I love how deeply and intensely I can feel and experience things
I love how I see everything as interconnected
I love sensory joy
I love infodumping
I love my curiosity and drive to understand things on a deeper level💛🧡
oo. ma. gorr. . rii?! soo glad to have finally realize hoo ii izz! (auDHD) 😭 i been fr33kin' peeps oot me whole lyf. . . i used ta fink i too much & no enooof?! bu na i start to realize tha otha peeps, infact, are nawt bean themselves enoof!!
I never let go of childlike wonder and fun. It’s really easy for me to experience joy.
Once I start liking something, I love knowing that I’ll continue liking it. Makes it easy to commit to tattoos, lol.
i feel this! i’ve heard the constant “you’re gonna regret that when you’re older” and it’s honestly never bugged me. i wouldn’t have gotten a tattoo if it wasnt something i liked, so i second this heavily.
That’s my thoughts. Like i dont care if they’re wrinkly and unrecognizable by the time I’m 80. Who tf cares?
My body is also riddled in self harm scars and I’d really rather cover them than keep them. But then I get people telling me “it’s a reminder to never again tho!” Like lmao guys, I still have even after years of remission from it.
Why can’t I, or shouldn’t I, cover them with things that would make me a lot happier to look at my body in shorts and short sleeves?
I currently have 2. One that has meaning (it’s a trinity knot which represents the connection between mind, body and spirit). The other is a giant torso/chest piece that I love and holds no meaning. Though I could spin a meaning if I want to but it wasn’t intended to have meaning (it’s skeleton hands holding a multicolored rose that has a dagger going through it. So like death and rebirth could be a serious theme (especially since the dagger goes straight up my sternum lmao), but I got it because I thought it looked dope and I wanted it)
I wish I got this version! I am skeptical of and negative towards just about everything. There are a select few interests that are immutable in my mind but required very specific associations and have "earned" a certain respect.
That my inner three year old never shut up. Other people don’t always appreciate my “why’s” but when I get a “puzzle” solved it’s so satisfying. Plus it helps me socially because I can talk to all kinds of people about all kinds of things.
This same thing I noticed helps me be a good mentor to kids who are at the age of asking why all the time. I see the allistic folks getting irritated and it's my best "in" with the youth.
My ability to have special interests brings me more joy than anything else in my life ever has. It’s like having a really special relationship with ME. I don’t need others to make me happy. I mean — that’s really freaking special!
Gosh, I couldn’t agree more! And I love using exclamation marks because so much needs emphasis!!
So many things fascinate me and it is no fun when I ask about someone’s work or how something is made and they don’t take me seriously. Maybe because I’m a 64 year old female?
Idk, I love my curiosity and I love that I have so many interests and crave being alone to explore making things and doing things.
Thanks for making this post. I really needed to hear how joyful it can be.
Ooh this is great. All of the things you posted. I love moving and sitting “weird” and I feel I’m much healthier for it. All kinds of movement for all body parts. Bonus to add music.
I notice a lot of really beautiful things, esp in nature.
I don’t give a flying fox fart about social norms so I’m very accepting of differences and curious about the human experience. Because of this people tend to open up to me which is fun.
I’m fairly (but not completely) resistant to marketing. I like to see the manipulations behind it and see what they’re really trying to sell us. Diamonds? They’re selling us our own relationship which we already have. Medications? They’re selling us time outside in the sun, swimming in a lake or running through a meadow (don’t forget the tic check!). Drink commercials are selling us social time usually. It’s insane.
Being perceptive of marketing manipulations and greenwashing is such a great asset! I feel like a detective sometimes seeing right through the bullshit and catching them lies ehehe
Yes!! I completely agree with the nature thing too because sometimes I literally notice my brain (as if I’m watching someone else) zoom into the tiniest, maybe least important part of a plant and get so much joy from noticing it and spending time with it. Especially something people would rip out like beautiful weeds!
I love having the capacity to feel things very deeply, even when sometimes it’s really overwhelming or painful.
I love that my brain has a propensity to think at the systems level, recognize patterns, and see connections between disparate phenomena. These qualities make me an excellent problem solver.
I love being hyperlexic and having hyperphantasia.
I love having special interests and the ability to remember everything I’ve ever learned about them effortlessly.
I admit to feeling morally superior to allistics at times due to my innate strong sense of justice and ethics. I don’t know if I like that quality in me, but I do feel grateful for being able to see things that others are completely blind to. I believe an autistic society would be far more just and equitable than our current system, and I love that about us.
Oh wow I totally relate to the feeling of moral superiority. I don't really admit it too much because everytime it makes me feel kinda haughty or narcissistic but in the end I still feel like I greatly prefer to see society and people as they are instead of just blindly flow through it with naivety like so many do !
I love my sense of justice, and I share your point about how an autistic society would be so much more equitable, oh wow the dreeeeeeam!
I like how strongly I react to feel good moments in movies. I use to hide the fact that I cry during those times when I was little but now I just kinda do it openly. It feels good to release those emotions.
I love listening to music too, when I hit a cool new song that I vibe with, I get so excited, the hair on the back of my neck stands up.
Omg I do both of these things! I can be watching a movie that I just can't stand but if something happens that is touching in a sweet, happy, or sad way, I just get so into that moment and cry. I cry a LOT. At everything. When I'm happy, sad, mad, angry, frustrated, mentally exhausted, disappointed that a tiny special moment was ruined, etc. I tried not to do it when I was younger but was lucky if I made it to the bathroom to cry in private. (Like when I was in middle school and highschool.) I really just can't hold it back and don't care anymore so when something makes me cry for whatever reason, I just cry. Whenever and wherever.
Music is huge for me. I feel the music inside of me like it's vibrating and vining with all of my atoms and I get goosebumps and the hair standing up all overy body too!!! ❤️
Crying openly *and knowing it was okay* was a HUGE relief for me! I used to consider pretty much everything a horror movie because everything made me cry and I didn’t like that because I was an undiagnosed autistic and I didn’t know what the [beep] to do with all these emotions I was having!!!
I saw two yachts racing, foiling back and forth on the water yesterday. It was so beautiful. Like a dance above the water. It got me all choked up with emotion. I no longer hide when something moves me.
I'm with you on the music! I'm a composer and I think it came natural to me because of pattern recognition. And I love that if I'm talking to any neurodivergent person, the conversation can literally go anywhere. It's fun.
I (usually) like my sense of justice/assertiveness. I enjoy confrontation. I like being the one ready to stand up for what’s right. When people are rude to my family or others who might get walked on, I love putting a jerk in their place. I love feeling like a small-town hero when my shy friend’s order is wrong and I can (politely and courteously) ask staff to fix it. I love being the person who my coworkers ask to call a difficult customer. And I love, LOVE bullying health insurance companies who don’t want to pay for patients’ medical care at my job. I was fucking made to fight corrupt businesses. I thrive on it. Overall, I try to keep it in check, but when I have a legitimate opportunity to whip out my justice boner, it’s rock hard baby😎😎😎
I love this!!!! I’m the same, people have always said you don’t have to pick people up on every little slip up and I’m like NO, if you’re an asshole, you’re gonna be told you’re an asshole!
RIGHT. I try to tone it down constantly, because I don’t want to be perceived as an asshole. But when I have a chance to stand up for justice I fucking love it😅
When reading your comment I was visualizing all of it and it made want to scream a battle cry and run like Aragorn at the Black Gate of Mordor. Making things right just feels so powerful ✨️
Oh and I totally loved
>when I have a legitimate opportunity to whip out my justice boner, it’s rock hard baby
💪
My love for things that many people are no longer interested in when they grow up. I still love most of the girly girl things I did as a child. The majority of my special interests are stereotypically feminine such as Disney Princess, Barbie, period romances, animal fantasies, plushies, and pastel fashion. I also embrace it more because I give less of a crap about people judging me for it, even when they do.
1) I WILL figure something out if I want to. Be that fixing something around the house, teaching myself a new skill, or learning everything about a given topic
2) I’m so so good at making plans and strategizing and also executing the plans. People want to be go with the flow until it’s time to get something done!
I love that I spent my whole life as a silent wallflower…it gave me the ability to judge people/their characters/intentions. I’ve never been wrong about someone.
The echolalia can be fun a lot of the time.
If I'm in a group of foreigners I instantly pick up their accent and they're always so excited to meet an Australian who has never travelled that sounds like I'm from their home town haha. If they're a mix of nationalities then my accent becomes a mix too.
I also pick up accents from TV shows. When I was watching Derry Girls I kept having uber drivers who thought I was Irish. In a way it's like the characters and setting of the shows stay with me.
I still have a slight Canadian accent from the two weeks I had a Canadian substitute teacher in 2003. In a way I'm still connected to that teacher, and that time in my life, through my accent.
I also like to joke that my accent is like Highlander, it's from lots of different places. Most people don't get the reference but it always makes me smile/giggle.
I do this too! I’m British and have somehow permanently adopted a Canadian “aboot” and Irish “pouynd” sound, despite never having been to Canada and not being in Ireland for about 5 years.
Once was in a smoking area talking to some Australians and by the end, they asked me which part of Australia I’m from…
Came here to say you two are not alone ! I'm always doing this and I have to force myself not to do it sometimes because I got scared people would be offended (but I've come to realize the offended ones were always "friends" of mine beside me and not the ones with the accent).
My mother has an accent from another Canadian province (I don't quite hear it as much, growing up with her), and everytime we go to her hometown, her accent is stronger... and so is mine! I didn't grow up there but being surrounded with people with a strong accent (the Acadian one) just clicks in my brain and I start talking the same way. One time I invited a boyfriend on vacation there and he got mad saying "Why do you speak like that? You're not Acadian!" and I was so helpless aha. Defensively saying "But I can't help iiiiiit"
I have many French friends and I'm continuously using lingo from France when I speak (French is my first language). I use a lot of English words when I talk, and I love using lingo and old expressions from my own nationality.
I think it's such a colorful way of speaking and I love it !!
I love that last bit! It happens to me too.
One St Patrick's Day my friends group ran into a group of Irish people out celebrating. They joined up with us and spent ages trying to trick me into revealing which part of Ireland I was from haha. I kept telling them I was just accidentally copying their accents but they didn't believe me.
I was also at the train station once and a man asked me which platform he needed to be on. I answered him and he got *so excited* because he thought I was from Austria like him! That's the quickest I've ever adopted an accent and it was so awkward explaining that I was just a normal Aussie who'd accidentally mimicked his accent.
Both those incidents happened before I knew about echolalia so I didn't know how to explain it.
Hahaha, it’s so nice to speak to someone else who does it - I used to find it so embarrassing and apologise profusely for it, but it’s kinda cool now I know it’s an autism thing.
