Are there places that are more tolerant of "weird peopl

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simfish
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07 May 2011, 9:04 pm

Are there places that are more tolerant of "weird people" than physical science departments in universities?

swbluto
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07 May 2011, 9:07 pm

Yep, the local insane asylum.

Georgia
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07 May 2011, 9:21 pm

In the ARTS!! !

Music, dance, visual art, theatre, etc...

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simfish
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07 May 2011, 9:24 pm

The arts? Really? What sorts of examples do you have of "weird people" in the arts? The arts are certainly countercultural, but you don't see slobs in the arts the way you see them in the physical sciences.

Georgia
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07 May 2011, 9:40 pm

Quote:

Myself for one! LOL

Over the years it has been tough to stick to any one thing for very long, so I have a LOT of unfinished projects lying around. My mind flits from one thing to the next in the space of a few hours (probably due to ADHD) so the only people who have been tolerant of my flakiness have been other artists.

Not all of them by any means. I've also known NT artists who are wound tight and very intolerant. But more often than not, I've found a community that I can feel okay in most of the time.

*Funny book that I read when I'm feeling self-conscious about the state of my apartment.

http://www.amazon.com/Punk-Shui-Home-Design-Anarchists/dp/0307237621

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simfish
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07 May 2011, 9:42 pm

Oh interesting. Hm though, is it just your flakiness, or are you MUCH MORE than merely flaky?

I have issues with flakiness too, but people are going to have to put up with a lot more if they are to tolerate me. =/

Georgia
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07 May 2011, 9:47 pm

Oh and one famous person who has said that they probably would have been considered autistic as a child is Tom Waits.

Super talented oddball musician

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XLCR
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07 May 2011, 9:50 pm

I spent most of my career on the road with several bands. They were definitely more tolerant then the mainstream types. They were more interested in my playing skills than my social ones.

simfish
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07 May 2011, 9:55 pm

Wow, so interesting, thanks! =)

I don't know what I want to do, but right now, my goal is to try to get academic tenure in astrophysics, planetary science, or a biological science (the hours I put into this is legendary, and I'm not going to have a family to distract me). Once you're an undisputed expert in some field (through years and years of study), people are going to have to tolerate you if they need to know what you know (you don't even have to be an Einstein-level genius).

Georgia
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07 May 2011, 9:59 pm

simfish wrote:

Oh I know I'm much more than flaky!

I don't have an official DX, but I'm on the spectrum and am hyperactive a lot of the time. My contribution to conversation is usually a monolouge about myself, or comments that usually have nothing to do with what was just said. Years ago when I was trying hard to be a fake NT, I was really sarcastic all of the time. Had no problem just letting whatever rude thing that crossed my mind fly out of my mouth. That is not to say that ASD and mean-spirited sarcasm necessarily go together; they just did for me.

Now through trial and error (ie losing friends) I've learned to keep it to myself unless I know my "audience" won't take it to heart. The friends that have hung in there with me think it's all a part of my "endearing" package. :wink:

And if I'm ever feeling snarky these days, I make sure I can live with the consequences.

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Georgia
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07 May 2011, 10:02 pm

simfish wrote:

...Once you're an undisputed expert in some field (through years and years of study), people are going to have to tolerate you if they need to know what you know (you don't even have to be an Einstein-level genius).

I would agree with this. It's taken years of plugging away to gain this level of tolerance and respect in my community. YEARS!! !

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League_Girl
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07 May 2011, 10:04 pm

Portland, Oregon.

Our motto"Keep Portland weird."

Oh and drama.

simfish
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07 May 2011, 10:09 pm

Lol nice. But isn't most drama - drama about neurotypicals? Has there ever been drama about a super-weird kid with both Asperger's and ADD?

swbluto
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07 May 2011, 10:15 pm

League_Girl wrote:

Portland, Oregon.

Our motto"Keep Portland weird."

And homeless!

SammichEater
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