I don't like having attention to detail

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I don't want this autistic trait. I've always wondered where the line was drawn between seeing the bigger picture and noticing the details, and I always assumed that I don't have this trait, as sometimes I DO naturally see the bigger picture and not notice the details.

What I see is things that are out of place. For example, I don't really notice the exact pattern on floor tiles, all I see is floor tiles. But if, say, all the floor tiles are dark grey, except for one, which is light grey, I will notice it straight away and it will amuse me to the point where I have to point it out to the person I'm with. Then I'll become 'attached' to this odd floor tile, and will make sure to look at it each time I go into the room, just because it's the only one that is different to all the rest. If there are several light grey floor tiles, even if they are random and not in a pattern, I don't notice them as much. Do you see what I mean? If something is out of place, it will stand out and I'll become amused by it.

That's the sort of "detail-oriented" I am, but I was hoping other Aspies pay more attention to more details than this. But details isn't just about pretty patterns and pictures. What other details do Aspies notice, that aren't the 'artistic' type of details, for example, shopping or travelling?

I've tried to find out on Google more on attention to detail but, as usual, the results aren't what I'm looking for. I'd like to do a test or something on how close attention one pays to details, but all what comes up is job-related skills, not neurology-related.

As I’ve worked as a copy editor, this has been both my biggest strength and hindrance. It’s great when I’m just looking for grammar and spelling mistakes; my ability to focus on minute details and my natural sponge-like absorption of complex English rules let me catch mistakes other people can’t find or don’t know are mistakes.

On the other hand, I am not good at editing content and making larger changes, such as changing paragraph structure or editing the flow of something. I don’t know how to look past the small things and see the bigger picture of what’s being written. I have tried so many different strategies to remedy this, but nothing has really worked.

I used to be more seeing the trees than the forrest, if I'm interested in the topic/issue. But I've definitely changed to being more of a big picture thinker now, though again I can still retain alot of details if I'm interested in the topic. But otherwise, I've never been a very detail-oriented person, which I think is actually a plus overall. If anything since I wanna go on to do a career in academia, I need to become more detail oriented, at least when writing research papers.

I do notice spelling mistakes, most of the time, but that might be because I'm a good writer, so it's sort of instinct to spot mistakes when reading. I get really upset when I see a spelling mistake in a magazine or something.

But if an NT is interested in something, don't they focus on the details of that particular subject too? For example, to a person that loves football, they pay special attention to the details and know all the facts about football, but when I watch a football match on the TV all I see is men running after a ball on a pitch.

Sounds similar to me. I'm not so interested in details for their own sake, but I compulsively notice patterns and deviations from patterns.

This is why I'm a playwright not a novelist.

I have a similar problem. I can't just look at "the big picture" of something, instead I see it as tons of tiny little details, and that becomes a huge mental burden on myself.

I also have the issue but I don't have any emotional attitude towards it. It's just the way it is. I often notice weak spots in someone's reasoning which triggers rage in political fanatics but is thanked for by people actually trying to construct something useful. Someone else sees the big picture, I polish some details.
I love jigsaw puzzles where out of tiny details a big picture is slowly constructed. It gives me a unique kind of satisfaction.

I don't think it doesn't work that way, no.
Losing the trait or the ability to pay attention to details doesn't make one incline to look at the bigger picture, even if the reversed can be true.

In order to be able at the bigger picture, one must able to 'afford' attention to details in a sense that one gets the gist of things with those details.
This is part executive function, part cognition -- particularly tracking and processing those those details, which detail or piece matters more, and the final phase as to lump the whole thing up, knowing where and how it fits and affects things in general.

Otherwise, it's just overwhelm, nitpicking, whatever makes focus a downside.


It's not about 'losing attention to details' that makes a view of a bigger picture, it's about 'filtering unnecessary details and process them'.
The inclination of the bigger picture is a layer of awareness. Without this layer -- there's no frame to hold onto those details, those pieces. This is the real problem though, losing access to this layer of awareness.

I've seen what access of that layer of awareness can do. It immensely helped in many aspects. 'Attention to detail' became more of an edge than ever. It's not exclusive to one another... Not when one can afford both.

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