The Reason for the Collective Aspie

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This is just a piece I've written. I may be off base, but it's an idea. Feel free to read it and respond. Or not.

The Reason for the Collective Aspie

This has probably been addressed here as well as on other websites, but it’s been postulated that those with Asperger’s are less prone to being brainwashed, or rather, sucked in by gimmicks that seem to have mass appeal. One argument for this is that those with AS a) lack that group-think dynamic in their brain wiring as opposed to their NT counterparts and b) don’t pick up on the non-verbal cues that accompany such mass coercion. Examples of this dynamic can range from anything from a really popular and effective marketing campaign to the rise of a highly popular demagogue with brilliant oratory skills that seem to sweep whole crowds of NTs off their feet.

Now, some aspies, especially those who are unaware of their condition, may attribute their ability to see through the deception to the belief that they’re “smarter” than the masses. Of course, many individual NTs also like to believe that they’re smarter than everyone else. Moreover, many highly intelligent people are swept up in the currents of brainwashing, or that which holds group appeal; and, on the converse, even a moron has the potential to look around and say, “Gee, somethin’ ain’t right here.” Thus, there’s more to it than one's (perceived) level of intelligence.

So, it’s not so much about smarts, but rather the aspie’s inherit wiring that makes him immune to (and therefore baffled by) the dynamics of group-think. And of course, there are exceptions to any given rule, but this a general observation.

As different as those with AS are from one another, think for a moment. Before criticizing the NTs for their inherit weakness, remember: if we were in the majority, or at least a very significant minority, then marketing executives, charlatans, politicians, snake oil salesmen, and others may strategize at ways to appeal to us. In that scenario, commercials and lectures that appeal to an aspergic mind may, in fact, be used as a means to coerce us and dupe us the way we so often observe neurotypicals falling for the advertisements and speeches that target them.

But of course, we are far from any sort of majority, and perhaps that’s our lot in life. Not individually, but collectively. The collective aspie is meant as some sort of failsafe, or rather, a voice of reason in an NT-dominated world, as the collective aspie does not fall prey to such trickery the way the collective NTs does. After all, it’s not designed to appeal to an AS minority, but rather an NT majority. As it’s not our cup of tea, we can see it for what it really is.

Well, since NTs so rarely listen to aspies and give them any sort of credit, how can we have any effect on them? What I would argue, and as much as it sucks for us individually, when we tell people what they don’t want to hear, no matter how negatively they react to us, or if they ignore us, someone, somewhere, will remember what we’ve said in the back of their minds. The damage may already be done, and the aspie may never get credit, but the eventual means of breaking the spell, particularly one that’s greatly detrimental, may come from a few NTs entertaining the thoughts that they heard from an aspie. Thoughts they might not remember having come from an aspies, but thoughts they wouldn’t have ever had of their own volition.

A valid observation though I disagree with some of the reasoning of it.

The way I see it, NT's focus and operate on 'how' things are said while we focus and operate 'what' is being said. Those are two different realities of functioning.

You're correct in the brain wiring part. Read up on Mirror Neurons

I think an autistic person is more likely to upset NT people for thinking differently. For example, mothers complain that their autistic child does not believe in GOD.

Autistic Kids Lack the God Part of the Brain and Need Therapy to Fix It, Says Head of a Turkish Autism Organization
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyat ... anization/

Thanks for the response.

I agree, it's not totally worked out, just sort of a postulation. But what specific reasoning did you take issue with?

Any brief compendium you could offer for Mirror Neurons would help, too.

I agree. That's why I continued with:



Now, this may not be entirely true. But I've been the bearer of bad news and have been ridiculed for it. Later, I'd notice others coming around to my way of thinking without any acknowledgement of who first voiced the concern.

Primarily the collective portion of it. While I understand the point you are trying to make, I think the group-think explanation does not fit.

I believe we do have group-think. It is a different kind (what is being said vs. how again). The very fact that we use these forums shows a group-think capability. As a 'mass' or 'collective' we would still be equally vulnerable to mass manipulation (via group-think) but as you pointed out, it would come in a different form. I would say it would be less emotional/social delivery and more logic/cognitive (aka well played lies) delivery.



In layman's terms, mirror neurons are the brain structure that empathy (the ability to identify and relate to the emotions of others) functions out of.

When you pick up a cup from the table, a sequence of motor neurons fire in your brain to order your hand to do it. When you're watching someone pick up a cup, those same exact neurons are firing in your brain...but a step or two prior to reaching your hand to execute it, they are stopped. You do however, experience the lifting of the cup virtually in your brain ...think of it like a virtual reality simulation. Studies have shown people in the spectrum do have decreased mirror neuron system activity (google: Ramachandran)

This is why when you see videos of someone taking a kick to the nuts you wince. Why a dramatic crying scene on tv can trigger the same feelings in you (actors literally train to trick your mirror neuron system!). Why you can 'hear' the terror of someone who is screaming as they fall to their death. Why you experience vertigo or a sensation of falling when watching someone else fall.

... and when you are socializing with someone (small talk, flirting, etc) the mirror neuron system is working nonstop. Literally this system allows you to automatically/instinctively pick up on meaning/information in real-time without having to think about it because it is 'felt' via the virtual simulation. Those with glitched mirror neurons miss many if not all of those cues.

AS is a developmental condition. This means as you were a child you missed out on learning certain skills (social ones in this case). From age 1 to ~8 is when children pick up socializing skills...which is the age in which the brain is at its most critical stage of internal wiring. AS is genetic hence the brain during that age wires itself 'improperly' (compared to NT's... Id just say it wires differently) so as a child those with AS do not pick up those social skills. Later on (age 10+) the wiring of those areas is complete so any further social skills that are picked up are done so cognitively. This is why those who did not learn how to pick up sarcasm (voice tone) as kids can do so as adults..but there is a delay in picking it up since they don't have the neural structure automatically and instantly telling them its sarcasm...they have to listen to it, think about it a second then they ID it.

When you think about your examples of snake oil salesmen, politicians, doing the 'brainwashing' thing...they do so by giving out fake signals to NT mirror neuron systems. Its how they gain a person's confidence by sounding/acting trustworthy...how they can push people to buy things via a sense of urgency... etc,etc.