Whats the exact difference between NT thinking and AS thnkng

Post Reply New Topic

While no one is a perfect example of AS, or NT, when we look at the extreme cases, some things stand out.

If we have to make an educated guess, considering how subtle the differences is between people, we have to compare and contrast the most extreme case. Although it's a crude method, psychological profiles are generated to a extreme case, and then adjusted to fit the more common lesser extreme cases that one would more often come across.

So if one intend on answering the question without "saying I don't know," which is true for almost everyone but not useful, then we have to hypothetically compare an extreme case of either side and note those characteristics that standout.


Different types of people give different weights to multiple factors in making a decision. In extreme cases, it can be more easily seen that certain types of people will value certain characteristics far more than is typical. Those factors can be used as a distinguisher.

Last edited by pascalflower on 24 Apr 2011, 2:33 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Why create hypothetical extreme cases when we have real world cases who run the gamut? Your statements weren't hypotheticals, you were saying that this is what autistic people are like. Maybe this is actually part of my autistic brain focusing on concrete realities over abstract examples, but I find it hard to accept generalizations when those generalizations often outright exclude people from the definitions.

How can anyone come to a conclusion about the differences when there are so many factors involved if we used real world cases? We would have to examine every AS and every NT to do that?

Or you could say "some autistic people" instead of making sweeping statements about what all autistic people are like, what all autistic people can or cannot comprehend, and so on?

I do find absolute statements difficult because I find myself focusing on all of the exceptions to that statement (and those exceptions are not necessarily exceptions at all - I differ from what you said above about autistic people, but I do not think I am an exception).

Fair enough, my statements are misleading because I write in absolutes. I hate generalizing because words can never encompass everything or everyone that they should. I rather write from an absolute point and then note when there are exceptions to the rule, and how things should be modified to each individual person.
.
.
.

To me words are just holders of a thought from a person, at a particular point in time, from a particular point of view. They mean nothing in every other instance.

Last edited by pascalflower on 24 Apr 2011, 4:13 pm, edited 1 time in total.

"Whats the exact difference between NT thinking and AS thinking?"

When you're talking about generalisations like NT and AS, which each cover large groups of varied individuals, you can't talk in terms of a single or exact difference. It's only meaningful to talk in group terms, such as average or typical differences. It is called the autistic spectrum, after all.

The typical differences are what you see listed on the diagnostic criteria for AS; or they are for men anyway. I think they've recently been discovered to be somewhat different for women.

I always say that generally, NTs think in more "social" terms and people with AS think in more "intellectual" terms.

But I love connecting to people too. Although my lack of being interested in anything stops me from connecting easily, I still like to do it, and that is why I feel so miserable when I'm lonely.

I like connecting with people too, just not many. I just don't know how and/or am afraid too.

[quote="Verdandi"]

I do find absolute statements difficult because I find myself focusing on all of the exceptions to that statement (and those exceptions are not necessarily exceptions at all)[quote]

I totally agree. Sweeping generalisations do the same thing to my brain. I instantly go off on a tangent thinking about all the exceptions to the generalisation and lose focus on what the other person was saying, while I try and work out in my head whether their generalisation is true or not. NTs probably just let it slide.

When an NTs brain is beginning to get its act together, there's an eye-expression feedback loop that meshes in with other people's eye-expression feedback loops and forms the foundation to theory of mind, which in turn is the foundation for world-view, thought patterns, personality and the rest of social existence.

When an aspies brain starts to get its act together, it finds itself alone in the world. Everything else is built on that.

Well we aren't all like that, but there are a good number that are exactly as you describe. I suppose I'm one of the mentally ill ones, as I don't really have any close friends that I spend time with other than family. My social interaction takes place primarily on message boards and Facebook, where I can choose to participate or not. If a subject arises that I don't care about, then I can simply ignore the topic altogether. I've never been one for "clubbing" or partying and this has always made me the oddball. I'd rather stay home and do my own thing by myself.
If I meet a person who shares my interests or who I connect with mentally/emotionally then a friendship may form from that, but there are plenty of trendy "hipster" types who share my interests, and I have no desire to be lumped in with that group. They seem more concerned with the surface appearance, and really don't seem to represent anything of substance. It just all feels very contrived. They are high end, elitist, hipsters in Buddy Holly glasses.

Yeah, this is one of the things that happens to me. I always get hung up on these things and focus on them, and I think it's just avoidable to be clear that the generalization is not an absolute.

Neurotypical people make all of their decisions based on what is socially acceptable. For example when a neurotypical is contemplating on what brand of motor oil to use he asks the question "What motor oil is everyone else using?" The autistic on the other hand searches for the very best motor oil even if he is the only one using it. The neurotypical could indeed choose a high end synthetic oil but only because the oil is now mainstream. 30 years ago a neurotypical would never even have considered using a synthetic oil.

As far as maintenance of the car goes a neurotypical person will change his oil every 3000 to 5000 miles because that is what he believes everyone else is doing. An autistic person on the otherhand will only change the oil when it is required which is 10,000 miles.

And when the neurotypical person chooses the viscosity of the oil he will choose the 5w30 grade because that is the grade everyone else is using. An autistic person will choose the 0w30 grade even though nobody uses the that grade because of the superior cold start performance of the oil.

There's a lot to be said for referencing the manual that came with the vehicle.

As far as oil changes, there's no need to change the oil as often as we use to. I think it has something to do with our engines running cleaner and more efficiently than they use to? (I'm not an auto mechanic, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night) People tend to hang onto old ideas. "That's the way it's always been done!", they get stuck in a rut and resist change or new knowledge. It does require a bit of extra effort.

A neurotypical mechanic will never reference the owners manual for advice on when to change the oil. To do so takes too much effort as there are literally thousands of different owners manuals. The neurotypical mechanic will simply recommend the 3000 mile oil change because he believes that's what everyone else is doing.

However of course this is all changing. As more and more OEM's like General Motors are requiring expensive $60 synthetic oil changes in order to maintain the warranties consumers are balking at the 3000 mile oil change. Now with computer technology it will be much easier to print the correct oil change interval reccommendation on the oil change invoice rather than the arbitrary 3000 mile reccommendation. It's funny how the mechanics all denounced me as insane when I questioned their service intervals and now they give me an invoice which was totally in line with my way of thinking all along.