Are aspies smarter?

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Well, my dad used to say that smart vs. stupid wasn't about what you knew, or how fast you could figure out a solution. He always said that smart was using the sense the good Lord gave you, and stupid was not using the sense the good Lord gave you.

By that measure, I imagine there are plenty of people who are academically quick, or technically gifted, or walking encyclopedias, who still aren't very smart...

...and plenty of people like my stepmom, who needed an adding machine to play Yahtzee and struggled with reading Sheep In A Jeep, who are, for all they might think slowly and talk in little words, plenty smart.

Smart is an extremely vague term, very hard to define. Hard to differentiate cause and effect as well.

Anyway, I'm smart in the sense of kind memorize sets of information quicker than most people(not like rainman though). Maybe if a normal person needs to repeat it 7-8 times to really grasp it, I can do it like 3-4. I only know this from cramming for Chinese tests, by the 3rd repetition I was good and owned the character but other people needed way more time.

I think I can handle a pretty complex system as well. I'd say I have videogames more than aspergers to thank for that one though.

As far as common sense goes I'm pretty bad. I don't JUST do things. I don't feel like I can explain it any better than that. There is no JUST for me, I thrive in complexity, can't handle simplicity.

I agree because everybody has something to offer.

It's mixing up intelligence and wisdom (Though I don't know what do you mean by "using the sense the good Lord gave you.); a lack of intelligence mean having difficulties learning new things and on abstract thinking, also a way to think that is more simple and with little deep. While a lack of wisdom mean a tendency to saying stupid things and making bad decisions. A very intelligent person with a lack of wisdom is able to put a lot of thought in his ideas and explore things very deeply only to reach a wrong conclusion.

Once again I demonstrate my proclivity to take things literally

Oh Crap! I mean to say "I didn't intend for this thread to espouse autistic-supremism"
I always knew my big mouth would get me into trouble one day

I wasn't even if trying to say aspies are smarter. I was trying find out if aspies are smarter.
I want to reach a conclusion that supports the available evidence,
not cherry pick evidence to support a predetermined conclusion.

I asked if aspies are smarter, not if aspies score higher in IQ tests.

Yep. That sounds like a plausible explanation for the apparent smarts displayed by some aspies.
The ones I know in meatspace who don't seem so bright, maybe they just got obsessed with the wrong things.
They're still experts in their interests but those aren't areas traditionally associated with smarts.

True. I've met people who did very well academically and yet were not even slightly aware of their own hypocracy.
If IQ tests are an inaccurate measure of intelligence, does that mean exams are too? If they pass the exams does that mean they truly understand the subject or just that they studied for the test? Does it mean they know about the field or that they can think of new solutions within it. A talent for rote learning doesn't indicate a talent for problem solving.

I think I get it. You mean such a person would make a good devil's advocate. If they won the debate it would prove they would the best debater, not prove that they were right.

The thing that disturbs me is that if someone can be wrong and win the debate, then what is to stop the same thing from happening within people's own thoughts? If someone doesn't want to see a harsh truth, what is to stop them from coming up with a seemingly intelligent way to dismiss them without being aware of their own bias?

Sometimes I struggle with that myself. When I have to make a difficult choice and after I reach a decisions I think "what if I'm biased" so I switch sides and justify the other choice and then I think "what if I'm biased".

If we all have different strengths then being decisive isn't one of mine.

This remind me of : http://apenwarr.ca/log/?m=201407 , the curse of smart people.

I'm quite smart, in that I can pick things up really quickly but I half learn things because I move to the next thing before I've fully learnt the last thing.

Therefore I know little bits of a lot of things but not enough about one thing to make it pay.

Do you get me?

http://www.rosinecaplot.com/2008/10/are-you-a-scanner/

You need to find something you'll be passionate with, possibly something you can make a living from.

Edit: I don't know, identify what you like to learn, but are not in a rush to, so, I believe, you'll be able to apply yourself to master it.

Aspergers vs classic Autism.

I have the new DSM V Autism Spectrum Disorder diagnosis or ASD.

I am smart at the things I am smart at and I am dumb at the thing I am dumb at.

None of us fit into the NT world we need to all stick together.

I work and with the help of people all across the spectrum I blend with the NTs on a superficial level just good enough to be left alone.

We don't fit in except with each other, there are people on the spectrum with a higher functioning level then me and people with a lower functioning level then me.

We all have autism and we have more in common with each other then we do with the NORMAL functioning people of this world.

If some of you think you are really higher functioning why not throw your talents into the Autism cause instead of trying to distance yourselves?

Thanks, I scanned through it.

I wasn't trying to distance myself from anyone here. There's no need for us to segregated ourselves from NTs. Many of them are actually decent people.

Don't understand me that comment was not aimed at you.

^^Who was it aimed at then, because I'm confused?^^

It is not aimed at any single person.

Sometimes people with HFA or Aspergers have a overriding desire to fit in with the NT world my comment is aimed at people when they are in that frame of mind.

I have been in that frame of mind too not anymore.

^^Ok, thanks for clearing that up.^^

That is what I love about being on the spectrum we ask for clarification it makes things so much more friendly and stress free.