Aspies don't understand humor - greatest nonsense I've heard

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1) Aspies don't understand the intent/purpose of humor

From Wikipedia:
Although individuals with AS usually understand the cognitive basis of humor, they seem to lack understanding of the intent of humor to share enjoyment with others.

As an aspie if I have a joke worth telling. My motive for telling the joke would be primarily to share enjoyment with others. When I have a joke worth telling, I have a strong urge to tell it, so we can both laugh. I don't know if there are some people on the spectrum who don't get the intent/purpose of humor, but I am not one of them.

So for me purpose of humor is enjoyment/fun, making a situation less tense and more relaxed, and social bonding.

So this is a generalization, but I forgive Wikipedia, because mistakes on Wikipedia are sometimes unintentional and no encyclopedia is perfect, but choice of words is important in order to avoid misunderstanding.

2) Aspies don't understand sarcasm or irony

Speaking for myself, sometimes I spot sarcasm/irony immediately, but sometimes I get sarcasm/irony a little later.
It takes more time from my brain to process the sarcasm of a neurotypical if that neurotypical is a social butterfly. And you get the same feeling like when you are the last one to get a joke. But I still usually get the sarcasm/irony after a minute or 30 seconds. If not then, then the next day, maybe I remember about yesterday what he/she said and ask myself was that actually sarcasm?

Aspies like me can undersand sarcasm or irony with no effort, but if you are a social butterfly, sometimes you are like a riddle that needs to be solved.

3) Aspies take things literally

People who are not capable of abstract thinking (and not taking things literally) lack social intelligence. I may lack social skills and I might have lower social intelligence, but I am not THAT socially unintelligent and oblivious.

For example I understand metaphors and idioms very well. Maybe some aspies don't, but don't generalize!

I agree. Most aspies I have met also have a sense of humor. Although I personally sometimes take a while to get a joke or understand sarcasm, but not always. I think a lot of aspies have a unique sense of humor that can sometimes be mistaken for a lack of sense of humor, but the sense of humor is still there.

Yeah, not all of us have those traits.

I get humor and always did. Like everyone else, that doesn't mean all jokes make me laugh, I have my own taste same as most people, but funny things make me laugh (although sometimes only on the inside).


Maybe some aspies have problems getting the point at times, but I have no more problems than the average person.



I am able to understand sarcasm and use it just fine, Sometimes I can take slightly longer to pick up on it, but sometimes I might also be quicker than most. It depends on the circumstance and how I know them.
And how much I pay attention!! The difference it makes ... I'm often in my own mind and pay little attention



I seldom take things literally when I pay attention, but when I'm off into my own thoughts, I might. I have never had problems with idioms in general. I can think of exactly one that I misunderstood and took literally when I was 10.



Based on what I've seen on ASD sites, I would say most aspies have a sense of humor, but not everyone (again not unlike the rest of the population). Some aspies don't get sarcasm, some get some and some are skilled at it. Very few take everything literally, but we are as a group more likely to than NTs, although online NTs get more things wrong too, and they too get it wrong at times IRL.

Once NTs have a conclusive and complete theory of humor then they can start talking.

I suspect that they get extra uppity towards us when there's something they don't truly understand and we do it different. Saying we're wrong is the only way to avoid admitting they don't understand either.

A joke:

There are two types of people in the world.
1. Those that can recognize a false dilemma
2. Those that can't

Aspies are supposed to have black and white thinking yet these statements are a product of black and white thinking

What whoever wrote that fails to understand is disability is not necessarily inability.

It is not that Aspies can't understand sarcasm or intent it is that often these abilities are lower than average in many aspies.

I love humor and I love making people laugh. I get sarcasm pretty well because my brother was always making sarcastic remarks when we were kids and he still does. I understand metaphors and idioms. I am good at making witty remarks and have a quick wit. Most of the time I don't take things literally. My voc rehab counselor thinks that my autism can't be that bad because I understand and love humor.

That aspies are supposed to have black and white thinking is not objectively true.

My mentality is opposed to falling into the trap of black and white thinking. In fact my whole life philosophy revolves around not having black and white thinking, and this kind of thinking leads to better understanding of self and others. Neurotypicals who do fall into the trap of black and white thinking are the ones who usually stereotype us.

I definitely understand humor, and sarcasm is a family trait for me, but I've managed to avoid getting in trouble at work because of it. One of the things I love most about my job are the people who are just as funny and sarcastic as I am, so I look forward to going to work on occasion.

I do know someone who doesn't have a sense of humour. She doesn't understand jokes at all and she readily admits that she doesn't.

So there are people out there, rare people, who don't have a sense of humour.

Isn't wikipedia crowd sourced? You disagree with what it says, go back and correct it.

Seems to me that I read somewhere that the term "neurotypical" is an ironic push back against being labeled as not understanding irony or humor. Might have been in Silberman's Neurotribes. You could find the quote and post it to wikipedia if you need a "legit" reference. Or just lob in a tongue-in-cheek bit of your own.

You should use a legitimate source when adding material to Wikipedia. If you do not it will be deleted or a note will be added warning readers that there is no or an illegitimate source.

When I don't laugh at their jokes, some people say I didn't get the joke or have no sense of humor. What these people fail to realize is that they are unfunny and that their jokes are not funny.

I only laugh to jokes that I find funny, I don't laugh to unfunny, cheesy and immature jokes.

I didn't say to these people that they are unfunny because I don't want to appear impolite. I usually say nothing.

There are some neurotypicals who would rather fake laughter when someone is telling a joke. They do this in order to be liked by the person telling the joke. To assure that the person telling the joke isn't unfunny.

I won't fake laughter just to be likeable to the person telling the jokes, and I can't force myself. I dislike fake laughter and fake smiling.

Also there are people who find unfunny jokes actually funny, these people are a special breed of immature people.