Is this (egotism) a problem with most Aspies?

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Ldub20Owl316
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07 Apr 2012, 8:05 pm

I know egotism is a broad word, but let me elaborate: the kind of egotism I am talking about is egotism where you don't consider the opinions of other people, think your doodoo don't stink, dismiss any opinion that isn't your own, always act in a condescending manner to other people, feel you are superior to everyone, and sarcastically mock the intelligence of other people (obviously feeling that everyone else is beneath you). I know these descriptions apply to almost every egotist but to qualify for the kind of people I am talking about, you'd need to fit almost every description I listed. I know that stereotypical Ivy League students fit this description, as do most politicians. But would anybody with Asperger's Syndrome feel the need to behave this way? If you know of any Aspies who go around dismissing opposing opinions and believing their s**t don't stink, could you describe them hear? I posted this question here in this section because I thought it would fit best over here. I couldn't find another place to post this.



Alexender
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07 Apr 2012, 8:06 pm

A couple posters here perhaps haha. But in real life I don't know any aspies. I used to be pretty arrogant.


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Ldub20Owl316
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07 Apr 2012, 8:13 pm

Alexender wrote:
A couple posters here perhaps haha. But in real life I don't know any aspies. I used to be pretty arrogant.

Thanks Alexander. My brother and somebody whose life I'd to ruin harbor this attitude. But when I say "they deserve to suffer" and that "nothing deserves to go their way", do I make myself sound like an egotist? If I make myself sound like a bigot against egotists, so be it, but do risk making myself sound like I am better than they? If so, how do I avoid that?



Alexender
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07 Apr 2012, 8:22 pm

My mom said that I need to stop speaking with absolutes so much, was bothering my stepdad a lot. Correcting him, saying he was wrong, etc. So my speech has actually changed a lot from it. Now I say: I think, maybe, supposedly a lot when I speak or type.

So if you said I think they deserve to suffer that still sounds kind of bad, but the part at the beginning, I think, makes it your opinion. It was your opinion before hand, but now it does not seem like such an absolute statement.

I try to come up with a reason for how they are smarter/better than me in some way if I start to feel like I am being to arrogant or if I am told. For example I was helping someone with math and she would go to use a calculator and I would just tell her the answer, and after a bit realized she didn't like it, made her feel dumb. So I told her I am really good at mental math but I suck at drawing, which you are amazing at.

A quote I love: “Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.”
― Albert Einstein


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10 Apr 2012, 3:32 am

I find egotism is a great shield. Aspies are generally considered to half low self-esteem/confidence levels, and a way to hide that it to act better than everyone. There is of course the inherent singlemindedness that seems to come hand-in-hand with AS.

Personally, I've been told I've been big-headed on occasion, when I didn't realise it. On other occasions, I do mock peoples intelligence, but only people who seem to look down on me. When around most people, I act 'normal' and can easily self-deprecate, but around other egotists, I put on the "well I'm abviously so much more awesome than everyone else" act. So far, I think 99% of people get it's an act, but there are a few who may think that's how I really am.


Aspergians may feel the need to act like this because:
- It's natural to them, and nobody has told them otherwise
- It helps socially
- They genuinely think they are better than other people
- Mimicry



Sweetleaf
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10 Apr 2012, 9:08 am

In that sense I am probably the opposite, I mean sometimes if I am describing something typing or talking I might come off a little condecending in some ways, but its not intentional nor does it really come from any feelings of superiority, I just get a bit carried away with facts sometimes....so some people take that wrong.


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Kjas
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10 Apr 2012, 9:37 am

I have seen quite a few with a superiority complex. I think it mainly functions as a ego defence mechanism.

Thankfully most of us aren't like that.


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ReaperKnight
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10 Apr 2012, 10:00 am

I condescend most people, but I'm not an egotist, because I definately don't have an ego.



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10 Apr 2012, 10:01 am

ReaperKnight wrote:
I condescend most people, but I'm not an egotist, because I definately don't have an ego.


How are you so sure you don't have an ego?


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ReaperKnight
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10 Apr 2012, 10:04 am

Alexender wrote:
ReaperKnight wrote:
I condescend most people, but I'm not an egotist, because I definately don't have an ego.


How are you so sure you don't have an ego?
Oh, it couldn't POSSIBLY be because I constantly put myself down, oh no, that'd be way too easy.



Alexender
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10 Apr 2012, 10:57 am

ReaperKnight wrote:
Alexender wrote:
ReaperKnight wrote:
I condescend most people, but I'm not an egotist, because I definately don't have an ego.


How are you so sure you don't have an ego?
Oh, it couldn't POSSIBLY be because I constantly put myself down, oh no, that'd be way too easy.


Oh perfectionist can't be egotist, good to know.


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arielhawksquill
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10 Apr 2012, 11:07 am

Sheldon Cooper on Big Bang Theory is portrayed as this sort of Aspie egotist.



lostgirl1986
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10 Apr 2012, 11:58 am

I can be that way sometimes but I wouldn't say that I'm really like that. I'm pretty open-minded. My ex-boyfriend used to be like that, he'd call everybody laymans and look down on everybody. He was always correcting me and teaching me things. I find that quite a few aspies can be like that, not all of them but a lot of them have that attitude. My ex-boyfriend wasn't an aspie but he was extremely intelligent and had an INTJ personality.



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10 Apr 2012, 12:20 pm

MisterSpock wrote:
I find egotism is a great shield. Aspies are generally considered to half low self-esteem/confidence levels, and a way to hide that it to act better than everyone. There is of course the inherent singlemindedness that seems to come hand-in-hand with AS.

Personally, I've been told I've been big-headed on occasion, when I didn't realise it. On other occasions, I do mock peoples intelligence, but only people who seem to look down on me. When around most people, I act 'normal' and can easily self-deprecate, but around other egotists, I put on the "well I'm abviously so much more awesome than everyone else" act. So far, I think 99% of people get it's an act, but there are a few who may think that's how I really am.


Aspergians may feel the need to act like this because:
- It's natural to them, and nobody has told them otherwise
- It helps socially
- They genuinely think they are better than other people
- Mimicry


I agree except for mimicry.

Admittedly I have an ego, but I feel like I've earned one. When you are near expert level on bass and are very good at drawing after 4 months you have a right to be proud.


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10 Apr 2012, 12:29 pm

I agree, but people respect someone that is humble more than arrogant. Just because you know you are amazing at something compared to "fred" doesn't mean you need to flaunt it


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DIProgan
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10 Apr 2012, 1:00 pm

SanityTheorist wrote:
MisterSpock wrote:
I find egotism is a great shield. Aspies are generally considered to half low self-esteem/confidence levels, and a way to hide that it to act better than everyone. There is of course the inherent singlemindedness that seems to come hand-in-hand with AS.

Personally, I've been told I've been big-headed on occasion, when I didn't realise it. On other occasions, I do mock peoples intelligence, but only people who seem to look down on me. When around most people, I act 'normal' and can easily self-deprecate, but around other egotists, I put on the "well I'm abviously so much more awesome than everyone else" act. So far, I think 99% of people get it's an act, but there are a few who may think that's how I really am.


Aspergians may feel the need to act like this because:
- It's natural to them, and nobody has told them otherwise
- It helps socially
- They genuinely think they are better than other people
- Mimicry


I agree except for mimicry.

Admittedly I have an ego, but I feel like I've earned one. When you are near expert level on bass and are very good at drawing after 4 months you have a right to be proud.


That might be true but I wouldn't want to be friends with you from what I've heard. I'm saying this because you posted in the social skills / making friends section and might want to know how you appear which is pompous and egocentrical. Angry responses ain't necessary.