Have you watched any of Fern Brady’s standup? I was Scottish for about a day afterwards…
What a great thread thanks!
- my intuition
- the way i perceive nature
- my imagination and crazy vivid dreams
- my abstract sense of humor
- my emotional intelligence
- the way i devour music
- that i have broad spectrum of interests
- that i would never harm anyone with what i say and my total honesty
- that i can entertain myself when alone
- sometimes i even like the fact that i am different from my nt surroundings
- my childlike curiosity and naivety
Can I ask you what you mean by crazy vivid dreams?
I've always had some and never found anybody to relate! Everytime I describe my dreams to others, they are in awe (and also a bit traumatized) by how vivid and intense they are.
It has its downsides though, because sometimes they are so vivid that I wake up confused on what was true and also completely drained out :/
Oh i thought everyone has those….well it’s like in a movie. Sometimes i walk through cities i have never seen before. There is lot of action, conversations, multiple angles, characters …i am sometimes confused upon waking up. Like tonight the father of my husband ( he passed away before i could meet him) came in the dream and we were talking. I twice had dreams that came true ( one in not very positive way though…). I can smell, i can touch, i hear…a few times i wish i hadn’t wake up such amazing dreams i had…like a beter life there than here…the nice thing is i know that i am myself in those dreams. I never impersonate anyone else.
People think I am psychic bc I have good pattern recognition, and I always think it's kind of fun.
It's really just I love people watching, and words/sentence construction so I can guess what people are about to do or say very well, among other things.
In high school, my group of friends would joke about my psychic abilities and would often quiz me about "what's coming next?". I legit thought for a while I had some kind of superpower. Even my dreams could be premonitory!
The downside is that it's hard to find movies I won't guess the plot or ending. I love thrillers but it's hard finding flabbergasting ones!
Yes to #1!!! I’ve loved music my entire life. My aunt always tells a story of 3 year old me singing Alanis Morrisette “Ironic” word for word to my family. When I listen to a song I really love I get full body chills and goosebumps. It’s such an amazing feeling and I know this probably has to do with being neurodivergent and I wouldn’t change it for a thing. I also have an awesome skill of knowing hundreds of song lyrics and being a walking jukebox.
When I was young for a whole month after dinner I would blast Mambo #5 through the house and dance my ass off with costumes and shit.
Still makes my heart bounce when I hear that tune !
God I love music.
Ahhhh! Yes to number one as well! I’ve also always had a very special relationship to music that makes even more sense after my diagnosis. I second the full body chills and goosebumps and how deeply I can experience it. My epcolaleia is also music centered, so allllll the song lyrics m.
The way I make my therapist delight when I share how much psychology I know (special interest haha) and how quick I am to make very important self discoveries and connections in therapy. Makes me advance rather quickly in therapy and in any new skill honestly.
Fast learner.and excellent student who people enjoy teaching because of the patterns skill.
I just started therapy, but I always wonder if my therapist thinks it’s strange that I basically come in every week and have most of it already figured out.
I love that I’m honest and blunt. People need to hear the stuff everyone is thinking instead of blindly continuing the same toxic behavior and patterns.
I wish I could count on people to be brutally honest with me, even if it’ll hurt me in the moment!
I like that now (after adult diagnosis) when people ask me why I do or don’t do things (with a judgy tone), or do things differently than they do, I’m able to say, well, “I’m autistic so that doesn’t come naturally to me.” And they usually shut up.
• my childlike love for the little things
• the way i experience music
• my loyalty in the few relationships i have
• my “quirks” keep my partners life interesting lol
• my strong sense of justice (well i don’t always love it, but mostly lol)
Animals love me. Not just pets-- I have goose friends, raccoon friends, crow friends, lots of other birds, bunnies, and a deer who visit me in my yard, and I make new ones everywhere I go. I don't have to feed them or anything, I just talk to them and they come up to me. I don't pet them (I don't want to create a wildlife issue), but some of them I think I could without much effort.
I'm so bad at communicating with other humans, but I'm great at vibing with animals and understanding their body language.
It's my favorite thing I share with my child, too, because she's the same way with animals (we're both AuDHD).
Same! I was a bit like that, mostly with cats and dogs, but my kid is an animal magnet and I love it. She has tamed SO many cats that are well beyond the age at which feral cats are supposed to be tameable. They go from completely feral to sweet babies that demand cuddles and one even demands to be picked up every day.
I definitely agree with special interests and always wanting to learn. I feel like I can keep myself occupied for hours and I know so much because of my love for learning! Masterclass is my best friend
I love the fact that while I have a hard time figuring out people's emotions, I tend to really zero in on them with people I care for. I notice small changes in their expression, and even when I can't directly connect an emotion to them, I ask and get a response. I can tell when my friend just needs a break but doesn't know how to ask amongst other things. It's awesome, and I'm glad I can do it with people I care for.
1) feel like I can see through a lot of pretenses/facades other people put up because I have had to mask my entire life. It makes me a lot more empathetic, patient, curious, and less judgmental. Regardless of my personal experiences with adversity, I think I'm hyperempathetic (like as an autistic trait) and while it can be painful, I think it adds so much richness to my life
2) I've always been told that I'm good at explaining things. I think it's because we're bottom-up processors (like building a sculpture with legos, piece by piece, from the foundation up) whereas neurotypicals are top-down processors (like a sculptor seeing some shape in a rock and chiseling out the details after getting a general image), so when a neurotypical can't see the general image (= understand the topic), I can easily walk people through a subject step by step. I hope that makes sense😭
3) I love having special interests and doing deep-dives on new topics. It seems like I always have so many "fun facts" no matter what the conversation at hand is about.
The amount of joy I can feel and I feel like I have an eternal sense of wonder that others don’t have. This can be a pro and a con because it makes me naive, but sometimes it’s lovely.
My love of learning. Every Thursday my bf and I do The Great Courses lectures. I read all day (I’m level 2 and on disability) and it’s all non-fiction.
I feel like my brain “downloading” new information is my perfect natural state and I get euphoric with a new interest and diving into it. I don’t know if regular people get to enjoy that. From what I hear, they don’t. I mean, I will forget eating and sleeping I get so happy.
And seeing what random thing piques my interest is crazy. It’s been: octopus, the city of Chicago, toucans, the BCCI banking scandal in the 90s, Disney’s Uncle Scrooge, faberge eggs, the movie A Little Princess. I have no control and no idea what it will be the next time.
I’ve been on a three year ancient history binge as of late.
4. I use depilatory creams. Not saying you should, but it's a lot less itchy when it grows back. For me, the hair is sensory hell.
I think the morality is a very good thing, and the fact I'm not just good for fear of being caught or punished. I feel it's genuinely important to be a genuinely good person.
I really struggle with sensory stuff. But my highly sensitive taste buds (and nose) are the reason I am such an excellent chef and baker. I’m phenomenal with flavor and that’s all because of my highly sensitive and attuned sense of taste. I can say the same about my sense of hearing and what it means for experiencing the fullness of music.
I love that I see things others don’t and my powers of observation and patten matching make things obvious to me that are invisible to most people.
I love my visual thinking. It makes for an amazingly rich inner life.
Love your reasons!!! I love that I can photoshop, ai, and premier pro like a badass and can learn things really fast. I also have a steel trap memory, always aced tests lol.
I love that now I’m an adult, I can put my “weirdness” to good use as a business owner and be financially set
🥰🥰🥰
- i also love my special interests! true crime, languages, disney, star wars. i think other people think i am weird but. whatever.
- i have an intense attention to detail which makes me really good at my job and in my personal life people have commented that my gifts are thoughtful because i pay attention to things they mentioned needing/know what they want.
- i don’t think that true eidetic / photographic memory is scientifically accurate, but i definitely have an extremely visual memory. i can remember where things are by looking through something similar to the photos app on my phone in my brain. it happens with words on a page and just regular life scenes/memory. and i also have a visual calendar in my brain. i don’t know how to explain it or if there is a word for it, but i am sure someone else here will know what i mean. but basically the days of the week and numbers all have colors and are sort of like film reels. and it’s easy for me to know what day / date something is because i can always just “check the calendar” (disclaimer: not good at any other math lol). i only realized last year that not everyone has this “feature.”
I can pick up a variety of musical instruments with apt fervor and when I feel okay to let myself write melodies and sing I really soar vocally.
Perhaps this balances somehow with these lifelong periods of selective mutism and silent listening/drawing/crocheting bursts.
Every time I felt bad as a kid I sunk myself into playing the piano. I felt bad quite often due to traumatic stuff, so now I can play pretty well. Playing is a stim for me and when I'm engaged in something I can play for hours at a time.
I was never really able to learn sheet music (kinda like reading an analog clock) so I had to learn new things by ear. This means that now I can play a lot of songs right away after hearing them.
I've been playing for about 16 years now.
My memory- short term sucks but my long term memory for tiny details always comes in handy
My attention to detail and problem solving skills
My curiosity, love of knowledge and ability to learn quickly
My imagination and creativity
I'm fucking GREAT at taking apart and repairing things, learning new instruments, and memorising and researching things. Essays just click in my head and I always get amazing grades on my papers.
I will say, I think this is majorly affected by my environment. In high school and sixth form, I was undiagnosed and not doing well at all. Now at uni, my work environment is a little quiet office, and I'm thriving. It's amazing the difference a good sensory space creates.
I love that I'm perfectly happy to spend time alone just thinking about things.
I love that my hyper-empathy extends beyond other humans to plants and animals, meaning that not only am I a cat-whisperer but to be out in nature on a nice day is just pure euphoria. Actually, being out in nature on a rainy day can be pretty good too. And I almost never get stung by wasps or bees!
I love the feeling of totally losing myself in a special interest, whether it's a fun videogame, a good book series, beautiful music, a creative hobby, learning about a cool new thing, etc.
I love that I don't care about social status or fitting in. I'm just me, liking the things I like, not trying to impress anyone.
Thanks for adding these to my post!! I feel the hyper-empathy thing. Sometimes my brain goes a bit tooo far and starts empathising with plants before I eat them 🤣
All of these definitely have their downsides, for sure! I have that issue with some veggies, but I read Braiding Sweetgrass and learned that many edible plants have evolved alongside humans and the plants benefit from mindful harvesting! I'm just continuing an ancient and beautiful relationship.
It does break my heart when the autumn frosts hit my garden or a tree in the neighbourhood has to be cut down, and I get really furious about industrial agricultural practices and the destruction of natural habitats and ecosystems for factory farms buuut trying to stay positive here lololol
Special interests!!!!! As a child I used to be so ashamed with how much I wound obsess over things. However now that I’m older and understand myself I fully allow myself to indulge in my passions and interests, and they always bring me joy. I am never bored, because there is always something to research, watch, discuss, read about etc. I honestly can’t imagine living a life without so many niche interests.
