Charles Darwin had autism, leading psychiatrist claims

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AnnieK, it looks to me as if you're not a hard-wired Aspie then. Aspies can often do many of the things you've listed, but it usually takes a supreme effort and can't be maintained for very long, like pearl diving.

You might find out a few things of interest if you were to do the Aspie Quiz, which I suspect would tell you that you have both Aspie and NT traits. You also get a chart which breaks down all the different aspects - personally I don't think it's done in a very clear way, but you may be able to make more sense of it. Essentially you get something akin to a personality assessment, which I think is a good thing for anybody who wants to find out more about who they are.

I've often wished AS were as simple as, say, a broken leg, where it's usually perfectly clear whether you've got it or not, and what problems it gives you. When I feel AS is too complicated and contrived to bear thinking about, I tend to think instead about the individual traits and impairments, because those are a lot more tangible, in the same way as aptitude tests are much clearer to me than "general intelligence" which might not even be real.

I'm not just bad at flirting, I avoid it like the plague, though it depends on the definition. If it's defined as playing, then I don't understand why such a childishly simple thing comes to have sexual connotations when practised by adults. If it's defined as those "adult moves" some people get into (leering at each other, dirty dancing, etc.), I'm completely the opposite and equate it all with sleaze and indecency. People used to tell me that I'd never get anywhere with the girls without "playing the game," but I guess I proved them wrong.

In part? Yes, certainly. When society changes, who benefits and who gets left behind changes, too. But I don't know how large a part context plays. It can decide whether you get included or not, but in a different world, I'd still be impaired, just not as critically.

I think you can tell the difference between someone in the past who'd struggle more today and someone who'd adapt. The ones who didn't have any problems at all finding their way back then would probably not have any serious problems today either. Whereas others who thrived with certain supports in place (but not when they were absent) would probably have similar problems today.

The world hasn't always been this insane, but it's always been this social.