Eccentricity vs Aspergers

Post Reply New Topic

I was reading wikipedia articles today and discovered an article about eccentricity. At the bottom of the article there is a series of characteristics that are described as being traits of eccentric behaviour. The article states "According to Week's study, there are eighteen distinctive characteristics that differentiate a healthy eccentric person from a regular person or someone who has a mental illness (although some may not always apply). The first five are in most people regarded as eccentric:

Nonconforming attitude
Knew in early childhood that he or she was different from others
Not particularly interested in the opinions or company of other people
Usually very serious and outspoken
Non-fiction is of importance
Only child or first born
Analytical
Logical perception
Realist attitude
Cautious of other people
Feels compassion for others
Intelligent
Preoccupied with purpose in life
Introverted most of the time"

This article got me thinking, couldn't almost everyone with Aspergers be considered a healthy eccentric? Personally, here is how I see myself:

Nonconforming attitude
-Definitely, I've always hated conforming to other people's norms

Knew in early childhood that he or she was different from others
-Yes, I could already tell I was different from the time I was 5, apparently my parents could tell before I was even 2

Not particularly interested in the opinions or company of other people
-Yes and Yes. Sometimes I am interested in how other people think so I will ask opinions, but it is mostly out of curiosity. I don't really care what other people think enough to allow it to play a major role in my behaviour. I also am mostly interested in spending time by myself.

Usually very serious and outspoken
-Yes I'm usually fairly serious. As for being outspoken I am usually not, unless I have a strong opinion about something.

Non-fiction is of importance
-I agree with this

Only child or first born
-Only child

Analytical
-Yes

Logical perception
-Yes

Realist attitude
-Yes

Cautious of other people
-Yes

Feels compassion for others
-Yes

Intelligent
-Depending on what type of intelligence

Preoccupied with purpose in life
-Yes

Introverted most of the time
-Yes

So basically according to this criteria I am almost 100% eccentric. I have also been diagnosed with Aspergers, so I'm curious where the line draws between eccentricity and Aspergers. Couldn't almost everyone with Aspergers answer yes to most of these questions (go ahead and try it if you want).

My theory is that most people with Aspergers are considered eccentric, but there are also people without Aspergers who are also eccentric. What other characteristics do people with Aspergers have that eccentrics do not have? Do Aspies lack social skills more? Are Aspies generally more afraid of social situations? I feel that if I wasn't taught from a young age to try to not always be myself and sometimes it is important to conform to social norms, I might have ended up like a real life version of Cosmo Kramer. Instead, I know that I am different than mostly everyone else, but am often too afraid to express who I am to other people because I've been taught from a young age what "normal" is suppose to be. Being taught what "normal" is may have helped me deal with society and may lead me to being more successful in life, but at the same time it may have also helped contribute to social anxiety (and maybe being less happy overall).

So are Aspies really just a bunch of Cosmo Kramers at heart, who are too afraid to express to everyone who they really are and instead trying to conform (and often failing, which may lead to anxiety and depression) to societal norms. Do you think that things would be better for Aspies if we just acted the way we wanted without worrying about other people's opinions? According to the wikipedia article I read, most of us would be considered healthy eccentrics. The problem is we are often told to conform because we are so different than people who do not have Aspergers, and since we are a minority we are expected to act the way that they act. Therefore, I don't view Aspergers as a disability. I view Aspergers as a different way of existing that is not problematic in itself, but is only problematic because we are so outnumbered. Society needs us to be productive members, and that often required us conforming to social norms. Unfortunately, conforming to social norms often involves us completely changing who we are as people, and and as result often leads to anxiety and depression.

I am definitely eccentric, but what really crosses the line for me into having a disorder is that I have definite neurological symptoms that impact my life. I have trouble doing some really basic things like having a housekeeping routine. I have an auditory processing problem, and loads of other sensory issues.

I realize you are talking about Asperger's, and I do not identify as having it, but most people who have AS or autism in general also have issues other than just being eccentric.

Being eccentric doesn't have a significant impact on your functioning.