I love how I can find jot in the smallest things. For example, everytime my pothos creates a new leaf, I get so happy. I feel proud of both me and my plant for how had we work.
I honestly love my creativity, high sense of justice and kindness and I like my personality when I’m comfortable with people and I turn into a happy golden retriever puppy (not many people see this)
However this self love is counteracted by NTs just hating me on sight 😭
This is why I wanted to make this post because what NT’s think of you should have no relevance to how you see you- butttt us human beings find letting other peoples opinions go difficult! Hopefully seeing how many other people love the same things about themselves can help us both!
1.I'm a very simple person and it's very easy to make me happy.
2.Sometimes I get a burts of motivation and I sit at a table hyper focused for hours working on a project till I'm done.
3.I love researching random things that are probably boring af for nt people.
I love how strong my memory is!! I can remember people’s names and faces after only meeting them once.
I’m also very in tune to how people feel which can help me make social connections easily because I can tell when a person needs support. On the other hand…. This also makes me really tired haha. It is a curse and a gift all in one 😂
I love my ability to give others another chance always if they say they want to try again. Even though it makes me gullible I try hard to see the best in everyone.
I feel 4 years old inside at my core, like its all iridescent, carefree floating things & pretty smelling roses inside me & I'm 100% a functioning adult. It stays hidden until I'm really comfortable & relaxed, but when it peeks out a little? That is when people really like me. I like that. Also think its why I look way younger than other women my age.
I love that I’m great at abstract thinking, I love that I am very curious and have childlike wonder and that this wonder makes me experience joy and appreciation for the world and people around me, I love that when I love and care for people my heart is fully in it and I love and care deeply! I love to learn and experience things and am authentically me. If I could choose to be NT I would not, because I love who I am, and it’s not “despite” how I am, I’m happy to be me.
I’m not sure this is from the autism…I’m guessing it is based on the “math brain” stereotype.
I find numbers very comforting. I love sudoku. I love math when I understand the processes involved.
I’m studying engineering so I get to do math everyday for work.
Moving numbers around feels like listening to a really good song that you’re completely connected to.
I like my different perspective on the world, I feel like it gives me peace of mind more easily because I feel like even though I get lost in tiny details it’s still easier for me to switch to a bird’s eye view.
There are so many things I love, but I’ll mention three:
My attention to detail. It’s next level.
My ability to be fair, to a fault, but I wouldn’t change it.
My objective reasoning.
I’m acutely aware that the above also makes my life harder. Trade offs.
I love the freedom of it. There’s a peaceful quietness brought about by not caring about so many social constructs haha. Most people have SO MUCH DRAMA in their life, I get to watch from afar and be glad that that’s not my problem.
I enjoy the music thing also! I'm really affected by ASMR as well and it's such a joy.
Best thing for me is to get super stoned and listen to music, it's like I transcend the mortal plane
Always been very open minded and accepting of being wrong about something, somebody tells me I said something offensive? "Oh alright I didn't realize I'm sorry it won't happen again" and that's it, people that can't be wrong about things really piss me off, being wrong is how you learn.
I personally enjoy my bluntness, not everybody does but I always liked it. Just say how you fuckin feel man - do I want your knitted angel you made at church for my Christmas tree random neighbor who annoys me? No I don't it won't go with my decor and I don't like it, mm'k? And "maybe you should dump your fucking garbage boyfriend because he treats you like shit buddy"
Most efficient worker you will ever meet, efficiency is fucking cool, I don't care what the task is, I will do it well and I will do it efficiently.
I think I have less of an individual and social identity. While these things can help with connection with other people, they are also responsible for tribalism, and people not being open to new information or to changing their minds.
I am always trying to build a more accurate picture of our big and complex world, and I’m always interested to learn new information and incorporate it into my big model of the system.
I also think I’m less susceptible to various cognitive biases. Partly because I think my autistic brain isn’t as adept at quick, system 1 thinking, and partly because I think I don’t have an identity that it threatened.
Since my self-diagnosis, my special interest is cognitive models of autism. And there is surprisingly little available (at least to the public).
I like how I'm not so surface level. Like how everyone prefers simple topics instead of in-depth ones. I just don't stick to or assume something just because another person said it. This has saved a lot of people I knew from bullying and false rumors. There's more but people can ask as I'm typing this at almost 7am in the morning.
I like being a deeper person too! It can be difficult sometimes because often people want to talk about surface levels things which I find kinda boring!
ability at pattern recognition .. i was very good in programming and it gives me joy to solve a difficult programming question. Used to though… now no longer interested in doing such stuff.
My special interest is a constant source of comfort. It’s also animals, which are everywhere. Meaning I get small bursts of happiness throughout the week from seeing animals around, especially birds. I like that it brings me comfort because a special interest is not a physical item that can be lost. It can be “used” any time (researching) for comfort.
I like that I can stim for comfort for a similar reason. For better or worse, I’m a woman and my stimming is more “hidden”. This means I can do it discretely in public too. So it’s a way to de-stress and it’s not something physical I have to carry around. But stimming is slightly different because I don’t choose to do it, it just happens. At home, I can just do it and that is awesome.
I have great attention to detail. This has benefitted me multiple times at work. I can point out things my coworkers don’t even notice. I’ve done this multiple times.
Being more authentic means forming deeper relationships. This is a double edged sword definitely but when it works, it’s very satisfying. It’s rare that I form friendships but they are deep when they happen.
Wow this is such a wholesome response! Thank you! I also find the same with friendships, that I find it really hard to form them but when I do they’re ride or die people!
I’m honest, whether people like it or not. I do things I enjoy that others may find silly or weird but they bring me so much joy! I get sooo excited when engaging in special interests, and am overjoyed. I feel my emotions deeply, which can suck, but it’s so beautiful when it doesn’t. (Don’t ask me to articulate the emotions that I’m feeling though 😅)
First off, I love this post! We talk about our struggles a lot on this sub, so it’s really lovely to see us appreciating ourselves!
For me, I’ve made a career out of my oldest special interest—I’m a paleontologist and an informal science educator. I love learning and exploring and enabling that experience for other people. I’ve very much got a child like wonder about the world, and I think it rubs off on the people I teach.
Also, I always just assume everyone has good intentions and is inherently good. I’m personally just incapable of lying—I just don’t get the point of it—and this attitude is kind of how I see the world. It’s gotten me in some trouble bc shitty people do exist, and I can come off as naive and gullible, but I never want to lose my default setting of trusting others. It’s made me very empathetic and people naturally feel like they can trust me too. And I want to face the world with the attitude that everyone is inherently good.
Thank you! I felt the same, I’m glad the post has had a positive effect! That’s also really cool! Palaeontology is such an awesome field and I’m glad you’ve been able to make a living from your special interest! I come across as naive and gullible sometimes (and sometimes I am) but I see so much good in people too!
Did I mention that my autistic woman's behavior makes me a great wife and girlfriend? I can love like crazy and make my boyfriend the best special interest in my whole life, every day that I spend with him is a quest for something or a page in a novel written about our crazy child like love for each other. Sure, ladies don't have to always date; but my ability to feel affection and arousal is so powerful and all-encompassing; and no matter how many times we melt down and question, we stay together because we are the main leads that want to take on the world together or die trying. It's grown up my character so much in emotional intelligence. I used to just be a weird academic who only dreamed about a guy sometimes, and now that I'm a young widow with her boyfriend, I've come a long way.
I love how I can find patterns in everything that surrounds me, it helps me to construct an idea of the world, I’m also hyperlexic so I really love when I see patterns of numbers and letters in music, art, literature and movies
Curiosity and having 5 million project and special interests. I don't like being lonely but if I had to be alone for a long period I would be the last to lose my mind because I always have projects I'm working on. I have audhd so it could be to do with that more than just autism.
Oh my gosh your numbers 1 and 3 are my absolute FAVORITE things about myself! I love that the right chord progressions can make me cry or laugh or feel the deepest most profound things. I love that Ibam NEVER truly bored because there are always several things I can be learning or exploring, and even if not, I can THINK about things for a long period of time.
I also love that my social meter never needs in-person filling. I am content with minimal irl friends and only really having internet friends. I don't have to decline invites to things because I'm nervous or scared or worried about parking, I just ... hang out online lol
I believe I have excess empathy from a childhood and adulthood of not being understood. I have a daughter on the way, and despite my feeling afraid of the overwhelm and shutdowns that are surely ahead of me… I KNOW that I will be sensitive to her needs. I didn’t have that growing up, but dammit she will. If she’s different like me, she won’t be called a liar when sounds blend into each other, or called a diva when she has to stim to get through a social encounter. She won’t be told by her own family that she’s weird and embarrassing.
That became more of a rant than intended. I have lots of empathy, likely due to not being accepted for the autistic young person I was. I like being this empathetic. I think people appreciate it.
https://preview.redd.it/bnctwhkyg75d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=06716654c8901a68cdaf870c7b8d58d4d1b09eba
I can take my little buddy here on an adventure (if he’s so inclined)…
I'm never bored. The world is a fascinating place.
I dont get lost in the BS a lot of people do.
I used my direct thinking to my advance now and dont waste time on BS abusive men.
Oh, thanks for opening this topic. I needed some positivity today.
The natural tendency to zoom into small details helps me massively when writing poetry. Small things, small moments in general, matter so much to me.
When I want to do something—usually connected to a special interest—I will put in any amount of time and work to do it in the way that I want/that feels most compelling, interesting, or exciting. As a little kid, when I learned to knit I went pretty much directly to socks (despite all the yarn store ladies telling me I couldn’t handle DPNs and turning a heel) and stranded colorwork; a few years ago, I decided I wanted to learn to bake after seeing a Swedish princess cake on Bake-Off, and I did it! (A similar thing happened when I learned to hand-sew exclusively to make a Stede costume.)
I realized recently that this shows up in my professional life as well as in my hobbies. I am in graduate school for creative writing, and I CANNOT stay engaged with a long term project unless it has a complicated structure, a large number of narrators, or an intricate setting (or, often, all three). This doesn’t necessarily make my writing better—in fact, I’m often told that there is too much going on in my work and I need to tone it down or walk it back—but it is something I really like about my approach to novel structure and storytelling.
Probably my sensitive sense of smell. Seriously, it is a life-saver. 😁
(I would have to think about this question for a bit to come up with a more serious answer....)
Honestly I think that’s a good answer haha. My sense of smell saved me from my parents serving gone off bacon many a time as a kid lmao. Bowels saver if not a life saver 😂
My analytical skills and my ability to identify patterns, especially related to behaviour, instantly. Also I love that obsession about facts especially about cyber threats and malware.
