lot of the maneouvering so that it doesn't seem so blatant but it's still there, as anyone who gets in the way soon finds out!

This is a very good post.

There are posters on this forum who stereotype NTs dramatically. Not all NTs are total reversals of a textbook Aspie, which leads to misunderstandings like the one Joe picked up upon in the opening post. There are many NTs who are shy, who like imagining, who are highly interested in certain topics, and don't conform to every social rule.

More on-topic: the main ways of "Aspie thinking" are taking things literally and being blunt. For example: an unemployed Aspie complains that he is short of money. An NT says "apply for Jobseekers", the Aspie says "why? I'm not seeking a job because they induce my meltdowns." The NT response would be "good idea, I'll get extra money for six months."

I think I know what this is getting at now, and I'm starting to understand.

It's like ''you can work out a sum different ways, and find the same answer.''

Last edited by Joe90 on 06 Jul 2011, 4:00 pm, edited 1 time in total.

I think we are all the same, just that I try to understand how we think, while the NT dont care about knowing that. Actually I claim that I think more than a NT, because they usually dont care about understanding our natural ways intellectually. That is not meant to sound smug, because sometimes I would like to be inconsiderate as well.

You could say it is superfluous to understand how we think, because it probably only leeds to knowledge which I take with me to the grave, but I cant help it, I just find it incredible interesting.

My opinion for now is that the main difference between NT and AS individuals is how they learn everything from mathematics to humor. I think NTs tend to learn from each other, and ASs tend to learn by themselves (e.g. from books). Because of this, learning the 'unwritten rules' of social interaction is particularly difficult.

We're doomed to take the road less traveled by, as Robert Frost would say.

I dont totally disagree but I think differently about this. I think NTs are easily affected by each other and believe in things they didnt learn the logic of, while I doubt the spoken word until I have done some research. But still there is a limit, because I can also be affected sometimes. With affected I mean that I as a human being can be more easily convinced by a convincing sounding person than an unsecure person... ETC., but not even close to the extend that NTs are affected.
If a person tells me his/her opinion (no scientific facts etc.) I dont doubt it, and thats a problem, because people love to be ironic, while I can understand and accept a broad specter of different opinions without necessarily taking side. I am also ironic, but I tend to use more blantantly obvious examples.

I don't disagree with anything you've said, I think its a good point you make. If I understand you right, you are saying that you are sometimes "gullible" or overly "literal".

Deciphering the motives of others, anticipating lies, and comprehending non-literal language all require a sophisticated theory of mind. Social learning also depends on a sophisticated theory of mind. So perhaps I am wrong to equate the "theory of mind" to "social learning"... maybe it makes more sense to think of the social learning deficit as being secondary to a deficient theory of mind.

I need to ponder some more.

I honestly can't think of an answer to this. So many different aspies, so many different NTs.

I came on this thread expecting to find a scientific explanation of the differences between aspies and NTs with diagrams of the brain and stuff. Looks like I took the title too litterally...

Yeah me too.. I thought there would be an explanation... I am sure nothing can be pin pointed at.... So many different brains..

off topic, how on earth did you manage to post that many times in five weeks?!

yeah, I wanna see some charts, diagrams and equations!

ahahaha about that... I have been jobless (summer no school) and addicted to wrongplanet

I'm reasonably sure my mom is an NT and when she needed a job, she left every morning at 7:00 pounding the pavement going door to door asking every business for an application. Even if they weren't hiring. When I tried to enter the job force, I tried this approach. The problem I had was that my mind kept screaming at me "THIS IS NOT AN EFFICIENT WAY OF LOOKING FOR WORK! YOU ARE WASTING TIME APPLYING AT PLACES THAT AREN'T HIRING! PUT SOME THOUGHT INTO THIS AND QUIT SPINNING YOUR WHEELS!! !" So eventually I focused my efforts into searching for jobs I wanted to do and I found a place I wanted to work at. A lot has happened since then but I think that the biggest difference between my mother and I is that I can't do something if I know there's a more efficient way to do it.