Did hitler have autism?

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Well, (sorry if I'm ranting folks, but this used to be one of my special interests) Hitler was trying to "purify" Germany and it's surrounding countries of "undesirables". This included Jews, Gypsies, Homosexuals, Jehovah's Witnesses, and on a more dramatic note, people on the autism spectrum.

Good point! I also used to be obsessed with the Holocaust, and that is true that anyone seen as disabled in any way was also "cleansed" from the population.

Well, I was hoping we were all gonna have a laugh about how absurd it is to diagnose Adolf Hitler with anything other then what his actual doctor said he had (manic depression I believe, but don't tell the bi polar's that) but you've all decided to have a serious discussion! tally ho!

It wasn't that obvious (initially) that you were just joking because this topic has come up seriously several times before! I think most of the posters are responding to the second poster now! My diagnosis for Hitler is narcissistic personality disorder... I also diagnosed my psychologist with NPD because he's an egotistical madman... He left after me and my friend diagnosed him!

On a more serious note I believe that Noddy has Aspergers.

An autism diagnosis depends on much more than a penchant for orderliness. What other criteria does his persona meet?

This is the problem with arm chair psychiatry - we don't have any solid data to use so we must give such musings over to raw speculation.

Based on what I know of Hitler's behavior, I would have to say definitely not. The 'orderliness' thing is a bit of an overreach anyway. There was a great deal of friction in the inner circles of the Third Reich.Hilter was good at playing people against each other. This is not typically an autistic strength. Public speaking is not typically an autistic strength.

Hitler and his Nazi Party were very disorganised! I watched a series called The Nazis: A Warning from History and it showed that Hitler was charismatic but he lacked focus.

I think Jellybean is right about Noddy being on the spectrum: THE HOME OF NODDY & MR PLOD

I'm sorry to contribute to hijacking your thread, although I did address the absurdity in my first post: "I don't think it is possible to reliably diagnose anyone who is dead. So it would really be impossible to say yes or no. ".

But, as sorry as I am if I helped to ruin your fun, the second poster made statements I just did not feel I could ignore. So, while I will happily apologise to you, I have to also make it clear that apology is only for spoiling your fun, and not for objecting to the outrageous claim Hitler accomplished anything "good". (The only time "Hitler" and "good" belong in the same sentence is when they are joined by the equivalent of a 'not equals' sign.)

As someone who would have been sent to the death camps had I lived in Nazi Germany for at least two reasons (being on the autism spectrum being one, ocular albinism being another - and my behaviour would have probably got me the 'anti-social' label as well - I consider any approval of their goals horrifying. As someone who had the Holocaust and World War Two as their earliest serious special interest (which began when I was about ten), and who knows far too much for comfort of what went on in that time and place, the concept that staying silent in the face of such ideas is deadly is literally seared into the roots of my personality. So, as sorry as I am for the wreckage of the fun you anticipated, I just can't go further than that.

Please, don't apologise. You make a very good point - and you put the right words in quotes.

On a side note, although I understand most people are unaware of this, "Gypsy" is a pejorative, and the people in question prefer Romany or Romani - or "the Rom" or "the Roma". There may be a few other spellings, but you get the idea. I'm sure you meant nothing insulting, and I'm not Rom myself, but under the circumstances, I thought you might like to know this. Especially since the Romani are still very much persecuted in many countries of Eastern Europe (and to a lesser extent, in many other places).

That was my first thought.

And because I have to be pedantic, sorry... A large number of the persecuted Gypsies were Sinti. Sinti are not Roma. Therefore, if you prefer not to use the word Gypsy, use Romani, which encompasses both groups. Personally, I am Roma and use the word Gypsy all the time. It's only offensive when it's used in a stereotypical manner, like dressing as a "Gypsy" for Halloween or referring to fortune tellers or, worse, scam artists. If you use it simply to name a race of people, it's fine. Of course, there may be others who disagree.

Anyway, yes, obviously we are all in agreement that autistic people lack empathy.

Phonic, sorry, I often don't get jokes, but your right the first thing that you said was funny. I appologize for monopolizing this discussion. Perhaps I should have elaborated more, but I didn't want to use to much space.
My second post was writen in haste, as will this one be, but I have a little more time now. First of all I was talking about the german people, not the people other peoples that he was trying to destroy. Secondly your right the word "GOOD" was a bad choice. Third, I do not think in any way what he did was good or right. I was merely trying to "play the devils advocate for those who would make that arguement." Mygoodness, relax your gonna blow something. I am Slavic myself, also likely part Hebrew. My wife and I were thinking about adopting a inner-city youth before we got pregnant. Chill out!! !

Well, it should be obvious by now that unless you start something with "this isn't serious" or "this is a joke" chances are I am going to think you are being serious.

I don't think anyone here was calling you racist. People were just responding to your poor choice in words. Perhaps you should practice what you preach and do some chilling out over there yourself.

Mmmmmmm...trains...

Sorry, I had not heard about the Sinti before; I'm assuming the Romani I've talked to in the past are all Roma. And I was obviously misled - or perhaps I missed a subtle cue here - into thinking that Roma and Romani and so on are all just spelling variations. (The fact I was a professional genealogist for a time, and had to keep endless spelling variations in mind, can't have helped here...) I also got a lot of my information from a site that was on GeoCities that (obviously) no longer exists, but, in light of what you say, I now suspect was focused more on the Roma. I'm curious, since this site also seemed to focus primarily, although not exclusively, on those in France, could that have had anything to do with it?

Actually, I was going easy on you. I had the impression you either expressed yourself very badly or had no idea what you were talking about, so I wasn't trying to jump on you personally. I apologise if it came across that way.

That said, I've run into some real (redacted) online, who would be all too happy to run with what you said. I've encountered enough of them I was pretty sure I could tell the difference, and you weren't one of the rabid nutters. But I honestly did - and do - feel I had to object to the idea, as expressed, as a matter of both personal survival and basic decency. I don't think there is a single issue which has been more of a major thread in my life; it was my first serious and most enduring special interest. Only the death of my best friend when I was in high school - which I heard, without knowing it was his car hitting a tree, and which also involved a very disturbing 'supernatural' experience I still can't explain - has left as deep a mark on me.

So, I have no problem with you as an individual. But the idea, as you expressed it, is one I am literally incapable of 'chilling out' in the face of. I accept you worded your thoughts clumsily, and I'm not trying to beat up on you. I'm just trying to explain this from my perspective. If some sicko googling "Hitler" comes across this post, I want it to be very clear they won't get much support here. (And, yes, I've actually run across a few real nutjobs who google terms like that, so they can troll for recruits to their "cause". )

Thanks for sharing that. I'll be more careful now that I know.