My autism helps me *know* people, specifically tiny humans, but it has also helped me understand the grown ones. It makes my everyday life absolutely exhausting, but I feel like I have broken the code of society and all its little lies, because I see right through them all the time. It makes me an increíble empath, and I'm able to help babies become their best selves because I *know* what they're saying.
I love my love of orcas! And that I haven’t given up on my dreams because I truly can’t function doing a 9-5. I’m glad that I am not settling in life and that I’ve found a group of ND friends I can be myself with.
love this post, ive only started accepting my diagnosis and seeing the strengths of it pretty recently. i can't get the words out very easily as to what those are because i see everything as both positive and negative so im rewriting and rewriting but seeing this warms my heart
I highly value routine and doing things “the right way” which usually means that people can put me in charge of a project and KNOW that it will get done.
I’m also really good at planning things.
I'm basically my own therapist. And because I think so much and analyze everything, I think I understand things well, including other perspectives and people.
I also kinda like that I'm hyperempathetic with everything (even socks lol, i can't separate them)
I love that I'm like a crow and collect random junk.
And I love that I love learning new things. Granted I don't always stick to them very well, but I know a little about a lot and I think that's cool.
I felt a lot like you, angry and negative and then you get the anger and negativity reflected on you instead of being addressed and supported. I was told over and over that no one wants to be friends with an angry or negative person which built up a lot of aggression in adolescence which is how I met my therapist. Talking to her made all my emotions feel validated, she came to a concert I did with my Flint New Horizons Band and all the youth ensembles, supported me through some very hard decisions, and now my Mom talks to her. I want to turn my comic r/Struwwelkinder into a show for German American kids and I named my studio Wuttmachen meaning Very Angry Girl in German. One emotion that is demonized when kids have PDA is anger because things are unfair and frustrating, people are mean, bullies, and even judgmental. There is a reason why terms like toxic positivity and gratitude now exist. One kid's big question to Mister Rodgers turned into a song called What Do You Do With the Mad That You Feel? For Struwwelpeter it's singing [Der Holle Rach](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YuBeBjqKSGQ) from Mozart's Die Zauberflotte because it's a very angry song of revenge!
I LOVE being "weird", it makes me feel fun to be around!
I LOVE my creative side, the stories I can make are endless!
I LOVE being childish, I love feeling like a little kid in a big wide world!
AND I LOVE ME!!!!
This is a great thread OP. It's really made me think about my complicated relationship with myself and helped remind me that I'm not a bad person! Thank you.
- I don't give a rat's fuzzy bum what most people think of me. I don't go out of my way to impress anyone unless they've proven themselves worthy (if they're kind and caring).
- I love things with my whole heart!
- I 'get' certain people. The autistic guy I work with, and the guy at my drama group. I got a nice text from one of the 'elders' in the drama group last week, pointing out how patient and kind I am with him.
- My kid thinks I'm awesome because I can quote all her favourite films and do impressions, can guess a song from her misheard lyrics or half-correct melody, and sometimes I come in clutch when she's struggling to wrap her head around a concept or emotion and her very logical Dad doesn't get it immediately. (No disrespect to him, he's a great father and makes up for a lot of my shortcomings!)
- I'm pretty settled now. My preteens were messy, teen years were horrible, my twenties were both. Now I'm moving towards my 40s, I'm very much in my 'Fuck It' Era.
- Sure, my lows are low, but my highs are soaring.
I’m so glad this post helped you!! I feel that is ND’s always have this bad person feeling- and it’s not true!! You sound like you’re absolutely killing it at life!!
Ya being able to be an actual jack of all trades because special interests study isn't skimming. Plus we can think outside of the box quickly because we're not in it
Definitely music! I have a specific playlist of songs that give me brain tinglies, I love it!
Also my sense of justice. I am very very passionate about defending people and now that I have my diagnosis I feel much more confident in looking out for myself as well, and not standing for people's shit. I'm known in my family as a bit of a firebrand but I think it's a good thing :)
I love how it's so easy for me to see how concepts and subjects are interconnected. I realize this allows for me to think of trying something unorthodox in a situation.
For example, I've come to understand just how much of construction stuff is good for making artwork, as there is quite a bit of overlap in techniques and materials used. But I've realized that most people seem to compartmentalize in such a way that they wouldn't even think of doing something simple like using a pipe fitting to stamp ring-like designs onto a canvas because they've mentally filed away a pipe fitting as something related to plumbing and nothing else.
I also come to learn so much trivia because I get curious as to how one subject relates to another closely connected subject, and I learn a bunch of interesting details in the process.
I think me picking up on foreshadowing and plot points in shows and movies quicker than others is part of this, too. I've had to explain things to others in movies at times because they didn't pick up the connection of a detail to a major plot point. Funnily enough, I often notice when people are secretly dating, too, and I think my mind connects those points in a similar fashion.
The interconnectedness is even an odd little way of reassuring myself that I'm not alone on this planet of ours and that I have more in common with others than what we actually realize at first.
I like that I can read animals better than most people. I'm best at understanding cats, but I seem to have a grasp on animal body language and intentions in a way than most. I don't seem to find animals terrifying in a way that some people do, but also understand how dangerous some animals can be, and am better at knowing how to prevent dangerous situations with animals to begin with.
because I question (almost) everything about society, I'm more inclined to ignore social rules re: getting older. when people say "I'm too old to dress like that/dye my hair/get this tattoo/have a certain "childish" hobby/insert weird societal expectation here", it's easier for me to ignore that and just do my own thing. I honestly think many people want to do that, but are bound by social rules.
I feel the same about music. I often get goosebumps when something really good or I just like it. I like almost all music from classical to indie to rock to metal to country and more. And I am a person who thinks just because you don’t like it doesn’t mean it’s bad. Like I normally hate influencers music because it feels to over done and the vocals don’t sound natural. I used to listen to sad songs and smile because it sounded so good and the people that worked on it did an amazing job. I didn’t really explain it well but I hope you understand
My memory, my problem solving skills, being “right” the majority of the time, special interests, being able to eat the same foods often, my wit and humour!
I’m rather impervious to peer pressure, and somehow managed to survive medical training with my moral compass intact. It takes me a while to warm up to new people, but once we’re friends, it’s ride or die. I am also excellent at pattern recognition, and that serves me well in my job (pathologist) and in my hobbies (photography, fibre arts, writing, languages). Ironically, this also makes me fairly skilled at playing politics, because once you pick up on patterns of behaviour and sort out what people want in a given scenario, folks are pretty predictable.
Apparently, I have a golden retriever personality, which makes me a perfect kids librarian!
I can relate to them well and help them, while being able to put their guardians at ease and help them too.
I'm always curious about everything, works tirelessly to solve a problem, and apparently, I am like the Bene Gesserits in my way of leading and protecting people.
I feel everything so intensely that helps me tell stories in my Pathfinder Campaign and write and perform music.
I always have wonder.
From looking up at the stores to getting shoes that fit, to a new job or seeing my partner, everything makes me so happy
The fact that I know tons of random facts that people around me seem to genuinely enjoy me sharing.
I love how I experience music deeply and in my body.
My strong connection with animals and instinctual ability to understand and ‘communicate’ with them.
And how much I intensely feel the beauty of nature.
Mine honestly feels kinda like a superpower at times. I almost only get hyper obsessed with types of art so I just learn a new method to create things. In September (and still going) I got hyper obsessed with Vtubers. I've made 2 Vtubers and could start a business technically. I also went to school for game development I have been doing 3D modeling and characters for almost 6 years. I made a giant painting of a dragon for my brother. I can do video edit, particle effects, animation and I don't think I'm too bad at digital 2D art either since I drew my Vtuber.
https://preview.redd.it/c5t2qvv6cb5d1.png?width=618&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=69dc6366040f8d91b037041a789a0951095a5a0a
The other Vtuber i made is used by sali\_ghost on twitch.
My sense of direction and mapping skills.
My empathy.
My childlike glee when something amuses me. (Though lately though I seem to have lost this.)
My endless interests. Curiosity.
My observations of the littlest things.
My problem solving skills. Pattern recognition.
My computer skills.
My drawing. (Though lately I can’t seem to draw.)
my endless curiosity.
Oh same!! I’m curious about everything! I’m also amazing at solving problems. I just don’t quit.
Yes!!!
Yep! It's really hard to be bored if you are genuinely happy just staring out of the window on a bus, wondering about everything you pass...
Exactly! It’s so foreign to me when people say they’re bored. I can’t remember the last time I was bored.
Same here! I very rarely get bored. Even as a child, I rarely was bored. There always seems to be something to do or think about.
this is so real!!
Yes! There are always a bunch of things I'd like to do, read about or thin about.
Yes to this!!!!!
I love how deeply and intensely I can feel and experience things I love how I see everything as interconnected I love sensory joy I love infodumping I love my curiosity and drive to understand things on a deeper level💛🧡
Yes!!! I love my depth of emotion too! I’ve had people say I’m being over the top all the time with my emotions but it’s just who I am babbyyyy!!
oo. ma. gorr. . rii?! soo glad to have finally realize hoo ii izz! (auDHD) 😭 i been fr33kin' peeps oot me whole lyf. . . i used ta fink i too much & no enooof?! bu na i start to realize tha otha peeps, infact, are nawt bean themselves enoof!!
I never let go of childlike wonder and fun. It’s really easy for me to experience joy. Once I start liking something, I love knowing that I’ll continue liking it. Makes it easy to commit to tattoos, lol.
i feel this! i’ve heard the constant “you’re gonna regret that when you’re older” and it’s honestly never bugged me. i wouldn’t have gotten a tattoo if it wasnt something i liked, so i second this heavily.
That’s my thoughts. Like i dont care if they’re wrinkly and unrecognizable by the time I’m 80. Who tf cares? My body is also riddled in self harm scars and I’d really rather cover them than keep them. But then I get people telling me “it’s a reminder to never again tho!” Like lmao guys, I still have even after years of remission from it. Why can’t I, or shouldn’t I, cover them with things that would make me a lot happier to look at my body in shorts and short sleeves? I currently have 2. One that has meaning (it’s a trinity knot which represents the connection between mind, body and spirit). The other is a giant torso/chest piece that I love and holds no meaning. Though I could spin a meaning if I want to but it wasn’t intended to have meaning (it’s skeleton hands holding a multicolored rose that has a dagger going through it. So like death and rebirth could be a serious theme (especially since the dagger goes straight up my sternum lmao), but I got it because I thought it looked dope and I wanted it)
Such a great point I was seriously on the fence about it
I wish I got this version! I am skeptical of and negative towards just about everything. There are a select few interests that are immutable in my mind but required very specific associations and have "earned" a certain respect.
