Into the Wild

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i'm glad someone dug up this post.

KansasFound, i read your two relevant blog posts (found by looking in the blog archives around the date of this post) and i've read the book.

I read it far before I knew anything about Asperger's, and it completely explained an ex-boyfriend of mine who had run away from the first connection i felt with anyone else that i thought was very real. i think you're onto something here.

from the time i left home, for a solid decade i moved (city to city) about every year. as you can imagine this was unbelievably stressful. i wasn't running from anything except the void. but i didn't know what was motivating me, and the void caught up with me wherever i went.

you put it well in one of your blog posts:

that has been the hallmark of my experience: a longing to connect, coupled with an inability to do so. i substituted places for human connection.

finally, i figured it out.

Since I wrote that article for my blog I have written three of four chapters on this overall "hunger" concept. I don't remember what I write, and I don't read what I write, but I know I hit upon many more eye-opening points. Now only if I could go back and read them!

In my first book I say how I would see if there was a conection in the two relationships I had. I felt that "void" and my only tactic to see if there was any connection was to end the relationship only to restart it. Because I have a hard time gauging if a person likes me, I was trying to see if they really cared by the way they would react. As time went on nothing was strong enough so I ended a four year relationship via text message on Christmas. Then I tried to restart the relationship the next day, but she had had enough.

The feeling of a lack of connection is so maddening because I know it should be there. When I become fixated on a subject or topic I sort of forget about the void, or the hunger, but eventually it does catch up. I hate those times.

You guys are willing to assign the label of asperger's to anyone, aren't you? I don't see how doing what he did makes you autistic.

Please point out any autistic traits he had.

http://lifeontheothersideofthewall.blog ... -wild.html

He knew how to socialize. Just because someone is a loner or questions authority doesn't make them have autism. Someone with autism would more likely to be highly concerned with how the trip turned out. People with autism don't like change. A sensory issue with socks doesn't mean anything. Lots of people have issues with some clothing.

People with autism are individuals. You can relate to his story and that doesn't mean he has autism just because you do. I just find it highly unlikely, there really doesn't seem enough information pointing towards autism.

only superficially. he didn't have any real connection to anyone, not even his family. this seems to be what drove him to total isolation. did you read the book?



nor does it mean he doesn't because you don't relate. as you said, people with autism are individuals.

i never understand why people do things like this - respond to posts just to say the poster is absolutely wrong. we're a very opinionated lot, aren't we?

no one will ever know the truth: he's dead.

How is posting to say someone is wrong any different than posting if you agree? Hell, why don't we all not post at all?

Superficial socialization requires social understanding.

Nope, katzefrau, I guess he didn't read the book.

lol ..
i'm always right too. i totally get it. i'm just a little more careful with the presentation.

I did read the book, I just neglected to answer because I thought it was rhetorical or something.

no, it was meant literally.

i was wondering if your opinion was based on the movie (or other information about Chris, like a review or the original poster's blog) or on the book. or if you just hate when people try to attribute characteristics of AS to others. no judgment either way. just clarifying.

I've never seen the movie. I'm merely basing it off the skim of the blog post and my reading of the book. But I do have a distaste for people trying to attribute autism to people where it can't be proven or backed up by anything. I don't think there is anything in the book that directly indicates autism, it's fine the OP related to him though.

Oh, and I liked the book.

i never saw the movie either. i think the story is pretty tragic, and i heard he was made out to be a heroic figure. that interpretation didn't interest me.

This is way late, but I too strongly identified with McCandless while reading. I have not been formally diagnosed, but I felt like I understood him in a way that others seemed to not. I thought that he may be an aspie, so I googled it, and it brought me here. Yay!

Welcome aboard Wrong Planet

Welcome kiwibird. Glad you are here.