Experiences Having Autism-being called weird.

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People have often called me 'weird' and often I had no idea why and it used to hurt my feelings. I overheard some peers talking about me and the one person said, "She is so weird" and the other person laughed and agreed. I had no idea how I was being weird.

When you have self-acceptance, you think, "So?" What is weird to you might not be weird to me. There comes a point when you don't want to change anymore. You can improve but you don't try to change your personality. And it is out of line for someone to tell you to change. Like someone pressuring you to be more social or more extroverted; we are not all carbon copies.

I've been "weird" ever since I was aware of my "self" (when I was about 5 1/2 years).

My wife always calls me "weird." I say: "you married me for better or for worse." She shuts up immediately

Embrace your strengths, use those strengths to strengthen your weaknesses.

Also: I've never met a non-"weird" person in my life!

Most NTs are pretty weird too. Some have very bizarre beliefs but are not considered mentally ill. Normal people are pretty boring. They have no interests/obsessions and making conversation with some of them is a trial. I really love people with quirky, strong interests regardless of where/whether they are on the spectrum. I think it's really sad that some people just don't have any real interests other than those most popular with their peer group.

This is the idea... He also said "I would rather be hated for who I am than loved for who I am not."

I paraphrase the phrase in the image a lot, especially on set or in the lab...

That laugh at me because I'm different... I laugh at them because they're all f*****g stupid.

Personally when people call me weird I take it as a compliment.

Me too. I like being around "weird" people.

I lived in a dorm for a year and when I first spoke to my room mate I said "I'm kind of weird" at some point. She dismissed it and said "Oh everyone is weird"

A few months later, when talking to her and her friend, I mentioned that I'm weird and she said "Oh yeah, you are!". It was funny how much her opinion changed lol

I have always been called "weird" and when I had counciling it repeatedly came up. She said it was a good thing I had interests and was not a sheep.

Speaking to my mum tonight she was moaning about my odd life choices but when I said would you prefer I spent all my cash on fake tan, make up and booze like most people around my age she decided she preferred the "odd" me.

I have always thought this was a good motto: Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind.

Being called "weird" by NT people does not phase me. Those in science are typically called weird by those outside our area. However, in my world of science, I am known as "Addams family level" weird by those who work with me. I see that as a compliment, even if they do not as they are forever trapped in their mental box. I have been that way since I was young. Many others have followed that path in the past and succeeded in their "crazy" ideas or inventions. Time will tell if I can do the same.

Do you wrestle alligators

Do you enjoy causing two trains to collide?

Do you cut the flower part off the stem of a rose?

Do you eat Eye of Newt?

If the above is true, then you're a true Addams!

My answers to those questions you asked from above:

1.) No (But I have played with live rattlesnakes back in the day.)

2.) Yes (I did this with my model train sets and model kits as a kid many, many years ago. Even put small amounts of real explosives on the model train tracks when I took them over to my relative's farmstead. As for where the explosives came from, well I am a chemist by trade you know and some of that knowledge I had even back then. Times have sure changed though. I would not try that stunt now.)

3.) Yes (I did this to my sister's flowers from her boyfriends whenever I had the chance. It was worth the beatings I got from her. I used the rose petals for a certain mixture that I made.)

4.) No (My diet is severely restricted due to certain allergies that I have.)

Self awareness isn't always so great in autism. So since there's this lacking in ability to see how others see you, to gauge your behavior. So of course it's going to come out weird or whatever. Like a tone deaf person singing.

Actually Kurt Cobain was right. Unfortunately like many geniuses he was eventually unable to cope with being different. You can see his influence in Dave Grohl and the Foo Fighters. They are on another level...

Good one Feralucce.

I was ostracized by my peers for over a decade for being "weird", a "freak" or, worst of all, "r****ded", and it definitely wore me down and forced me further into my own isolated world. It took a long time before I started embracing those aspects of my identity as something positive, but eventually I did and now I have a peculiar sense of "weird pride" which I constantly cling onto.

Thank you for all the great replies! They were very helpful to me.