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KevinLA
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03 Dec 2013, 12:36 pm

I like who I am as a person.

In order to improve myself, I look at myself from another person's perspective. When I do this, I do not like who I am.

I come across as ood.

What do I do?



CharityFunDay
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03 Dec 2013, 12:40 pm

I suppose the real question is: How do others perceive you? You can't fake an outsider's stance on yourself.



Willard
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03 Dec 2013, 1:03 pm

KevinLA wrote:
I look at myself from another person's perspective.



^^ If you are capable of accurately doing this, then you have been misdiagnosed. One of the major diagnostic criteria of Asperger Syndrome is the inability to imagine what others may be thinking or feeling, or seeing yourself as others see you.

That said, if you are generally happy with who you are (and there's no reason you shouldn't be), then don't obsess over it. Why spoil a positive self image by nitpicking it to death? The old fashioned term for that is "borrowing trouble."



KevinLA
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03 Dec 2013, 1:59 pm

Willard wrote:
KevinLA wrote:
I look at myself from another person's perspective.



^^ If you are capable of accurately doing this, then you have been misdiagnosed. One of the major diagnostic criteria of Asperger Syndrome is the inability to imagine what others may be thinking or feeling, or seeing yourself as others see you.



In this regard I am an anomaly. I do have AS and I am capable of doing this. It did not come naturally. I learned how.

Answering CharityFunDay's question.

People would probably perceive me as weird.

I guess it is possible to be two different people. When I am around others, act a certain way but keep my true personality to myself. Probably not that uncommon.



zer0netgain
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03 Dec 2013, 2:18 pm

Willard wrote:
^^ If you are capable of accurately doing this, then you have been misdiagnosed. One of the major diagnostic criteria of Asperger Syndrome is the inability to imagine what others may be thinking or feeling, or seeing yourself as others see you.


I disagree. That criteria is based on being able to do so in "real time." If you can sit and reflect on something, it is possible to cognitively see yourself and your actions from a different perspective than your own. The first step is to accept that there are other points of view outside of your own and to work on trying to see something based on different rules other than how you normally view things.

I had an "epiphany" about myself at the age of 35 when I realized this. Many things about myself I can reexamine now that I see how to see things differently. Of course, I still can't do this in "real time" when it would be most helpful.



jerry00
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03 Dec 2013, 2:40 pm

zer0netgain wrote:
Willard wrote:
^^ If you are capable of accurately doing this, then you have been misdiagnosed. One of the major diagnostic criteria of Asperger Syndrome is the inability to imagine what others may be thinking or feeling, or seeing yourself as others see you.


I disagree. That criteria is based on being able to do so in "real time." If you can sit and reflect on something, it is possible to cognitively see yourself and your actions from a different perspective than your own. The first step is to accept that there are other points of view outside of your own and to work on trying to see something based on different rules other than how you normally view things.

I had an "epiphany" about myself at the age of 35 when I realized this. Many things about myself I can reexamine now that I see how to see things differently. Of course, I still can't do this in "real time" when it would be most helpful.


I agree. We're not incapable of determining how others saw us, it's more a case of not really knowing the best way to behave in advance, even with the benefit of having made numerous mistakes in the past, it never seems to get any easier.