Possible Root of AS?

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Hazelwudi, I clarified on page 2 what I mean by prey perspective. The hyperattentativeness to detail, defense mechanisms and the fear/anxiety that overwhelms autistics.
The latter description (environmentally acquired. . .) is certainly a factor in socialization but a separate discussion, it's a consequence of being born already different.
Rhino, you're still measuring your skills and style against NT style. Anyone notice how little real conflict goes on here, considering there are 10,000 members? Smaller boards see a lot more conflict and real, serious turf wars because of NT conversation rules. People seem to say what they mean and there aren't too many war of words, or bullying going on.

I have resorted to hand raising in group discussions because I don't like NT "give and take". I don't time it right either so I just raise my hand or finger. Nerdy and oldfashioned but it works.

If I may make an analogy here: When I am with people (plural) I seem to have no autopilot. So many minor and non-logical interactions (not illogical, but stuff outside of logic) are happening that I must handle consciously. While most people have this "autopilot" of social interactaction, I do not. Therefore I must "hand fly the aircraft" and my cockpit workload is high.

When I am done with social interaction my conscious mind is worn out from effort. I did not get the joy of interaction because I was too hard at work.

I think a set of instinctual bases are lacking in me. This has made learning these behaviours more difficult - nothing built in to attach skills to! And my learning was conscious, I lacked automatic emulation. And now I must work to apply all I have learned consciously.

Nothing is automatic - because the built in automatic programs are not in me.

Great posts, folks. Let's keep it going. I think we are on to something here. Thanks to all who have added to this thread.

I have noticed these two things in my life as well.

I enjoy analysing things. It's what I do everyday to mundane objects and scientific thoughts and theorys. In fact you can say that I do it so much that I no longer have to think about what I'm anylyzing for the answer because I have used it so much. Almost "instinctual"? but those are for things like physics and studying art and the make up of objects.

But when it comes to social and human behaiver. I am bumbfounded that people can understand a person like it's second nature in a split second while for me it would take days or weeks of analysing someone to see why so and so did this or that. And then end up with the wrong answer.... And I would never understand why. I have come to either conclusion that "I over analyse" to "I'm just not equipt with the tools needed to understand the reason for social behaiver and what not."

Oh Asperion, I hope it will take more than that to set your funeral.

To a couple of recent posters (sorry I forgot your screen names, but boy am I aspie in the recognition department!): YES! What I have noticed is that in emo or social situations I do not automatically get it, therefore I analyze. And I analize a lot.

I agree that our difference is mainly in missing instincts - the core being the social instinct, which is not a single thing but more of an 'instinctual bag of tricks' as Nutbag says.

Keep in mind that humanity in the form of 'hominids' is supposed to be millions of years old, but society (larger social groups) only starts in the fossil record about 50,000 yrs ago.

I think AS people are the remnants of the people who preceded social evolution (revolution?) people - so we only have the simpler instincts of a simpler animal.

Wm Golding wrote a novel - The Inheritors - in which he described a little band of prehistoric non-verbal people encountering a bigger band of loud talking/violent people entering their territory. I recommend it.

possible root? genetic diversity, evolution, why do we expect the human species to remain always the same?

In my experience, virtually nobody gives a damn about anyone else at all, unless disaster striking that particular person would negatively impact the interests and goals of the observer. In such a case, the observer will care for that reason, and that reason only... self-interest.

What has always amazed me is how few people are willing to face this truth. In the end, talk as you might, listen as you might, live as you might, you are ultimately alone. At best, you are a majority of one in a coldly indifferent, self-obsessed world... and for as long as you live, you always will be.