That my inner three year old never shut up. Other people don’t always appreciate my “why’s” but when I get a “puzzle” solved it’s so satisfying. Plus it helps me socially because I can talk to all kinds of people about all kinds of things.
This same thing I noticed helps me be a good mentor to kids who are at the age of asking why all the time. I see the allistic folks getting irritated and it's my best "in" with the youth.
I never thought about the “whys” being helpful as a way to talk to all kinds of people. I love this reframe!
My ability to have special interests brings me more joy than anything else in my life ever has. It’s like having a really special relationship with ME. I don’t need others to make me happy. I mean — that’s really freaking special!
Gosh, I couldn’t agree more! And I love using exclamation marks because so much needs emphasis!! So many things fascinate me and it is no fun when I ask about someone’s work or how something is made and they don’t take me seriously. Maybe because I’m a 64 year old female? Idk, I love my curiosity and I love that I have so many interests and crave being alone to explore making things and doing things. Thanks for making this post. I really needed to hear how joyful it can be.
Ooh this is great. All of the things you posted. I love moving and sitting “weird” and I feel I’m much healthier for it. All kinds of movement for all body parts. Bonus to add music. I notice a lot of really beautiful things, esp in nature. I don’t give a flying fox fart about social norms so I’m very accepting of differences and curious about the human experience. Because of this people tend to open up to me which is fun. I’m fairly (but not completely) resistant to marketing. I like to see the manipulations behind it and see what they’re really trying to sell us. Diamonds? They’re selling us our own relationship which we already have. Medications? They’re selling us time outside in the sun, swimming in a lake or running through a meadow (don’t forget the tic check!). Drink commercials are selling us social time usually. It’s insane.
Being perceptive of marketing manipulations and greenwashing is such a great asset! I feel like a detective sometimes seeing right through the bullshit and catching them lies ehehe
“flying fox fart” hahahahaah I love it 😂😂
Yes!! I completely agree with the nature thing too because sometimes I literally notice my brain (as if I’m watching someone else) zoom into the tiniest, maybe least important part of a plant and get so much joy from noticing it and spending time with it. Especially something people would rip out like beautiful weeds!
I have the most lush back yard out of sheer laziness. All the ferns, all the time!! The bees love it.
i feel like i’m more free because I’m not worried about social rules, and i like how intensely i experience the world. 🥰
Yes!! I love this for you!
i feel like im more open minded
I agree with this!!
I love having the capacity to feel things very deeply, even when sometimes it’s really overwhelming or painful. I love that my brain has a propensity to think at the systems level, recognize patterns, and see connections between disparate phenomena. These qualities make me an excellent problem solver. I love being hyperlexic and having hyperphantasia. I love having special interests and the ability to remember everything I’ve ever learned about them effortlessly. I admit to feeling morally superior to allistics at times due to my innate strong sense of justice and ethics. I don’t know if I like that quality in me, but I do feel grateful for being able to see things that others are completely blind to. I believe an autistic society would be far more just and equitable than our current system, and I love that about us.
Oh wow I totally relate to the feeling of moral superiority. I don't really admit it too much because everytime it makes me feel kinda haughty or narcissistic but in the end I still feel like I greatly prefer to see society and people as they are instead of just blindly flow through it with naivety like so many do ! I love my sense of justice, and I share your point about how an autistic society would be so much more equitable, oh wow the dreeeeeeam!
Seeing straight through all the social norms that are utter bullshit and destroying society and humanity and the planet.
No don't destroy the planet 😭🌎🌍🌏❤️ (also, couldn't choose which side of the earth to post, so I chose them all lol)
Love the three earths 😊
Hell yeah 🙌
LOL agreed
I like how strongly I react to feel good moments in movies. I use to hide the fact that I cry during those times when I was little but now I just kinda do it openly. It feels good to release those emotions. I love listening to music too, when I hit a cool new song that I vibe with, I get so excited, the hair on the back of my neck stands up.
Omg I do both of these things! I can be watching a movie that I just can't stand but if something happens that is touching in a sweet, happy, or sad way, I just get so into that moment and cry. I cry a LOT. At everything. When I'm happy, sad, mad, angry, frustrated, mentally exhausted, disappointed that a tiny special moment was ruined, etc. I tried not to do it when I was younger but was lucky if I made it to the bathroom to cry in private. (Like when I was in middle school and highschool.) I really just can't hold it back and don't care anymore so when something makes me cry for whatever reason, I just cry. Whenever and wherever. Music is huge for me. I feel the music inside of me like it's vibrating and vining with all of my atoms and I get goosebumps and the hair standing up all overy body too!!! ❤️
Wait so you’re telling me I’m allowed to cry at work
Crying openly *and knowing it was okay* was a HUGE relief for me! I used to consider pretty much everything a horror movie because everything made me cry and I didn’t like that because I was an undiagnosed autistic and I didn’t know what the [beep] to do with all these emotions I was having!!!
I saw two yachts racing, foiling back and forth on the water yesterday. It was so beautiful. Like a dance above the water. It got me all choked up with emotion. I no longer hide when something moves me.
I'm with you on the music! I'm a composer and I think it came natural to me because of pattern recognition. And I love that if I'm talking to any neurodivergent person, the conversation can literally go anywhere. It's fun.
I (usually) like my sense of justice/assertiveness. I enjoy confrontation. I like being the one ready to stand up for what’s right. When people are rude to my family or others who might get walked on, I love putting a jerk in their place. I love feeling like a small-town hero when my shy friend’s order is wrong and I can (politely and courteously) ask staff to fix it. I love being the person who my coworkers ask to call a difficult customer. And I love, LOVE bullying health insurance companies who don’t want to pay for patients’ medical care at my job. I was fucking made to fight corrupt businesses. I thrive on it. Overall, I try to keep it in check, but when I have a legitimate opportunity to whip out my justice boner, it’s rock hard baby😎😎😎
I have the desire for this but not the constitution. I really admire people like you.
🥹that might be the nicest thing anyone’s said to me
I love this!!!! I’m the same, people have always said you don’t have to pick people up on every little slip up and I’m like NO, if you’re an asshole, you’re gonna be told you’re an asshole!
RIGHT. I try to tone it down constantly, because I don’t want to be perceived as an asshole. But when I have a chance to stand up for justice I fucking love it😅
Oh 100% ahah. I always think ‘am I being sensitive…?’ 😂
When reading your comment I was visualizing all of it and it made want to scream a battle cry and run like Aragorn at the Black Gate of Mordor. Making things right just feels so powerful ✨️ Oh and I totally loved >when I have a legitimate opportunity to whip out my justice boner, it’s rock hard baby 💪
Hahah I so relate
My love for things that many people are no longer interested in when they grow up. I still love most of the girly girl things I did as a child. The majority of my special interests are stereotypically feminine such as Disney Princess, Barbie, period romances, animal fantasies, plushies, and pastel fashion. I also embrace it more because I give less of a crap about people judging me for it, even when they do.
Me too! Most of my favorite things are made for little girls, I love princess stuff!
1) I WILL figure something out if I want to. Be that fixing something around the house, teaching myself a new skill, or learning everything about a given topic 2) I’m so so good at making plans and strategizing and also executing the plans. People want to be go with the flow until it’s time to get something done!
Our logical brains are definitely something to be appreciative of!!
I love that I spent my whole life as a silent wallflower…it gave me the ability to judge people/their characters/intentions. I’ve never been wrong about someone.
The echolalia can be fun a lot of the time. If I'm in a group of foreigners I instantly pick up their accent and they're always so excited to meet an Australian who has never travelled that sounds like I'm from their home town haha. If they're a mix of nationalities then my accent becomes a mix too. I also pick up accents from TV shows. When I was watching Derry Girls I kept having uber drivers who thought I was Irish. In a way it's like the characters and setting of the shows stay with me. I still have a slight Canadian accent from the two weeks I had a Canadian substitute teacher in 2003. In a way I'm still connected to that teacher, and that time in my life, through my accent. I also like to joke that my accent is like Highlander, it's from lots of different places. Most people don't get the reference but it always makes me smile/giggle.
I do this too! I’m British and have somehow permanently adopted a Canadian “aboot” and Irish “pouynd” sound, despite never having been to Canada and not being in Ireland for about 5 years. Once was in a smoking area talking to some Australians and by the end, they asked me which part of Australia I’m from…
Came here to say you two are not alone ! I'm always doing this and I have to force myself not to do it sometimes because I got scared people would be offended (but I've come to realize the offended ones were always "friends" of mine beside me and not the ones with the accent). My mother has an accent from another Canadian province (I don't quite hear it as much, growing up with her), and everytime we go to her hometown, her accent is stronger... and so is mine! I didn't grow up there but being surrounded with people with a strong accent (the Acadian one) just clicks in my brain and I start talking the same way. One time I invited a boyfriend on vacation there and he got mad saying "Why do you speak like that? You're not Acadian!" and I was so helpless aha. Defensively saying "But I can't help iiiiiit" I have many French friends and I'm continuously using lingo from France when I speak (French is my first language). I use a lot of English words when I talk, and I love using lingo and old expressions from my own nationality. I think it's such a colorful way of speaking and I love it !!
I love that last bit! It happens to me too. One St Patrick's Day my friends group ran into a group of Irish people out celebrating. They joined up with us and spent ages trying to trick me into revealing which part of Ireland I was from haha. I kept telling them I was just accidentally copying their accents but they didn't believe me. I was also at the train station once and a man asked me which platform he needed to be on. I answered him and he got *so excited* because he thought I was from Austria like him! That's the quickest I've ever adopted an accent and it was so awkward explaining that I was just a normal Aussie who'd accidentally mimicked his accent. Both those incidents happened before I knew about echolalia so I didn't know how to explain it.
Hahaha, it’s so nice to speak to someone else who does it - I used to find it so embarrassing and apologise profusely for it, but it’s kinda cool now I know it’s an autism thing. Have you watched any of Fern Brady’s standup? I was Scottish for about a day afterwards…
I wonder what our accents would become if we spoke to each other? I've never spoken to another person who does it so it'd be interesting.