Having to keep to a routine, executive dysfunction, sensory issues and all the other things AS does. If it doesn't I would suggest a case of BAP or normality rather than having a clinical case of ASD.

Historically, the term 'eccentric' has been used to describe anyone who doesn't conform to the prevailing norms of a particular era or society. It used to be a polite term for people who were gay, or single, or reclusive, or unusually studious, or who had specific, absorbing interests etc ... the list is a long one. No doubt in the past (and perhaps even today) it was applied to those who would now mostly be diagnosed with ASD.

The characteristics you mention can undoubtedly be found in many people with Asperger's syndrome, but also in plenty of neurotypicals. I certainly have all of them, but I'm an NT who is diagnosed as being close to the clinical threshold that defines someone as having Aspergers.

But then, everyone is on the spectrum somewhere.

To touch on what earlier respondents said, eccentricity, as Tony Attwood puts it, is the ideal (and realistic) goal for every individual living with asperger's; it is having a few oddities, but to an extent that one is simply "odd" or "quirky": the symptoms are notable, but they don't interfere with one's ability to have a healthy lifestyle (socially and overall practically). The list does have characteristics that relate to aspergers, so it very well may be that both definitions are accurate. With all that said, to me, the distinction is the severity (or prominence) of the characteristics: are you different to the extent that it interferes with a healthy life. I also agree that this doesn't' account for other AS symptoms as mentioned earlier. On a side note, the aspergers diagnosis, especially for young people past adolescence, doesn't weigh on a check list; there are subjective and qualitative factors based on the context of one's thoughts, behaviors, and life events.

Nonconforming attitude. I like to conform enough to blend in, but some of my thinking ways are different but sometimes hilarious to myself and others.
Knew in early childhood that he or she was different from others. I didn't feel different until I was diagnosed with ASD when I was 8. Before then I just felt intellectually younger than the other kids.
Not particularly interested in the opinions or company of other people
My interest in other people is no different to the average. In fact I'm too interested to the point where I get called nosy.
Usually very serious and outspoken. I wouldn't say serious. I'm quite silly, as in playful, which is where people call me eccentric.
Non-fiction is of importance. Not sure about this one.
Only child or first born. No, I'm third born.
Analytical Logical perception. I'm analytical but view the world through irrational and emotional perception.
Realist attitude. Maybe.
Cautious of other people. Maybe.
Feels compassion for others. I have too much empathy which leads to problems for me.
Intelligent. I wouldn't say I'm intelligent but I am good with problem solving.
Preoccupied with purpose in life. Not sure, although I do want to win the lottery just so I won't have to work any more, as I find employment too overwhelming
Introverted most of the time. Yes, this is me. But I can be very chatty once I feel comfortable enough with someone.

I do like other eccentric people. They just fascinate me.

Nonconforming attitude: Reject the herd mentality and I never ever conform to the philosophical foundations from any collectivist group or identity subculture (e.g neurotypicalism, aspie supremacism, neurodiversity movement, skeptic community, truth movement, New Ageism, anti-vaxxers, multiculturalists, bronyism, neo-confederates, MRA's, feminazis, hipsters, goths, chavs, animal liberation front etc) as a disproportionate of their objectives are fallacious (I'm a big MLP:FIM fan however).

Knew in early childhood that he or she was different from others: Since the age of 5, but I wasn't perturbed about it until I was 11.

Not particularly interested in the opinions or company of other people: Never been interested unless it's extremely inquisitive or interrelated with my preoccupied interests.

Usually very serious and outspoken: always, always and always.

Non-fiction is of importance: It's the truth as I have never been uninterested in fictional reading.

Only child or first born: Indeed.

Analytical: I've been repetitiously criticized for being too "overly-analytical."

Logical perception: very discernible as I notice things that others do not.

Realist attitude: Always

Cautious of other people: Anyone arouses me to approach with caution.

Feels compassion for others: No, not really.

Intelligent: Logical minded.

Preoccupied with purpose in life: I have upheld my longitudinal goal for over 3 years now.

Introverted most of the time: All of the time to be precisional, and I consider myself to be a reclusive isolationist.

