Appears socially successful but has aspergers?

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I'm similar. I was a city councilman at age 20, the youngest elected official in my state at the time. How was that possible? Well, it was a small city and I grew up there, so nearly everyone knew me. Yeah, I was strange, but I think they liked my intelligence and common sense. However, on the days when meetings were to occur, it took a LOT of preparation for me. Once the meetings started, though, I could focus; I got into a zone. When it was over, though, I'd try to head straight for my car and get the hell out of Dodge. I resigned halfway through my term, mainly because it became too much for me, but everyone was very supportive of my decision. I really think running for office - FORCING myself to run for office - was one of the best decisions I ever made. This was before AS was officially recognized (I was diagnosed about a year after resigning from office). Additionally, like you, I'm considered funny by many people (but I'm not outgoing). I drop "humor bombs" out of nowhere sometimes.

This is the most informative thread I have read on this website. I can identify with a huge amount of what is written above. I am going to read and re-read this thread many times to pick up all the nuggets I missed on the first reading.

I am able to function very well in the NT world and adopt an "act" to fit the occasion. But it is emotionally draining. I thought everyone had an act.

I had many years to practice because I was not diagnosed until age 63. I have the good fortune to have a high IQ and no obvious mannerisms that make me stick out as vulnerable. I grew up in a working class neighborhood in a big city and learned how to look tough to keep the bullies away. That was my first impersonation. As I grew older I figured out what adaptation was required and made the right adjustments. Each stage of life presented new and very different situations to learn and navigate. Initially I almost always found myself a misfit until I discovered the unwritten rules and adopted them. This was exhausting work and no fun.

That is the difference between the aspie and the sociopath. The sociopath does not feel the intense emotions we aspies must contend with. If we spend a lot of time in preparation we can prepare ourselves and be buttressed against the emotional onslaught that would otherwise occur or we can focus hard on not letting the emotional tide inside become visible. With practice we can get better and better especially if the situations are more formal and well defined. If we work very very hard or are highly motivated we can get pretty good at social interaction. NTs don't have to practice they just do; sociopaths and psychopaths don't care; we aspies care too much.

Sometimes I wonder if the more snarky members at various places on this wrong planet website aren't really sociopaths masquerading as aspies. It seems to me that snarky and aspie are a contradiction.

when i was in school, i was very shy but i wanted to be loved and accepted by people so i tried to do all i could and i decided to participate in school elections so i can represent people of my age. I did that 3 years in a row and was in 3 years in a row. Most of the time, it wasnt popular people who wanted to be in that group. But mostly normal people who just like to organize stuff for the school, activities etc. Anyhow, it helped me a lot learning social skills as we had at least 1 meeting a week to talk about future activities, stuff that we wanted to change in the school etc.

I was seen as someone pretty out there socially but then again, all i wanted is to be loved and accepted. That didnt prevent me from being bullied though. Not at all. I have been the subject of humiliation all my highschool. I had a group of friend there but they were all left out people too. And outside school, i was seeing my boyfriend and thats pretty much it. rarely would i go see friends from school.

I learned pretty quick that if i wanted to be accepted i had to mimic the attitude of people around me. people who looked cool and all. and thats what i did.

I did everything i could to get out of my shyness. Yet awkward moment have been experienced..

thats my experience. I think having aspie doesnt mean not being able to be popular or in a position of leader. Look at Bill Gates, Al Gore, Bob Dylan, Robin Williams...

I used to know the sutle game of socializing, and I was quite good at it. Also quite sought after with the girls (even tough I never realized this until couple years later). But somehow I ended in the bottom of a ditch after some serious fallback the last year of high school, smoked too much weed and started with meth. Now I'm recovering and working very hard every day, I know I'll reach my goal someday, I'm used to taking a lot of pain.

I was student body president and am considered fairly extroverted. Recently I found I had to live in a college dorm and figured I might as well try and socialise. I know just about everyone in the dorm by name now but as is a common theme, I usually start out socially strong and then as my interactions get more complicated, I tend to make more mistakes and stuff things up. For example, a girl I am close friends with has basically become my bedrock, when I feel flustered I just contact her and basically I can seek a casual conversation that is mostly comfortable. It is however a terrible tactic and it has placed tensions on my relationship back home. Everyone knows I have a girlfriend but the fact that I socialise a fair amount with another woman and converse with others means that nasty gossip has started up and naturally its all going to end in tears. Though I am fairly social and capable of functioning, over time, it just goes wrong because of my aspie nature.

I'm still introverted and spend much of my time alone but I can say with confidence that I am one of the most well liked of the 200 or so people I work with. Apparently people know I am the 'go to guy' and am honest, trustworthy and reliable. Unfortunately most are much older than me. I've also successfully captained three sports teams as well. I am not afraid to get 'in the trenches' and rarely respect social hierarchies so that has earned me credibility with many working class people.