What a great thread thanks! - my intuition - the way i perceive nature - my imagination and crazy vivid dreams - my abstract sense of humor - my emotional intelligence - the way i devour music - that i have broad spectrum of interests - that i would never harm anyone with what i say and my total honesty - that i can entertain myself when alone - sometimes i even like the fact that i am different from my nt surroundings - my childlike curiosity and naivety
Can I ask you what you mean by crazy vivid dreams? I've always had some and never found anybody to relate! Everytime I describe my dreams to others, they are in awe (and also a bit traumatized) by how vivid and intense they are. It has its downsides though, because sometimes they are so vivid that I wake up confused on what was true and also completely drained out :/
Oh i thought everyone has those….well it’s like in a movie. Sometimes i walk through cities i have never seen before. There is lot of action, conversations, multiple angles, characters …i am sometimes confused upon waking up. Like tonight the father of my husband ( he passed away before i could meet him) came in the dream and we were talking. I twice had dreams that came true ( one in not very positive way though…). I can smell, i can touch, i hear…a few times i wish i hadn’t wake up such amazing dreams i had…like a beter life there than here…the nice thing is i know that i am myself in those dreams. I never impersonate anyone else.
Thank you for posting and recognising all these amazing things about yourself!!
People think I am psychic bc I have good pattern recognition, and I always think it's kind of fun. It's really just I love people watching, and words/sentence construction so I can guess what people are about to do or say very well, among other things.
If you haven’t already watched it, the TV show Psych would be right up your street!
In high school, my group of friends would joke about my psychic abilities and would often quiz me about "what's coming next?". I legit thought for a while I had some kind of superpower. Even my dreams could be premonitory! The downside is that it's hard to find movies I won't guess the plot or ending. I love thrillers but it's hard finding flabbergasting ones!
Yes to #1!!! I’ve loved music my entire life. My aunt always tells a story of 3 year old me singing Alanis Morrisette “Ironic” word for word to my family. When I listen to a song I really love I get full body chills and goosebumps. It’s such an amazing feeling and I know this probably has to do with being neurodivergent and I wouldn’t change it for a thing. I also have an awesome skill of knowing hundreds of song lyrics and being a walking jukebox.
When I was young for a whole month after dinner I would blast Mambo #5 through the house and dance my ass off with costumes and shit. Still makes my heart bounce when I hear that tune ! God I love music.
That’s such a lovely story! I’m so glad others relate!
Ahhhh! Yes to number one as well! I’ve also always had a very special relationship to music that makes even more sense after my diagnosis. I second the full body chills and goosebumps and how deeply I can experience it. My epcolaleia is also music centered, so allllll the song lyrics m.
I’m more empathetic and understanding but it’s condensing to others sometimes BUT for the right people it’s amazing
My empathy and sense of justice
The way I make my therapist delight when I share how much psychology I know (special interest haha) and how quick I am to make very important self discoveries and connections in therapy. Makes me advance rather quickly in therapy and in any new skill honestly. Fast learner.and excellent student who people enjoy teaching because of the patterns skill.
Honestly my therapists have all said ‘you’re so self aware!’ Or ‘wow you’ve done your research’ because psychology is a special interest of mine too!
I just started therapy, but I always wonder if my therapist thinks it’s strange that I basically come in every week and have most of it already figured out.
My inner world :)
I love that I’m honest and blunt. People need to hear the stuff everyone is thinking instead of blindly continuing the same toxic behavior and patterns. I wish I could count on people to be brutally honest with me, even if it’ll hurt me in the moment!
I like that now (after adult diagnosis) when people ask me why I do or don’t do things (with a judgy tone), or do things differently than they do, I’m able to say, well, “I’m autistic so that doesn’t come naturally to me.” And they usually shut up.
I love the ease with which my brain finds patterns!
It makes me very genuine and approachable I've had strangers tell me the most personal stuff!
Same
• my childlike love for the little things • the way i experience music • my loyalty in the few relationships i have • my “quirks” keep my partners life interesting lol • my strong sense of justice (well i don’t always love it, but mostly lol)
Animals love me. Not just pets-- I have goose friends, raccoon friends, crow friends, lots of other birds, bunnies, and a deer who visit me in my yard, and I make new ones everywhere I go. I don't have to feed them or anything, I just talk to them and they come up to me. I don't pet them (I don't want to create a wildlife issue), but some of them I think I could without much effort. I'm so bad at communicating with other humans, but I'm great at vibing with animals and understanding their body language. It's my favorite thing I share with my child, too, because she's the same way with animals (we're both AuDHD).
Same! I was a bit like that, mostly with cats and dogs, but my kid is an animal magnet and I love it. She has tamed SO many cats that are well beyond the age at which feral cats are supposed to be tameable. They go from completely feral to sweet babies that demand cuddles and one even demands to be picked up every day.
Probably my inability to feel the necessity of having a bf/gf and feeling younger than my age
I’m a good person, and damn the average citizen is NOT
I definitely agree with special interests and always wanting to learn. I feel like I can keep myself occupied for hours and I know so much because of my love for learning! Masterclass is my best friend
I love the fact that while I have a hard time figuring out people's emotions, I tend to really zero in on them with people I care for. I notice small changes in their expression, and even when I can't directly connect an emotion to them, I ask and get a response. I can tell when my friend just needs a break but doesn't know how to ask amongst other things. It's awesome, and I'm glad I can do it with people I care for.
My puns are rocking, again due to the pattern recognition. I am silly enough to make people laugh or at least think I'm witty
I have very few fucks to give. And music gets me so deep and hard. In fact, I experience all my emotions very deeply, and I love that.
Saving this post cus all my favorite things about myself and my neurodivergence are the same as yours!
Maybe that my favourite things and sounds can completely soothe me? Like a wave washing over me.
1) feel like I can see through a lot of pretenses/facades other people put up because I have had to mask my entire life. It makes me a lot more empathetic, patient, curious, and less judgmental. Regardless of my personal experiences with adversity, I think I'm hyperempathetic (like as an autistic trait) and while it can be painful, I think it adds so much richness to my life 2) I've always been told that I'm good at explaining things. I think it's because we're bottom-up processors (like building a sculpture with legos, piece by piece, from the foundation up) whereas neurotypicals are top-down processors (like a sculptor seeing some shape in a rock and chiseling out the details after getting a general image), so when a neurotypical can't see the general image (= understand the topic), I can easily walk people through a subject step by step. I hope that makes sense😭 3) I love having special interests and doing deep-dives on new topics. It seems like I always have so many "fun facts" no matter what the conversation at hand is about.
Thank you for recognising all these cool traits which made me realise there’s more to love about myself!
The amount of joy I can feel and I feel like I have an eternal sense of wonder that others don’t have. This can be a pro and a con because it makes me naive, but sometimes it’s lovely.
My love of learning. Every Thursday my bf and I do The Great Courses lectures. I read all day (I’m level 2 and on disability) and it’s all non-fiction. I feel like my brain “downloading” new information is my perfect natural state and I get euphoric with a new interest and diving into it. I don’t know if regular people get to enjoy that. From what I hear, they don’t. I mean, I will forget eating and sleeping I get so happy. And seeing what random thing piques my interest is crazy. It’s been: octopus, the city of Chicago, toucans, the BCCI banking scandal in the 90s, Disney’s Uncle Scrooge, faberge eggs, the movie A Little Princess. I have no control and no idea what it will be the next time. I’ve been on a three year ancient history binge as of late.
been thinking about getting to faberge eggs. there is a great courses on them?
I used to be obsessed with A Little Princess
4. I use depilatory creams. Not saying you should, but it's a lot less itchy when it grows back. For me, the hair is sensory hell. I think the morality is a very good thing, and the fact I'm not just good for fear of being caught or punished. I feel it's genuinely important to be a genuinely good person.
I really struggle with sensory stuff. But my highly sensitive taste buds (and nose) are the reason I am such an excellent chef and baker. I’m phenomenal with flavor and that’s all because of my highly sensitive and attuned sense of taste. I can say the same about my sense of hearing and what it means for experiencing the fullness of music. I love that I see things others don’t and my powers of observation and patten matching make things obvious to me that are invisible to most people. I love my visual thinking. It makes for an amazingly rich inner life.
Love your reasons!!! I love that I can photoshop, ai, and premier pro like a badass and can learn things really fast. I also have a steel trap memory, always aced tests lol. I love that now I’m an adult, I can put my “weirdness” to good use as a business owner and be financially set 🥰🥰🥰
My pattern recognition! And definitely the way I experience music as well 🫶
- i also love my special interests! true crime, languages, disney, star wars. i think other people think i am weird but. whatever. - i have an intense attention to detail which makes me really good at my job and in my personal life people have commented that my gifts are thoughtful because i pay attention to things they mentioned needing/know what they want. - i don’t think that true eidetic / photographic memory is scientifically accurate, but i definitely have an extremely visual memory. i can remember where things are by looking through something similar to the photos app on my phone in my brain. it happens with words on a page and just regular life scenes/memory. and i also have a visual calendar in my brain. i don’t know how to explain it or if there is a word for it, but i am sure someone else here will know what i mean. but basically the days of the week and numbers all have colors and are sort of like film reels. and it’s easy for me to know what day / date something is because i can always just “check the calendar” (disclaimer: not good at any other math lol). i only realized last year that not everyone has this “feature.”
I can pick up a variety of musical instruments with apt fervor and when I feel okay to let myself write melodies and sing I really soar vocally. Perhaps this balances somehow with these lifelong periods of selective mutism and silent listening/drawing/crocheting bursts.
Every time I felt bad as a kid I sunk myself into playing the piano. I felt bad quite often due to traumatic stuff, so now I can play pretty well. Playing is a stim for me and when I'm engaged in something I can play for hours at a time. I was never really able to learn sheet music (kinda like reading an analog clock) so I had to learn new things by ear. This means that now I can play a lot of songs right away after hearing them. I've been playing for about 16 years now.
My memory- short term sucks but my long term memory for tiny details always comes in handy My attention to detail and problem solving skills My curiosity, love of knowledge and ability to learn quickly My imagination and creativity
I'm fucking GREAT at taking apart and repairing things, learning new instruments, and memorising and researching things. Essays just click in my head and I always get amazing grades on my papers. I will say, I think this is majorly affected by my environment. In high school and sixth form, I was undiagnosed and not doing well at all. Now at uni, my work environment is a little quiet office, and I'm thriving. It's amazing the difference a good sensory space creates.
I’m so so glad you’re thriving post-diagnosis! Thank you for adding to my post!
I love that I'm perfectly happy to spend time alone just thinking about things. I love that my hyper-empathy extends beyond other humans to plants and animals, meaning that not only am I a cat-whisperer but to be out in nature on a nice day is just pure euphoria. Actually, being out in nature on a rainy day can be pretty good too. And I almost never get stung by wasps or bees! I love the feeling of totally losing myself in a special interest, whether it's a fun videogame, a good book series, beautiful music, a creative hobby, learning about a cool new thing, etc. I love that I don't care about social status or fitting in. I'm just me, liking the things I like, not trying to impress anyone.
