Extraversion and Asperger's Syndrome

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I believe part of this is true, but I also believe that in general men and women are simply wired slightly differently (like AS is a different wiring from NT, supposedly) and some things I think are and should be just for women and some just for men. But on that note, I think the movie "The Last Man on Earth" and the "Lithia" episode of Outer Limits got the women only view of the world extremely wrong. Its as if those writers never studied history or watch the news. There is every bit the potential to commit barbaric acts or feats of evil for either sex. I think that, like ASDs, it was overlooked more in the past, but it was something that was always there. I was also resent the view that the few or only males left would immediately resort to violence or cause the society to become unbalanced. Whether or not I would strutting my stuff in that type of world is not the sole point even if I could do that, but I think that violence would be near the bottom of the list of things on my mind in such a situation. Violence, even in males, generally occurs only when threatened. It is the fight or flight response.

Also making note on the other point in this thread, I have tested more masculine then most males in several tests like this one: http://web.tickle.com/tests/genderident ... /index.jsp (my result was 93 male and 7 female). But I don't think that would neccessarily make me more aggressive (as such that action is based on circumstances and threat level anyway in most all humans) or even extroverted. There are just as many quiet and yet tough aggressive males as there are outspoken ones. (Not that I am extroverted at all per say, there have been moments or moods in the past though (few and far between as they are)). Masculine traits are not just that behavior but a whole list of them, and according to these test I am over my share. So I don't think Neanthumans theory would apply in general to AS, perhaps it is just that we have the m/f traits more offbalance than the average in either direction. Of course those test don't neccessarily rate or question for everything. I consider my skin to be softer than most males, but I don't consider that a fem trait so much as a health trait. Dry and hard skin is unhealthy and while tougher in melee or environment or animal incursions, it does not last as long. I don't think my sense of direction is as strong as the average male either. I can also be moody and emotional at times. I am visually oriented, yet I also have a strong sense of logic (among my highest scoring areas on the college entrance test). I can be chaotic, sloppy, and even clumsy. Just adding some of my thoughts to this thread.

My reaction exactly when I first heard that theory!

Same for me, Catffienated and Cindy.

Interesting/Odd little factoid: I actually came up as "less male than most women" on that test Epimondias posted. Probably because I'm not interested in sports and have little to no reaction when I become angry. For me, it turns inward, rather than outward.

i'm 70% masculine, apparently. amazing - although i do agree as far as my mind is concerned - i'm usually considered definitely a woman

I actually scored 75% masculine on that Tickle test, for what it's worth.

I'm 88% masculine, apparently. This is without liking sports, too.

Does that mean all sports both watching and playing? (even like bowling, there are some things called sports, that just don't seem to fit, and yet they are, like golf.) There a few I would like to play, if there any people I know that would do so, a couple I can watch (if given a choice, I would rather play one than watch one, but not so much in a purely competitive atmosphere, though if I had the option, I would not mind being paid to try). But if all sports were eliminated, I would think the world were ending. I think I even know of several women that are generally more into sports than I. Perhaps I am some indifferent. To be honest I have not played one awhile either, though I think I would like to, and when I did, I liked to play more for fun.

I used to play soccor or football in grade school, those were my two favorite to play. I was sort encouraged to play tee ball, farm league baseball, but my interest was never as strong. This may have had something to do with the lack of desire/strong-ability to catch (I could throw it though), and more of the fact that baseball was hard, small, hard to see in the sky and/or keep track of as it went up,and more so than a football or a soccer ball (was a little better when I played softball breifly though), initially at least, even in football I cloud only run, dodge, and tackle (so I was generally the running back). In soccer, you did not need these skills, just spot the ball and run to it, in this respect at least I believe I was also relatively agile. Later, an uncle showed me how to throw a football, and then I could do it, though I threw it exactly the same way as I was shown (I could probably do well enough w/o the exact steps, but I still have a preference for doing it that way and it feels more comfortable to do so), I could even, like the baseball, throw it pretty accurately. Even later, I wanted to try this sport somewhere around 8th grade, but my mom would not let me because she was afraid I would get hurt. Did I mention I was very short growing up? In fact only a couple or so other kids were shorter, and think that was in all up or down a grade from the one I was in at the time, until about the time I could drive, then I started growing rapidly, now I am slight above the average height (which is 5'6" or 5'8" depending on your source).

I scored 72% masculine (hence 28% feminine). Unfortunately this isn't too much surprising, especially with the scores I got for EQ/SQ with Baron-Cohen's tests and the fact that any friends I did have tended towards mainly males over females as I never felt like I had much in common with females. I hate that fact but it's an uncomfortable truth. People always used to call me a 'tomboy', used to not mind watching or playing sports, sports oddly intrigued me. I seemed to be rougher in physical nature than some of the other girls.

My score was 28% feminine, 72% masciline too - snap Mish!

Dunc

I feel less masculine and more genderless.

I don't think I'm especially feminine, I don't like the things most girls like (makeup, shoes, shopping, talking about guys, etc), but I don't like the things most guys like, either (sports, physical activity, going out to bars, ect). I also scored low on both the EQ and SQ tests . I don't feel like I really fit anywhere.

you fit in here, Civet!

AND you're utterly unique. i believe that as long as you fit in with yourself, you're fine. having said which, that's not the easiest thing in the world to do... (43, and still trying...)

what she said.

Thanks Vetivert and Duncvis, that's very nice of both of you.

I'm not entirely sure I fit in here, though. I've been going through another doubting period about whether I have AS or not. I know that I have social problems, but I don't know the exact cause of them, after all. Nayashi's depersonalization thread has especially begun to make me think about social anxiety as a possible cause. Basically, I'm just quite confused.

To revive and old thread and take it in a slightly different direction...

I can associate a lot with what the OP said. I have very recently come to realize that I am not the introvert that I thought I was. I'm pretty sure that I am either an ambivert (straight down the middle between introvert/extravert) or lean slightly towards extraversion. Here is my reasoning.

I love hosting parties for friends. Contrary to a more mainstream party, however, there is no dressing up, no rules, no pretense. Just bring a dish to share and let your hair down. We've had upwards of 30 people over at our house at any given time, and it's truly a wonderful experience. (In fact, our annual Midsummer's party is coming up and I'm very excited.) I think if I leaned towards introversion, I wouldn't enjoy this very much and would shy away from doing it.

I do like to meet new people, however I have to meet them within a "boundary" that I find acceptable. This "boundary" includes work and my social activities, but does not include circumstantial people (people at the store, neighbors, train mates, etc.) or any type of activity where I need to interact with an unfiltered slice of the population (i.e. unfiltered by me). I guess this is sort of my wall of protection.

Being that I am not prone to depression like so many here has led me to question whether I truly am on the spectrum. Many of the other traits fit perfectly; it just seems that some of the very common traits do not. So I wonder if my extraverted/optimistic side (in my case) has kept me out of significant anxiety and depression that so many here have great difficulty with. David Myers seems to think so: http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles ... 00027.html

I have a deeply introverted side that I love as well. That's where my special interests get explored, and I couldn't possibly give those up. I do not feel insecure whatsoever spending countless numbers of hours by myself. But then I eventually want to express what I've learned to others who care. I find that very fulfilling.

Does any of this ring true for other folks?

The extreme male brain thing is bunk. It is the type of flimsy theories that discredits the psychological profession and does more harm than good. The theory has also lead to underdiagnosing girls and women who have some type of PDD.

From what I have seen from people here, I completely agree.