Tarzan and the Apes: an AS allegory

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The way that I think of Autism and Asperger's Syndrome is the allegory of the story of Tarzan and the apes. Think of Tarzan as the person with Apergers syndrome and the apes are the neurotypicals.

Now Tarzan, due to his superior intelligence, could adapt and live in the society of apes, eventhough he felt and knew that he was different. BUT he didn't know WHY he was diferent, until he meets other humans, and realizes that he is not just an abomination of nature that made him hairless, with less muscle bulk than the apes and flat feet .

The apes of course all this time thought of him as inferior: he could not climb trees as well as them, because his feet did not resemble hands, he could not participate in their social grooming because he did not have the body hair, nor the patience to find the flees. In other words they felt sorry for him because they saw him lacking the things that would make him a good social ape.

Now, the funny part is that Tarzan came to believe that. He acepted for a long time that he was an inferior ape, who was lacking much that the other apes had... He felt isolated and maybe even a bit angry that he was different. Then one day he saw other humans, and realized that it was NOT him but the apes that were inferior...

You see it is all relative. In a neurotypical world we seem to be inferior, lacking, have disabilities. But once the tables are turned and the rules changed they will be the ones that will have to adapt and feel inferior not us.

Star

So this means that there is a Jane out there?

That's cool....

Yes! It definately does!! !

Star

I love the analogy..

except that he loved the apes and they loved him....he didnt think they were inferior just different.Both sides made an effort to communicate and excepted each other and they saw him more as a leader of their pack then just someone weak to pity(a quality I actually like in NT's....I would rather be pityed and assisted then mocked or ignored,which seems to be the only two ways NT's relate to many AS people)

You know, I've been feeling so much happier with myself, since finding the rest of you.

Who are the humans? Aliens? We're aliens I knew it.

Yeah...my mother found me out in the Australian desert; I've got a picture to prove it....

LOL!!

This analogy is strangely comforting.
Think I'll go and look at the NTs in the next office - with a (superior) smile on my face.

NTs aren't "inferior", they just tend to have different skills and characteristics to us.

You're right of course, I was only joking about the "superior"smile. And walking into the next office.
Flipping stuff around always gives a fresh perspective; so thanks to the writer of the Tarzan story.

This Tarzan stuff makes a lot of sense to me. I love a good Aspie parallel to a story. I aways loved the Tarzan story and if he got his Jane than that mean I can too!

Thank you for the comment.

What I am also trying to clarify with this analogy is that Aspies also have skills that NTs do not have. We can do things with our mind that they can not.

We can see details they do not notice, we can analyze and study things in depth without being bored, we say what we mean and do not depend on body language or facial expressions to say the truth while our words say 'politically correct' things to avoid hurting the other.

Yet, Aspies are seen as disable and the NTs seen as able.

What I think is that this 'dis' that separates able from disable is simply as state of mind that can 'make' or 'break' if we let it.

Empower your self and do not let what the NTs think of you determine how you think of yourself!

Star

I thought about this analogy while I was out running errands this morning and dealing with NT's who were looking at me strangely. It comforted me too, thinking about it.

As I was driving, I also thought about how we're like foreigners who are forced to live in this land and hide our true origins. Most of us can learn their language to some extent, but even the ones who study and work very hard at putting this NT language into practice, will always still have the accent. We can't hide our true Aspie nature 100% of the time. And, it completely exhausts us to try. We need trusted people who will not turn on us when we're relaxed and speaking in our native tongue.

Let me tell one more thing that will comfort you more.

I read a lot about Autism and AS, not only because I am one, but also because I have studied psychology and sociology and I see and notice many different things that most clinical psychologists who write about Autism and AS seem to miss.

I am in the process of writing (a book?) about all my findings.

One of the things that I've noticed is that frequently I see articles talking about an 'epidemic' and saying that more and more children are being diagnosed with AS and Autism.

Now, is that accidental? Is it possible, just theoretically, that slowly this NT world is 'turning' into Aspie? Is it possible that slowly the Aspie and NT percentages in the years to come are going to show a very different reality than the one we know today?

What if in another 50, 100 years the relation between Aspies and NTs is 2 to 1 and NTs are not the majority any more? Maybe, we are the 'children' of a new age, a new generation that has the 'tools' we need to one day conquer the stars.

Our analytical mind, our high percentage of high IQs, our obsessions, our affinity with computers, our ability to work alone, our a-sociality can even one day proven to be a pro that a con especially if we will have to live in spaceships for long periods of time.

We will be able to focus on our tasks, work without wasting time chit-chating, by saying what we mean and mean what we say will also save time if a situation needs to be handled fast and efficiently.

Is it possible that the abilities and talents that we have are excatly what the human kind needs to make the HUGE step and conquer space, conquer the universe?

Yes, it is a theory, an allegory, maybe even a dream. But you know, some 20-30 years ago NO ONE could even dream of talking here to each other using a tiny laptop and communicating through a phone line or a satelite...

If it wasn't for an Aspie (Bill Gates) who made that possible we would still be using telephones. Nothing is impossible if one dares to dream, dares to see a bit further than the mundane reality. A bit further than the diagnoses and the clinicians that calls us disabled and sell books on how to cure us!! !

I refuse to be cured I am proud and happy of who I am!

I am glad I have the abilities I have and if I have to miss some silly chit-chat and friends that engage in such, then so be it. I have far more meaningfull friendships with fellow Aspies that share my points of view and my special interests.

I am not wasting my time, I am learning and developing myself.

Star

Many wolves-boys were found at India living together with wolves. The poor boys can't really develop together with the beasts.

I believe Swifts Yahoos at Gulliver travels are a much closer NT description. But we are also described there, don't know if at Laputa.