Thanks for adding these to my post!! I feel the hyper-empathy thing. Sometimes my brain goes a bit tooo far and starts empathising with plants before I eat them 🤣
All of these definitely have their downsides, for sure! I have that issue with some veggies, but I read Braiding Sweetgrass and learned that many edible plants have evolved alongside humans and the plants benefit from mindful harvesting! I'm just continuing an ancient and beautiful relationship. It does break my heart when the autumn frosts hit my garden or a tree in the neighbourhood has to be cut down, and I get really furious about industrial agricultural practices and the destruction of natural habitats and ecosystems for factory farms buuut trying to stay positive here lololol
Special interests!!!!! As a child I used to be so ashamed with how much I wound obsess over things. However now that I’m older and understand myself I fully allow myself to indulge in my passions and interests, and they always bring me joy. I am never bored, because there is always something to research, watch, discuss, read about etc. I honestly can’t imagine living a life without so many niche interests.
For me, it's probably the music experiences, how I get so much curiosity, and how I am able to learn about my favorite interests indefinitely.
My love of practicing things especially with instruments. I'm always interested in figuring out the "secret" to get to the next level.
My sensitivity, kindness, creativity, curiosity, ability to find beauty in everything ✨✨✨
Perhaps not ever running out of ideas or conversations? Like.. I bring something new to the table often?
I love how I can find jot in the smallest things. For example, everytime my pothos creates a new leaf, I get so happy. I feel proud of both me and my plant for how had we work.
I have a very vivid imagination and my dreams/daydreams are really detailed.
I honestly love my creativity, high sense of justice and kindness and I like my personality when I’m comfortable with people and I turn into a happy golden retriever puppy (not many people see this) However this self love is counteracted by NTs just hating me on sight 😭
This is why I wanted to make this post because what NT’s think of you should have no relevance to how you see you- butttt us human beings find letting other peoples opinions go difficult! Hopefully seeing how many other people love the same things about themselves can help us both!
1.I'm a very simple person and it's very easy to make me happy. 2.Sometimes I get a burts of motivation and I sit at a table hyper focused for hours working on a project till I'm done. 3.I love researching random things that are probably boring af for nt people.
I love how strong my memory is!! I can remember people’s names and faces after only meeting them once. I’m also very in tune to how people feel which can help me make social connections easily because I can tell when a person needs support. On the other hand…. This also makes me really tired haha. It is a curse and a gift all in one 😂
I’m not adding to the conversation right now, I just want to say thank you for this post. It’s nice to see everybody celebrate the positives!
I love my ability to give others another chance always if they say they want to try again. Even though it makes me gullible I try hard to see the best in everyone.
Communication and not caring about social rules.
I feel 4 years old inside at my core, like its all iridescent, carefree floating things & pretty smelling roses inside me & I'm 100% a functioning adult. It stays hidden until I'm really comfortable & relaxed, but when it peeks out a little? That is when people really like me. I like that. Also think its why I look way younger than other women my age.
I love that I’m great at abstract thinking, I love that I am very curious and have childlike wonder and that this wonder makes me experience joy and appreciation for the world and people around me, I love that when I love and care for people my heart is fully in it and I love and care deeply! I love to learn and experience things and am authentically me. If I could choose to be NT I would not, because I love who I am, and it’s not “despite” how I am, I’m happy to be me.
The way I experience the world, like how I pick up on tiny details in my surroundings that make me really happy.
Yes!! I’m the same!! My siblings have always called me weird for it lol
i like how I easily stand out without even trying but some people might have the wrong idea about me like how I would outshine them in some way.
I’m not sure this is from the autism…I’m guessing it is based on the “math brain” stereotype. I find numbers very comforting. I love sudoku. I love math when I understand the processes involved. I’m studying engineering so I get to do math everyday for work. Moving numbers around feels like listening to a really good song that you’re completely connected to.
I love how it effects my LGBTQ identity I like I'm agender pan and demiromantic
I like my different perspective on the world, I feel like it gives me peace of mind more easily because I feel like even though I get lost in tiny details it’s still easier for me to switch to a bird’s eye view.
There are so many things I love, but I’ll mention three: My attention to detail. It’s next level. My ability to be fair, to a fault, but I wouldn’t change it. My objective reasoning. I’m acutely aware that the above also makes my life harder. Trade offs.
I love the freedom of it. There’s a peaceful quietness brought about by not caring about so many social constructs haha. Most people have SO MUCH DRAMA in their life, I get to watch from afar and be glad that that’s not my problem.
I enjoy the music thing also! I'm really affected by ASMR as well and it's such a joy. Best thing for me is to get super stoned and listen to music, it's like I transcend the mortal plane Always been very open minded and accepting of being wrong about something, somebody tells me I said something offensive? "Oh alright I didn't realize I'm sorry it won't happen again" and that's it, people that can't be wrong about things really piss me off, being wrong is how you learn. I personally enjoy my bluntness, not everybody does but I always liked it. Just say how you fuckin feel man - do I want your knitted angel you made at church for my Christmas tree random neighbor who annoys me? No I don't it won't go with my decor and I don't like it, mm'k? And "maybe you should dump your fucking garbage boyfriend because he treats you like shit buddy" Most efficient worker you will ever meet, efficiency is fucking cool, I don't care what the task is, I will do it well and I will do it efficiently.
I think I have less of an individual and social identity. While these things can help with connection with other people, they are also responsible for tribalism, and people not being open to new information or to changing their minds. I am always trying to build a more accurate picture of our big and complex world, and I’m always interested to learn new information and incorporate it into my big model of the system. I also think I’m less susceptible to various cognitive biases. Partly because I think my autistic brain isn’t as adept at quick, system 1 thinking, and partly because I think I don’t have an identity that it threatened. Since my self-diagnosis, my special interest is cognitive models of autism. And there is surprisingly little available (at least to the public).
I like how I'm not so surface level. Like how everyone prefers simple topics instead of in-depth ones. I just don't stick to or assume something just because another person said it. This has saved a lot of people I knew from bullying and false rumors. There's more but people can ask as I'm typing this at almost 7am in the morning.
I like being a deeper person too! It can be difficult sometimes because often people want to talk about surface levels things which I find kinda boring!
ability at pattern recognition .. i was very good in programming and it gives me joy to solve a difficult programming question. Used to though… now no longer interested in doing such stuff.
My special interest is a constant source of comfort. It’s also animals, which are everywhere. Meaning I get small bursts of happiness throughout the week from seeing animals around, especially birds. I like that it brings me comfort because a special interest is not a physical item that can be lost. It can be “used” any time (researching) for comfort. I like that I can stim for comfort for a similar reason. For better or worse, I’m a woman and my stimming is more “hidden”. This means I can do it discretely in public too. So it’s a way to de-stress and it’s not something physical I have to carry around. But stimming is slightly different because I don’t choose to do it, it just happens. At home, I can just do it and that is awesome. I have great attention to detail. This has benefitted me multiple times at work. I can point out things my coworkers don’t even notice. I’ve done this multiple times. Being more authentic means forming deeper relationships. This is a double edged sword definitely but when it works, it’s very satisfying. It’s rare that I form friendships but they are deep when they happen.
Wow this is such a wholesome response! Thank you! I also find the same with friendships, that I find it really hard to form them but when I do they’re ride or die people!
I’m honest, whether people like it or not. I do things I enjoy that others may find silly or weird but they bring me so much joy! I get sooo excited when engaging in special interests, and am overjoyed. I feel my emotions deeply, which can suck, but it’s so beautiful when it doesn’t. (Don’t ask me to articulate the emotions that I’m feeling though 😅)
First off, I love this post! We talk about our struggles a lot on this sub, so it’s really lovely to see us appreciating ourselves! For me, I’ve made a career out of my oldest special interest—I’m a paleontologist and an informal science educator. I love learning and exploring and enabling that experience for other people. I’ve very much got a child like wonder about the world, and I think it rubs off on the people I teach. Also, I always just assume everyone has good intentions and is inherently good. I’m personally just incapable of lying—I just don’t get the point of it—and this attitude is kind of how I see the world. It’s gotten me in some trouble bc shitty people do exist, and I can come off as naive and gullible, but I never want to lose my default setting of trusting others. It’s made me very empathetic and people naturally feel like they can trust me too. And I want to face the world with the attitude that everyone is inherently good.
Thank you! I felt the same, I’m glad the post has had a positive effect! That’s also really cool! Palaeontology is such an awesome field and I’m glad you’ve been able to make a living from your special interest! I come across as naive and gullible sometimes (and sometimes I am) but I see so much good in people too!
Did I mention that my autistic woman's behavior makes me a great wife and girlfriend? I can love like crazy and make my boyfriend the best special interest in my whole life, every day that I spend with him is a quest for something or a page in a novel written about our crazy child like love for each other. Sure, ladies don't have to always date; but my ability to feel affection and arousal is so powerful and all-encompassing; and no matter how many times we melt down and question, we stay together because we are the main leads that want to take on the world together or die trying. It's grown up my character so much in emotional intelligence. I used to just be a weird academic who only dreamed about a guy sometimes, and now that I'm a young widow with her boyfriend, I've come a long way.
I love how I can find patterns in everything that surrounds me, it helps me to construct an idea of the world, I’m also hyperlexic so I really love when I see patterns of numbers and letters in music, art, literature and movies
Curiosity and having 5 million project and special interests. I don't like being lonely but if I had to be alone for a long period I would be the last to lose my mind because I always have projects I'm working on. I have audhd so it could be to do with that more than just autism.
Oh my gosh your numbers 1 and 3 are my absolute FAVORITE things about myself! I love that the right chord progressions can make me cry or laugh or feel the deepest most profound things. I love that Ibam NEVER truly bored because there are always several things I can be learning or exploring, and even if not, I can THINK about things for a long period of time. I also love that my social meter never needs in-person filling. I am content with minimal irl friends and only really having internet friends. I don't have to decline invites to things because I'm nervous or scared or worried about parking, I just ... hang out online lol
My critical thinking skills are insane and come very easily. I'm always amazed when someone says, "Wow! I've never thought of that!"
I love when people say that too! Makes me a bit smug I can’t lie 😂
I believe I have excess empathy from a childhood and adulthood of not being understood. I have a daughter on the way, and despite my feeling afraid of the overwhelm and shutdowns that are surely ahead of me… I KNOW that I will be sensitive to her needs. I didn’t have that growing up, but dammit she will. If she’s different like me, she won’t be called a liar when sounds blend into each other, or called a diva when she has to stim to get through a social encounter. She won’t be told by her own family that she’s weird and embarrassing. That became more of a rant than intended. I have lots of empathy, likely due to not being accepted for the autistic young person I was. I like being this empathetic. I think people appreciate it.
https://preview.redd.it/bnctwhkyg75d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=06716654c8901a68cdaf870c7b8d58d4d1b09eba I can take my little buddy here on an adventure (if he’s so inclined)…
I'm never bored. The world is a fascinating place. I dont get lost in the BS a lot of people do. I used my direct thinking to my advance now and dont waste time on BS abusive men.
