Studying People

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I'm curious if anyone else does this or not. I never thought of myself as having AS so I always wrote this particular trait off as just something that writers did (I've written all my life).

Anyway, I find that when talking to people I think less about the conversation and the other person's feelings than I use him/her sort of as a case study. For example- I think "Wow, this person looks interesting. Like a character in a movie." Or "Hmm, his story would make a good book." Then I try to grab more facts through the conversation, to build the story or something. I usually wind up asking too-personal questions but I never get into trouble over this. I've had strangers come up to me before and tell me all kinds of whack stuff about themselves simply because I seem "approachable."

If someone has an accident near me I am also less concerned with their wellbeing than the general nature of the accident. More like trying to replay what happened in my head or thinking "Why isn't anyone else looking at this?"

So...anyone else out there like me?

Since I'm usuall pretty quiet, I often just observe people in social situations when I can't find anything to say. I feel that I have good insights into people's behaviors and intentions within their social interactions, but then again I have Asperger's so I could just be imagining it!

When the results of a student election were announced, everyone looked at the winner, but I found myself looking at the guy who lost--he saw me look at him and we had a little awkward moment

I do. I have also been a shameless eavesdropper since childhood.

I often see other people as storybook characters and myself as the silent protagonist

I study people, as well. I study their body language and faces. I don't see very many sensitive people, where I live.

I help out a local parents support group. My primary motivation is to genuinely help those people, but I must admit that the fascination of seeing NT parents struggle and squirm when talking about their issues with their AS children helps keep me going on weeks when I don't want to drive for 20 minutes to some group.

In other words, I enjoy "studying" people very much.

Think VERY hard before telling someone that you are studying them or studying other people. It can be mistaken for being a stalker.

I do this with actors. No, I don't talk to them but I use their faces, personalities, and accents in my stories.
Sometimes I'll pick hair style from one, accent for another or give their personality to a character I came up with myself.

Actually I think I have used people I've talked to in my stories in the same way that I use actors.

I also when bored would try to guess what people's lives were like when they were walking past me at a train station. I did the same for these people in wedding photos when I was sick of editing them. I was mocking them though.

my special interest is the human condition.

I am a natural philisopher seeking all the time
to make sense of peoples behavior and
motavations.

My head is very analytical, seeking to cut-
up and process information, where as my heart
seeks to understand and empathize.

For those of you who study people very closely, or who have special interests that involve depiction of social interactions, do you find what you see applicable to yourself, and how easy or difficult is it to do that?

For instance, might someone with a special interest in the Bible/theology be able to apply it as a "user's manual" for society to compensate where instinct might not always give the right clues? (Now, the Christian would actually argue that all believers do that to some extent, but I am referring specifically to issues that may happen from being on the spectrum.)

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Official diagnosis: ADHD, synesthesia. Aspie quiz result (unofficial test): Like Frodo--I'm a halfling? 110/200 NT, 109/200 Aspie.