Counting words, syllables

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Since I was about age 10, I find myself habitually counting the words or syllables in people's sentences as they are speaking. Sometimes I'll count the words and then the syllables and then compare the two. I do this by following a pattern of four dots (or five dots) that I visualize in front of me. This way I can tick away sets of four (or five), making the counting go more quickly for fast talkers. All of this is done during conversations or listening to songs or to the radio.

I don't tell people about this because I don't think they'd understand, and if they did, they'd think I was more strange (and perhaps more rude) than they already do.

At times, I've wondered if there were a way to use this habit to do something useful, like cure cancer or solve world hunger.

Do any of you do this type of thing? Or am I the only one out here?

BTW, I'm diagnosed ADD. I don't know if I'm autistic, but score pretty high on every autism self-test.

I do funny things like that, too. If I am not driving, I count the number of dashes in the road we pass, or find the midpoint between two telephone poles. I attempt to not walk on cracks, and when I am in a place that has a regular pattern of "cracks" in the sidewalk, I will try to set my pace so that I am always avoiding the crack. I also play with the numbers and letters on license plates to see what patterns there are.

My husband just told me yesterday that he looks for the shape of the state of Nevada in everything.

I don't know if there is anything you can do with your particular obsession, but what you are describing is an overall ability and predisposition to find patterns. *This* is what you could use to find work you like. Word syllables won't help cure cancer, but finding patterns in medical research data might...

That is typical OCD behavior - I count my footsteps in groups of five and count other things as well. Welcome to Obsessive Compulsive Disorder!

I pay attention to and 'count' patterns in things, maybe similar to what you're describing.
It can't think of anything just now, but it would be interesting to see whether you could find a useful practical application for what you do.

That's about 3 times now I've read one of your posts and had to listen to 'Blackbird' - Love it!

Yep. Ceiling tiles. Sections of wall paneling. Sections of glass in stain-glass windows. Floor tiles, especially the little one-inch ones in many public restroom floors or wall. With those, they may seem totally random, but I find myself trying to find the longest and shortest strings of a particular color.

It's usually when I'm really bored or really stressed out, which kind of are the same thing with me. I always thought of it as a kind of mental self-stimming. But, I hadn't thought of OCD.

Thanks, ImAnAspie!

[quote="ImAnAspie"]

"Would you like for me to open the pod bay doors?" = 12
"Would you like for me to open the pod bay doors?" = 12
"Yes, open the pod bay doors please Temple!" = 10
"I'm afraid I can't do that Aunt Ann!" = 9

Songs by Whitney Houston make me nuts:
"And I will always love you"= 6 words
"And I-I-I-I-I will always love you-oo-oo-oo. . ." = 13+ sylables. Gimme a break.

Thanks nerdygirl. So, there's still hope.