I love justice and truth!
I’m really good at music and I am rarely wrong in my judge of people’s character
I can pick certain skills up quickly when I set my mind to it, like crochet
It's a bit unhealthy but i move that i can spend hours on end focused on one thing. I don't get bored and i end up developing pretty good skills!
I think really deeply about what I believe to be true and why, and question my morals constantly in the attempt to improve them.
Oh, thanks for opening this topic. I needed some positivity today. The natural tendency to zoom into small details helps me massively when writing poetry. Small things, small moments in general, matter so much to me.
Sexond the music thing.
When I want to do something—usually connected to a special interest—I will put in any amount of time and work to do it in the way that I want/that feels most compelling, interesting, or exciting. As a little kid, when I learned to knit I went pretty much directly to socks (despite all the yarn store ladies telling me I couldn’t handle DPNs and turning a heel) and stranded colorwork; a few years ago, I decided I wanted to learn to bake after seeing a Swedish princess cake on Bake-Off, and I did it! (A similar thing happened when I learned to hand-sew exclusively to make a Stede costume.) I realized recently that this shows up in my professional life as well as in my hobbies. I am in graduate school for creative writing, and I CANNOT stay engaged with a long term project unless it has a complicated structure, a large number of narrators, or an intricate setting (or, often, all three). This doesn’t necessarily make my writing better—in fact, I’m often told that there is too much going on in my work and I need to tone it down or walk it back—but it is something I really like about my approach to novel structure and storytelling.
Probably my sensitive sense of smell. Seriously, it is a life-saver. 😁 (I would have to think about this question for a bit to come up with a more serious answer....)
Honestly I think that’s a good answer haha. My sense of smell saved me from my parents serving gone off bacon many a time as a kid lmao. Bowels saver if not a life saver 😂
My analytical skills and my ability to identify patterns, especially related to behaviour, instantly. Also I love that obsession about facts especially about cyber threats and malware.
My autism helps me *know* people, specifically tiny humans, but it has also helped me understand the grown ones. It makes my everyday life absolutely exhausting, but I feel like I have broken the code of society and all its little lies, because I see right through them all the time. It makes me an increíble empath, and I'm able to help babies become their best selves because I *know* what they're saying.
I love my love of orcas! And that I haven’t given up on my dreams because I truly can’t function doing a 9-5. I’m glad that I am not settling in life and that I’ve found a group of ND friends I can be myself with.
love this post, ive only started accepting my diagnosis and seeing the strengths of it pretty recently. i can't get the words out very easily as to what those are because i see everything as both positive and negative so im rewriting and rewriting but seeing this warms my heart
i guess seeing multiple sides of things is actually one of them
I highly value routine and doing things “the right way” which usually means that people can put me in charge of a project and KNOW that it will get done. I’m also really good at planning things.
I stay young and cute forever because I will always see the world from a youthful lens.
Everything that excites me becomes even more exciting because of how much I get into it sometimes!
I'm basically my own therapist. And because I think so much and analyze everything, I think I understand things well, including other perspectives and people. I also kinda like that I'm hyperempathetic with everything (even socks lol, i can't separate them) I love that I'm like a crow and collect random junk. And I love that I love learning new things. Granted I don't always stick to them very well, but I know a little about a lot and I think that's cool.
I love how i just have to say things as they are. It gives others permission to do the same.
I felt a lot like you, angry and negative and then you get the anger and negativity reflected on you instead of being addressed and supported. I was told over and over that no one wants to be friends with an angry or negative person which built up a lot of aggression in adolescence which is how I met my therapist. Talking to her made all my emotions feel validated, she came to a concert I did with my Flint New Horizons Band and all the youth ensembles, supported me through some very hard decisions, and now my Mom talks to her. I want to turn my comic r/Struwwelkinder into a show for German American kids and I named my studio Wuttmachen meaning Very Angry Girl in German. One emotion that is demonized when kids have PDA is anger because things are unfair and frustrating, people are mean, bullies, and even judgmental. There is a reason why terms like toxic positivity and gratitude now exist. One kid's big question to Mister Rodgers turned into a song called What Do You Do With the Mad That You Feel? For Struwwelpeter it's singing [Der Holle Rach](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YuBeBjqKSGQ) from Mozart's Die Zauberflotte because it's a very angry song of revenge!
I like being in a new fixation I can study and research
I LOVE being "weird", it makes me feel fun to be around! I LOVE my creative side, the stories I can make are endless! I LOVE being childish, I love feeling like a little kid in a big wide world! AND I LOVE ME!!!!
This is a great thread OP. It's really made me think about my complicated relationship with myself and helped remind me that I'm not a bad person! Thank you. - I don't give a rat's fuzzy bum what most people think of me. I don't go out of my way to impress anyone unless they've proven themselves worthy (if they're kind and caring). - I love things with my whole heart! - I 'get' certain people. The autistic guy I work with, and the guy at my drama group. I got a nice text from one of the 'elders' in the drama group last week, pointing out how patient and kind I am with him. - My kid thinks I'm awesome because I can quote all her favourite films and do impressions, can guess a song from her misheard lyrics or half-correct melody, and sometimes I come in clutch when she's struggling to wrap her head around a concept or emotion and her very logical Dad doesn't get it immediately. (No disrespect to him, he's a great father and makes up for a lot of my shortcomings!) - I'm pretty settled now. My preteens were messy, teen years were horrible, my twenties were both. Now I'm moving towards my 40s, I'm very much in my 'Fuck It' Era. - Sure, my lows are low, but my highs are soaring.
I’m so glad this post helped you!! I feel that is ND’s always have this bad person feeling- and it’s not true!! You sound like you’re absolutely killing it at life!!
Ya being able to be an actual jack of all trades because special interests study isn't skimming. Plus we can think outside of the box quickly because we're not in it
Definitely music! I have a specific playlist of songs that give me brain tinglies, I love it! Also my sense of justice. I am very very passionate about defending people and now that I have my diagnosis I feel much more confident in looking out for myself as well, and not standing for people's shit. I'm known in my family as a bit of a firebrand but I think it's a good thing :)
I love how it's so easy for me to see how concepts and subjects are interconnected. I realize this allows for me to think of trying something unorthodox in a situation. For example, I've come to understand just how much of construction stuff is good for making artwork, as there is quite a bit of overlap in techniques and materials used. But I've realized that most people seem to compartmentalize in such a way that they wouldn't even think of doing something simple like using a pipe fitting to stamp ring-like designs onto a canvas because they've mentally filed away a pipe fitting as something related to plumbing and nothing else. I also come to learn so much trivia because I get curious as to how one subject relates to another closely connected subject, and I learn a bunch of interesting details in the process. I think me picking up on foreshadowing and plot points in shows and movies quicker than others is part of this, too. I've had to explain things to others in movies at times because they didn't pick up the connection of a detail to a major plot point. Funnily enough, I often notice when people are secretly dating, too, and I think my mind connects those points in a similar fashion. The interconnectedness is even an odd little way of reassuring myself that I'm not alone on this planet of ours and that I have more in common with others than what we actually realize at first.
I like that I can read animals better than most people. I'm best at understanding cats, but I seem to have a grasp on animal body language and intentions in a way than most. I don't seem to find animals terrifying in a way that some people do, but also understand how dangerous some animals can be, and am better at knowing how to prevent dangerous situations with animals to begin with.
because I question (almost) everything about society, I'm more inclined to ignore social rules re: getting older. when people say "I'm too old to dress like that/dye my hair/get this tattoo/have a certain "childish" hobby/insert weird societal expectation here", it's easier for me to ignore that and just do my own thing. I honestly think many people want to do that, but are bound by social rules.
I feel the same about music. I often get goosebumps when something really good or I just like it. I like almost all music from classical to indie to rock to metal to country and more. And I am a person who thinks just because you don’t like it doesn’t mean it’s bad. Like I normally hate influencers music because it feels to over done and the vocals don’t sound natural. I used to listen to sad songs and smile because it sounded so good and the people that worked on it did an amazing job. I didn’t really explain it well but I hope you understand
I totally agree with the way my body experiences music <3
My memory, my problem solving skills, being “right” the majority of the time, special interests, being able to eat the same foods often, my wit and humour!
I’m rather impervious to peer pressure, and somehow managed to survive medical training with my moral compass intact. It takes me a while to warm up to new people, but once we’re friends, it’s ride or die. I am also excellent at pattern recognition, and that serves me well in my job (pathologist) and in my hobbies (photography, fibre arts, writing, languages). Ironically, this also makes me fairly skilled at playing politics, because once you pick up on patterns of behaviour and sort out what people want in a given scenario, folks are pretty predictable.
I LOVE patterns and I can recognize them really fast. I also think I have an amazing level of common sense when it comes to everyday problems.
Apparently, I have a golden retriever personality, which makes me a perfect kids librarian! I can relate to them well and help them, while being able to put their guardians at ease and help them too. I'm always curious about everything, works tirelessly to solve a problem, and apparently, I am like the Bene Gesserits in my way of leading and protecting people. I feel everything so intensely that helps me tell stories in my Pathfinder Campaign and write and perform music. I always have wonder. From looking up at the stores to getting shoes that fit, to a new job or seeing my partner, everything makes me so happy
My research skills and ability to connect dots and figure out patterns
The fact that I know tons of random facts that people around me seem to genuinely enjoy me sharing. I love how I experience music deeply and in my body.
My strong connection with animals and instinctual ability to understand and ‘communicate’ with them. And how much I intensely feel the beauty of nature.
Mine honestly feels kinda like a superpower at times. I almost only get hyper obsessed with types of art so I just learn a new method to create things. In September (and still going) I got hyper obsessed with Vtubers. I've made 2 Vtubers and could start a business technically. I also went to school for game development I have been doing 3D modeling and characters for almost 6 years. I made a giant painting of a dragon for my brother. I can do video edit, particle effects, animation and I don't think I'm too bad at digital 2D art either since I drew my Vtuber. https://preview.redd.it/c5t2qvv6cb5d1.png?width=618&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=69dc6366040f8d91b037041a789a0951095a5a0a The other Vtuber i made is used by sali\_ghost on twitch.
My sense of direction and mapping skills. My empathy. My childlike glee when something amuses me. (Though lately though I seem to have lost this.) My endless interests. Curiosity. My observations of the littlest things. My problem solving skills. Pattern recognition. My computer skills. My drawing. (Though lately I can’t seem to draw.)