Be nice to nerds. You might end up working for one someday.

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The quote "Be nice to nerds. You might end up working for one someday" which is often attributed to Bill Gates has plagued me for years. Who is more nerdy than those with AS? And yet most of the people I know with AS are either unemployed or underemployed, especially if they didn't major in computer science, engineering, or business (I was an English major), while almost all of the successful people I know are NT and were often popular and attractive in high school and college. I deleted my LinkedIn at one point because I couldn't stand seeing all the people who bullied me becoming more successful than I was. Now I am less bitter than I was before when I wrote viewtopic.php?f=3&t=286142 and have a decent and humble retail job which I enjoy, but that quote as well as "The meek shall inherit the Earth" still haunt me because most of the people I know with AS are now less successful than I am. Are those quotes flawed? Does it give us an unjustified feeling of entitlement to believe that the popular jocks will be bagboys while we become successful? Should the quote be amended to "Be nice to nerds, unless they major in English and/or have AS, then bully the s**t out of them?" I don't get it.

I'd have thought it would be easier for Aspies to get employed, because most Aspies can be intelligent, detail-orientated, honest, and less likely to b***h about others.

Unfortunately I do not have those quality Aspie traits, but those of you that do, you'd have thought employers would WANT more people like you!

That just goes to show what society thinks of Aspies.

I'm probably one of the most nerdy guys going.

I'm not nerdy.

I'm more of a Sid than a nerd. Fat, cuddly and slow. :O)

I'm not nerdy at all lol but ok

1st- I don't believe in those quotes. Nor see myself as a nerd. Wait, no --scratch that. No one calls me that because such term here does not exists. 'Nerd' or being too smart, nor people calling out someone's privileges or 'tall poppy syndrome' does not exists in my environment unless I grew up in higher social hierarchy (which I'm not. Haha). Anti-intellects probably, but not the former. Sooo everything I said could be pretty much voided.
2nd- There's no true definition of 'team player'. Only people with communication skills and are able to assess their skills and confidence to the task. And this isn't a common skill for NTs. Most NTs are all-agreeing, and are stuck on their cultural limits -- something most people calls it a 'teamplayer'.
3rd- Aspies 'special skills' are more of a huge bonus IF one can figure how to convince people their tools and methods than just all-agreeing. Being an NT, isn't enough to take initiative even if they do have the skill that may match an aspie's.
4th- Being a boss takes too much work. I settle to right-hands person. Being a tech expert doesn't make you a better manager. And being a manager is more of a no-no to 'nerdy aspies' unless you're aiming to be an advocate or some sort.



TLDR:
Regardless, 1st and foremost step should be: "If you see one Autistic, you see one Autistic." Before having a conclusion that every aspie is a nerd, obsessed with STEM subjects with high IQ and awkward, or a depressed sociophobic anxious wreck because they were fragile and bullied.

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Yep...

Seems to me that my bullies are real successful too.

I use pseudonyms on the internet because there are bunches of people from the past that I have zero desire to be in contact with again. No school reunions for the same reason-- my classmates weren't nice when I was in school with them. No desire to catch up with them now.

Not all nerds are aspies.

However people get to be financially successful has eluded me.

They may be rich but they are stuck with themselves.