If you could have chosen before you were born....

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Please note: this thread is not about whether or not you want a cure now. This is a purely hypothetical question about what you would have chosen if you could.
Imagine you’re given the possibility to go back to the time you were born and live your life all over again, with one difference. This time you get to choose whether you’ll be born NT or aspie. Unlike with a cure, if you choose to be born NT, you won’t kill your personality, it will never have existed in the first place.

What would you pick?

This is an easy one. I'd have chosen to be normal - NT. Who wants to be an outcast that can't keep a relationship or even start one? Who wants to have a life watching everyone they know in life getting careers, houses, a spouse and kids? Who wants to be the one that avoids social situations every chance they get? Company party? With me? I don't think so.

I'd definitely choose AS. Yes, it has its drawbacks, but it makes me ME. I like my unique personality, and I probably would have been boring and run of the mill if I were NT. All of the talents I have are AS-related, like my memory skills and special interests.

This poll is a matter of self-confidence. Nothing wrong with that, but that's what it actually is.

Whether you put on the attitude:

"Being NT would not make me better, because I'm so good already"

or

"Being NT would make me better, because I'm not that good having AS"

My initial thought was NT, but thinking about it I don't know what it's like to be normal. What if I don't like being normal, I have a few good friends and overall not a bad life as AS, my final answer I I wouldn't risk my current life for the chance (but not the gaurentee) or a better life

Autistic, without a doubt. It comes with drawbacks, but I am greatful for the unique perspective my Autism has given me, my attention to detail, and my special interests.

I'd definitely choose AS, I can't help but think that if I were NT, I'd be a quiet boring one with nothing interesting about me. Everything that makes me interesting comes from my having AS; my quirky sense of humour, my special interests, my attention to detail and my above-average visual memory. I wouldn't want to be an average person with an average life, that sounds, well... average, and that is the last thing I'd ever want to be.

Who says we didn't pick already?


And if we did.. How many more times would you like to pick///

If you examine it closely..It becomes less a matter of satisfaction with one's life, and more a question of which movies you saw on a given friday night.



............................................................................. choose aspie
....................................................................... /---
......................................................................./ choose NT
...........................................choose aspie -
.......................Nt ----------
...........................................choose NT--\ choose aspie
......................................................................\--
.................................................................................choose NT
You
(?????)
............................................................................. choose aspie
....................................................................... /---
......................................................................./ choose NT
...........................................choose aspie -
.......................Aspie --- ---------
...........................................choose NT--\ choose aspie
......................................................................\--
.................................................................................choose NT

It's really a hard one.

I've been living all my life as an outcast and it's really horrible.

I have traits that I would rather be born with, such as extreme attention to detail, ability to focus on the same thing for a long time, good logical mind, pretty good memory etc. I also think my perspective (like any autistic person's) is rather unique and I wouldn't want to be born without it.

So it's hard to decide.

I would simply have chosen not to be born.

Being someone who rides the fence (not really NT and not really AS), I'd say this is a tough call. Earlier in my life, I would have definitely chosen to be straight NT. Being different sucks before you grow to be comfortable in your own skin.

Now I think I'd choose to be just the way I am. I like some of the things about my wiring and I think it would be sad to not have them. Heck, I won't even try stimulant meds for my ADD because I don't want to lose the way my brain thinks.

I just don't know that I am convinced that one can be truly happy if all one knows is "ordinary."

But I don't think I'd want to be straight AS, either. I don't mean any offense by that. The struggles I see others going through sometimes look incredibly exhausting to me.

So I think I'd choose to just ride the fence. It has it's drawbacks at times because NT's REALLY don't understand because they mistake me for being "just like them" when I'm not. But over all, being a shadow is not a bad place to be, I don't think.

Would the "me" that existed before I was born and could therefore make a choice be autistic or NT? If NT, would it have been "me" at all?

I'd choose to be born an Aspie.
I've spent the past few months trying to work out what I'd be like without my massive helping of Aspie traits, and I think I'd be a repulsive person.

I would like a 'cure' now though, I've learnt about being a better person now, and am fed up with being so different.

I chose "Can't decide". Because... well, what I'd be picking would be whether an AS child or an NT child would exist; and either way, life is valuable, and there will be the potential for love and joy and purpose.

So... if it were up to me, I guess I'd just flip a coin.

I can't decide. I appreciate the person I am but being NT would result in less misunderstandings with other people (which on the whole is not bad now, but can be better).

_________________
A smile costs nothing

Neurotypical, but I would not feel sure I was making the right decision.

I don't actually have the first clue what I'd be like if I was neurotypical. I could say "oh, I wouldn't like the Beatles or Pokémon so much", but many of my NT peers like these things just as much as I do. I could say "I'd have more friends, stronger relationships, and romantic relationships", but many of my NT peers have less friends than me, weaker relationships, and struggle with romance or apparently have no interest in it.

It would be such a fundamental change that trying to predict what I'd be like is pointless.