Aspies are built for war

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"NUTS"
Gen. G. Patton

Aspies are NOT built for military combat IMO - and the reasons have been canvassed already.

I actually agree with Zendell for once. In a world dominated by ASD people we would indeed have peace. This is linked to our generally acute sense of raw justice. I believe we could create a better justice system that would be more balanced, and deal more effectively with those who do the wrong thing - and also educate to the appropriate level.

I think we are warriors in a way, just not military ones. We can fight in other ways. Not all of us do of course (and I put that down to the suppression by the NT world that insists that we fit in or else).

I agree with this.

Those saying that aspies are generally less fit that NTs well thats probably more lifestyle choice than genetic predisposition. How often do you do exercise/physical activity? Even with equal fitness an aspie could probably push through their limits for longer than an NT if given a strong reason to do so.

I would not be. Our sensitivity to sensory input comes from an inability to process it effectively, and is not indicative of having "super-senses" or anything of the sort. Put me in a battle situation and I will likely go into sensory overload and shut down.

No question that someone who had processing difficulty or sensory overload is ill suited to that sort of life. Other Aspie's, like my brother, can make a career out of the military and thrive. He did 22 years, most of it Special Forces. I've known SEALS who were no doubt on the spectrum. It takes a special kind of mind set to make it on the teams.

Not everyone on the spectrum is bothered by noise, light, touch the way others are. Doesn't change the way their head is wired. Planning and logistics are vital to military operations. Military Intel work (and no that's not an oxymoron) is highly detailed and usually done in an office these days, dealing with satellite data and intercepts from radio and cell phones.

No, I'm not saying we're uberwarrriors destined to conquer the world... that's nuts. If the Aspie's end up taking over the world, it will be because we bought it with our stock proceeds from selling a software company....

I can guarantee there are Aspie's in every branch of the military and some of them serve with distinction. But that's the modern world. We fought and lived and died alongside the NT's all throughout history. The ones who did so were by definition not as affected by sensory issues as many today. People who were that affected were lucky to live long. If they could work and raise their own food or provide a service for someone who would feed them, they had a shot. There was no such thing as social services until the last century or so. For a few hundred years before that there were spotty areas that charities could cover, but not well. For most of history, you worked or you didn't eat.

Sensory issues, clumsiness, communication difficulties and whatever can affect our performance differently depending on the individual and the circumstances. In the military you have TRAINING which takes over in a lot of stressful situations. Also the deep inner drive to do what’s expected of you by those that you’ve come to think well of (for lack of a better term) and whom have come to think well of you. Even if you're not a team player by nature you can become one for long periods if need be.
I don’t know how else to put it.

AspieDave wrote;

If we were to get back to that there would be those who suffer but on the other hand there would be less of this apathy and laziness that abounds today. Less taxes for those of us who work for a living, too.
That was my daily monent of insensitivity. I can go do stuff now

I am not usually clumsy at all.
But noise of a lot of guns or anything would be kind distracting and upsetting.
If life depended on it though I would imagine stressful noises could be managed in favor of survival.
So I think I could do it fine.

To be honest though, I would prefer to do volunteer charity work abroad where needed. I think this would be harder than war though, as I totally freeze up when required to help someone like that. I just get so confused and embarrassed. I WANT to help, but it seems a lot more confusing and complicated than it really should be. I'd love to be able to though. Then I'd spend a year volunteering some time. Maybe some day.

Throughout most of human history, especially pre-Industrial history, people had their tribes (essentially an extended family). If they were unable to work for some reason (say, they were really old) they would generally be taken care of. An elderly person was a great resource of information. The ancients were not uncaring ignoramuses, you know.

It is only modern society that has developed this "you don't work, you don't eat" kind of mentality. If you wandered lost into a "primitive" community like that of the San Bushmen or the Berbers today and you were hungry, you would be fed and helped without question.

Your theory is off base. The hypersensitivities make it literally painful for many aspies, so it would never fuel them to action, self-defense or not. Many aspies are also just too d*mned stubborn to take orders or die for some cause they don't believe in.

I got my son diagnosed partly because I never wanted to see him drafted into military service. He would not make it. Low muscle tone, high anxiety, clumsy, extreme aversion to dirt, fear of loud noises. He's nothing close to a lean, mean fighting machine.

I imagine an Aspie could make a good sniper. They are often seen as lone weirdos that none of the normal grunts would even go near, let alone socialise with. Sounds like Aspies to me.

Taking orders to fulfill the mindless killing of fellow human beings doesn't seem to be any further from the archetypical aspie.

AdvenaIngenium wrote:

Yes you would be fed... if there was food. Even Neanderthal's cared for the injured and sick, that wasn't what I was saying. This is a pervasive developmental disorder we're talking about. If someone were so badly affected to be unable to perform some sort of work and fill a role in the family or tribal unit, it's unlikely they would survive much past childhood. No antibiotics. No antivirals. No corner market selling food for your microwave.... no utility delivering heat. If you didn't cut firewood you froze, if you didn't raise food, or trade your goods for food others had grown, there was nothing to eat. It was not an idyllic paradise of people living close to nature, they fought constantly for enough spare crops to cushion against a lean time. One bad rainstorm at the wrong time and you starved.... same thing if it didn't rain... if the harvest was bad 40% might starve before the next Spring. Those that lived would have weak immune response and be and easy target for disease.

Yes people help others. Even Aspie's do that...

You can't give up what you don't have yourself. Subsistence farming is just that.... if things went right they had enough from the harvest to save seeds out for the next years planting and they could eat or trade the rest. If it wasn't enough, then they died.

It certainly would take the 'right' aspie to do something like covert ops or assasinations. While a lot are physically clumsy, with the right mental training this becomes irrelevant. If the ability to focus to the exclusion of all else could be honed, induced and controlled, can you imagine trying to stop an aspie charged with a task?
a target could bribe or beg for mercy all they wanted, an emotionally cold aspie would not even hear it.
And while PTSD is common in aspies, quite often that is due to stressful events. I dont know about anyone else here, but when I am entirely focused on a specific task or item, it is impossible to stress me out. stress and meltdowns require a certain amount of attention be devoted to something, and if you are focused enough, that simply does not happen.
Of course, I do not have the training to focus my attention sufficiently on things that are outside my current obsession.
Does no one else here have the ability to occaisionally shut down emotionally? I am occaisionally able to do this consciously, but only when calm (damn irony!). It would be very nice to be able to switch off emotions at will. I can only imagine the hassle and pain that would have been prevented.

has anyone read the neanderthal and aspergers theory, it makes some logical sense to me, rather than aspies being war machines i prefer to think that i personally would only be driven to such extremes if somebody was actually damaging the people that i care about (or my dogs ) this would seem to be more a defensive than offensive position imo, and i certainly would not be able to work in a large team and take orders that i did not agree with, i think that the sensitivities that i and a lot of aspies have are more likely to be useful in a quiet stalking hunting lifestyle, the hyper focus and noticing small parts of things would be useful in being able to see exactly any reactions an animal was having and prevent it from fleeing before you are close enough to strike, usually i can be quite clumsy but i have worked for a large portion of my life with animals and have performed join up with many horses, this requires a high level of focus and control over your body as any activity could be read by the horse as a predatory move, naturally i am much more able to read non verbal communication from animals than the strange things that humans do,
madz

I happen to have a Mesomorph body type, though, I am inside 23.5 hours of the day. I built up muscle from karate 3 years ago, and have never lost it. I was actually very good at karate, winning 1st place trophies for my kata (form). I credit my obssive tendencies to build up though. In fact, I am 5% body fat...but I still weigh 115lbs at 5'6".