Are you instinctively scared of crazy/extreme people?

Post Reply New Topic

I have noticed, I don't get instinctively scared of people most NTs would be scared of. From talkative poor/homeless people who smoke, to people with irrational/crazy, or even extreme beliefs..

Of course, I try to stay sane myself, and am certainly not extreme, but, unlike most people, I don't mind talking to people, who are not sane, even if my ration says they may be harmful (so long as my intuition says they are good people in Soul)..

Is this a general Autism trait?

That's definitely could be. One of the issues that autistic people often times have is that top down perception isn't mandatory for us the way that it is for NTs. As in our intellectual capacity doesn't automatically flavor our perception of what's going on. The result is that when confronted by something like these sorts of people we don't necessarily automatically recognize a potential threat. And, sometimes that's a good thing, but sometimes it leads to a lot of risk as those sorts of people don't just come in safe and quirky varieties, some of them are legitimately dangerous.

Pasting from another thread
10 Aug 2024, 6:36 am

Carbonhalo


I hitched a ride with a serial killer, and got away because he didn't know how to deal with my disconnection. He kept trying to scare me, and I wasn't reacting as he wanted.

Did you hold a conversation with him, or did you just give one word replies? How did you know he was a serial killer?

Usually I get talkative with crazy/extreme people, because it always sparks my curiosity how they came to be this way, and what ideological views they have. The ones I come across tend to like talking.

The talking between me and homeless consists of their asking me for money to buy drugs, usually meth, heroin or something wonderful like that, and cruel me, saying no or I don't have any money. That is the end of the conversation although they mutter curses and obscenities as I walk away. Homeless do not typically engage with me other than to seek money for their drugs. That is my sole purpose on this earth in their view, to provide money for their drugs.

Australia is a big place. It was a long ride from the Victorian border. The conversation was bizarre, as he'd start a subject, and whatever I replied he would switch tangentially. It was fairly obvious he was trying to throw me BEFORE he started reaching into the door pocket of the mini, pulling out an enormous orange handled diving knife, tossing it in one hand and putting it back. When we got to Yass he turned off down a side road and we were stopped by a flooded ford. I remember rats hopping in the water in the headlights. He said he wanted to drop something at a friend's, but that was obviously out.
We continued...with the same conversational style, and on the other side of town he turned right towards Wee Jasper and I asked "Now where are we going?" He stopped and turned back around saying "Goes to show what can happen when you're not paying attention".
We got back on the freeway to Sydney and I was jack of the weirdness so said "it's too late for me to make it to Sydney, can you drop me at the Canberra turnoff and I'll stay with friends there."
He let me out into the pitch black night and after he drove off I walked back to Yass navigating by the feel of gravel, grass, gravel, tarmac.
I spent the night in a railway station and continued hitching in the morning.
It wasn't until several years later when my ears pricked up at the mention of a mini, and a diving knife. It was a documentary on serial killer Ivan Milat. It was all about the Belanglo forest murders and when I checked a map, that's where the Wee Jasper road went.
I don't think it was Ivan, I think it was one of his almost as Psycho brother accomplices.

So, autism saved your life?

Being instinctively scared of crazy/extreme people would make it much more difficult to participate in autistic communities.

That depends on how you define it. I haven't noticed much of it.

I am not afraid of the MAGA-hat wearing mob, nor any other Trump cultists.

I mean, if we're talking - clearly under the influence of drugs or otherwise seem to have a very loose grip of reality - I am instinctively scared.

It makes sense. However, that it highly informed by my experiences. My cousin was assaulted by a woman who had a very loose grip on reality (outright psychosis) - so I'm very highly aware of such danger.

I know just how quickly people can turn to physical violence. I've been attacked in the past as well.

So, my first questions tend to be - does this person understand where they are? Can I deescalate the situation- can I keep them calm? Are they likely to turn violent? Do I have anywhere I can lay low?

There's definitely a part of me that panicks when someone starts acting erratic and unpredictable. Especially on the street. I remember a man who got on all fours and started barking, growling - he scared me. I was worried he might think himself to be a dog and might bite me or something. Instead he just laughed.

Can't really say if it's instinctively or if it's just informed by my not so charmed life experiences.

I don't mind eccentric charm. However, if they seem outright disconnected from reality, then I fear for my physical safety.