So it seems the only criterion that I don't fulfill is expressive compassion. I nevertheless feel very comfortable with eccentric or goofy people despite my intrinsic disdain for social "progressivism".

Nonconforming attitude
-For the most part

Knew in early childhood that he or she was different from others
In Preschool, I Did.

Not particularly interested in the opinions or company of other people
-Not true for me, though I don't care for most people.

Usually very serious and outspoken
-True

Non-fiction is of importance
-Of Course it is

Only child or first born
-First born, only boy out of the bunch.

Analytical
-That's underestimate for me

Logical perception
-Of course

Realist attitude
-Of Course

Cautious of other people
-Yup

Feels compassion for others
-Yes

Intelligent
-Too much for my own good

Preoccupied with purpose in life
-Someetimes

Introverted most of the time
-Not necessarily, it depends on how well I connect to the people around me.

hmm... I do say being an Aspie is interesting...

Nonconforming attitude - Yes

Knew in early childhood that he or she was different from others - Yes

Not particularly interested in the opinions or company of other people - Yes

Usually very serious and outspoken - Serious? Yes. Outspoken? Not so much. Too avoidant for that.

Non-fiction is of importance - Yes, though I do enjoy writing and reading the occasional fiction.

Only child or first born - Nope. I'm 3/6

Analytical - Yes. I analyze everything, even people might call themselves my friend.

Logical perception - They didn't call me Mr. Spock for nothing.

Realist attitude - Yes.

Cautious of other people - Yes

Feels compassion for others - Yes, but how is this a sign of eccentricity? Only ISIS feels no compassion for others, no?

Intelligent - They didn't call me Brainy Smurf for nothing.

Preoccupied with purpose in life - Yes

Introverted most of the time - Yes

To these I'd like to add thinks in extremes, refers to himself in the 3rd person, isolates, maintains collections few would care about, finds out-of-the-box solutions and is creative.

Last edited by redrobin62 on 21 Apr 2017, 8:48 pm, edited 2 times in total.

I definitely prefer to call myself eccentric rather than autistic.

Old post, but it's not all "yes" for me. Some are yes, some I'm unsure about or they depend on context, but these are a definite "no":

Nonconforming attitude: I want to blend in, I don't want to stand out.

Knew in early childhood that he or she was different from others: I didn't have a clue until I was a later teenager, and even then that's after it was pointed out to me.

Usually very serious and outspoken: I'm usually joking and I'm reserved.

Im getting really tired of people bioling ASD down to a personality rather than an actual disability.

Eccentricity are normally functioning people who prefer to act on their own feelings and prefrences and regardless on what people think of them.

ASD people are people who have disabilities ranging from extremely low functioning to extrememly high functioning.

A person with ASD does not simple WISH to act as they please but dont understand the social boundaries in place and act put of ignorance of these boundaries.

Eccentric people, may be bullied but have the full capability to understand basic and complex social rules, understand nonverbal signals from others and have a understanding on how to form and keep relationships.

People with ASD may have deficts in some, or even all of these areas, in addition to having difficulties in sensory processing, difficulties adapting to change, obsessions, repetitivity and executive disfunction.

^ASD is not a disability,it's different way of thinking,evolution.

Then why do I get disability accommodations if I don't have a disability? Why do I genuinely struggle so much in some things? Why is it classified as a disability, which loses the government money, if it's not a disability?

In our modern, social era, ASD is a disability. In the olden days of foraging and seeking out new habitats and ways of surviving, it's a plus.

Oh- ok, ill just chalk up my executive disfunction as a different way of thinking. Yeah i have difficulties preparing meals because i have "different way of thinking"

Its not that i cant read facial expressions at all, its just a "different way of thinking"

Its not that i have no knowledge of any even basic social skills, its just a different way of thinking.

And my friend who is moderately non-verbal? She cant talk in full sentences, but thats just a different way of thinking right? She also cant function at all without support in place. But you know- just a different way of thinking.

My other friend who will probably never be 100% independent just thinks a little differently.