A Major Talent of Autistic People

Post Reply New Topic

Can't remembef what irony means. Isn't it the same as sarcasm?

I think a common theme here is not knowing the appropriate level of effort. I discovered long ago that there is an expected level of effort based on how well you know someone, or how close you are, and if you exceed that, rahter than being pleased with your extra effort, they just find it weird. Goes for financial contributions and gifts, too.

That is a great philosophy, I'm learning that too. I've often got into trouble for 'helping' when it wasn't needed.

You are right. I've put in far too much effort with strangers in the past and they just get confused. Or worse, take advantage of my good nature.

I got some brilliant advice once, something along the lines of always behaving in a moderate manner- don't be unhelpful, but don't be too helpful. Then when there is a crisis or disaster, step up and help. People will remember that you stepped up, but not expect you to always step up every day.

I can't find the original advice, wish I'd made a picture of it.

Oh yes! Haha! Once when I was in charge of a bike department in a store that all staff were told the sales figures so I disn't realize it was an issue, a banks securicor staff was picking up the takings and he was filling in a form, so I went to help him py pointing out on the form where he should write in the amount as he hesitated looking at his form. And he suddenly started telling me off because I saw the sales figures! He thought other staff (Apart from the one in the office) disn't knkw and were not supposed to know! They told us the details of the day before every morning as wd came in early for our team brief as the store was very open like that and encouraged us to be part of it. (Our pay wasn't a lot but we did get fantastic retail training to the extent that I have never had since or had before, even on retail or business courses designed to train people up have I had such in depth training as working in that store! Even got to design my department to amplify sales figures and minimize theft, which I achieved so well in a smaller space to other stores, that they sent psople down from head office all the way down to South Wales from Scotland to have a look! I think they adapted other stores, as we had so little theft in a high theft area on my department. In two years I had only lost two or four LED bike lights which were in the only blind spot area (I put them there due to a lack of space and they were the cheapest accessories we sold).

Oh yes I've got caught out with things like that: other people assuming we know what they know.

When I worked as an account's assistant, it was my job to give out pay slips. I put them in everyone's in trays. Then got bollocked for not folding them up to hide the amount they got paid.

Because I don't care if people knew how much (how little) I earned. But apparently you're supposed to keep your wage amount a strict secret? Why?

Don't know.I remember showing my pay slip to another and because I was a single man so had much higher taxes to pay, he was bringing in £100 a week more than I was, but his kids were all grown up! Was how the UK system worked. The only job I earned enough to pay taxes. All other jobs, even though the hours were high, were purposly paid low to avoid the tax threshold (Was paid low, and then minimum wage came in so would have to work many hours without pay to compensate as minimum wage was way over what our normal wages was. I was on the "High" wage being head of a department of £3.65 an hour (Even then I would be doing between 40-70+ hours a week for a 33 hour a week pay). The one who replaced me was on £1.70 an hour. When minimum wage came i. something had to give... What gave was staff had to work double the hours they got paid. Government was in cookooland to expect minimum wages to be adhered to round the country! Even today farmworkers are doing 80 hlurs a week and are exempt from minimum wage and are on £3.50 an hour being self employed, so they have to pay taxes and accountants on top of that.

Last edited by Mountain Goat on 09 Nov 2023, 10:21 am, edited 3 times in total.

I don't really understand money and taxes tbh. Everyone should be paid fairly IMO.

One common talent for people on the Autism Spectrum might be described as an amazing eye for detail(s).

One of my strengths is that I have gathered a fairly good working knowledge of many things due to my various interests and tendency to hyperfocus on them

Also, thanks to the tendency of autistic brains to make unusual connections!