Anyone Else Feel like Their Mind Was Wasted?

[ftfipps]

My father works in a dead end job and so do I. He AND I could write for the Atlantic if we wanted. Do any of you feel like this?!? Just bc you autistic you are just..well...hopeless?? Just curious.....

 

[Shamar]

My father works in a dead end job and so do I. He AND I could write for the Atlantic if we wanted. Do any of you feel like this?!? Just bc you autistic you are just..well...hopeless?? Just curious.....

Yes. The doctor who diagnosed me said "Its a shame you were not diagnosed and treated when you were younger. With a mind like yours there's no telling what you could have accomplished." Much of my career was spent trying to find work. The one long term job I had, everyone agreed I was talented; this is why I was always at the top of the list to head the most difficult jobs. I was fired after a major burnout following what everyone agreed was the most demanding in company history. In essence I was used up to an empty husk and tossed aside.

 

[Judge]

You don't have to allow your job to define you if you truly don't wish it.

 

[Fino]

So why don't you write for the Atlanta?

 

[ftfipps]

Yes. The doctor who diagnosed me said "Its a shame you were not diagnosed and treated when you were younger. With a mind like yours there's no telling what you could have accomplished." Much of my career was spent trying to find work. The one long term job I had, everyone agreed I was talented; this is why I was always at the top of the list to head the most difficult jobs. I was fired after a major burnout following what everyone agreed was the most demanding in company history. In essence I was used up to an empty husk and tossed aside.

Thanks, Shamar! That is seriously how I feel. Like an empty husk, tossed aside. I don't mean to brag I hate human animal lust but, I seriously look like jude law! I'm infectious and funny and young. NOBODY CARES!

 

[ftfipps]

You don't have to allow your job to define you if you truly don't wish it.

Thanx

 

[ftfipps]

So why don't you write for the Atlanta?

I was talking about the Atlantic Monthly, dude. R. W. Emerson was one of their earlier contributors!

 

[Peter Jansen]

Even if you were diagnosed as an 8 year-old (as I was), there is still a strong possibility that your mind could go to waste if you don't find a way to apply it. It's entirely your responsibility. If you go through life sitting on a winning lottery ticket oblivious to what you've got, well ... a brilliant Aspie is a terrible thing to waste.

 

[Peter Jansen]

You don't have to allow your job to define you if you truly don't wish it.

To which I would respond: Do you what you love and love what you do!

 

[Fino]

I was talking about the Atlantic Monthly, dude. R. W. Emerson was one of their earlier contributors!

I don't understand how that's an answer to my question.

You said, "I could write for the Atlantic if I wanted to."

And I said, "So why don't you?"

 

[Raggamuffin]

I've been told many a time that I'm wasted in the jobs I do. Especially if people happen to see my artwork I'm drawing on my lunchbreaks.

Ed

 

[WildCat]

Then do it? "Anyone else" isn't going to make it happen. You know, schooling and all that, plus experience as needed and expected by employers. If your mind was wasted in a literal sense, I doubt you'd be posing the question here so that's a good sign. Yet, unless you choose to let it go to waste.

 

[AnnadinNoliman]

I think this happens to a lot of autistic people is their genius just doesn't get traction like other people's because of difficulty doing the unwritten parts of every job. The networking, communicating, self promotion, and all that. I'd love to be a musician but most of what musicians do is tell everyone to listen to them and network and find jobs and stuff. Which sounds like an actual nightmare.
The act of FINDING jobs that outline your genius itself most of the time has so little to do with the actual genius, it feels like most of the "genius's" in the world are just genius's at marketing.
When you've got lots of skills but none of them are communication, it's difficult to prove you have them, you know?

 

[Nervous Rex]

I often feel like I'm not living up to my potential, because I can do so much, I can hyperfocus and be super productive, I can solve problems at work that no one else can ... but I'm tired all the time. I always think I could do so much more if I wasn't always tired, if I could choose to focus instead of it just randomly happening.

 

[HidinginPlainSight]

Wasted in reference to what? Because you didn't write for some trivial magazine? Do you really measure the value of your mind by how much of it you share?

Enjoy your own thoughts and expressions. They will have much more value that way.

 

[unperson]

This world wastes people generally, not just autistic people. Everyone's unique talents and abilities will serve The Borg well!

 

[Major Tom]

We all have our purpose and unfortunately, we are all not destined for greatness. You should take pride that you are able to hold a job (a lot of us can't). If you think you can do more gradually ease into what you want to do. Writing is sort of easy to gradually get into due to the internet and maybe you can start here by making more threads etc. Eventually progress onward to places that will pay you for your written words.

 

[Peter Jansen]

This world wastes people generally, not just autistic people. Everyone's unique talents and abilities will serve The Borg well!

There are levels of social conformity, many of which are negotiable. If the world wastes someone's individual talents, it's because that person was weak or ineffectual enough to allow themselves to be wasted. Or maybe because they were indifferent to their own existence, in which case nothing of value would have been lost anyway!

 

[Gracey]

you could start now?

Go after the things you want, now.
The past is behind you.
Your future is yours to create and shape.
Go for it.

 

[BlueSky Aozora]

I think aspies are great at research/technical jobs. Unfortunately, there's not many research jobs in the world - might need to travel to foreign countries to find one that suit your passion, but then need to compete with many other people to get the job. And another hurdle is the interview.

For example, my Aspie husband is very good at his research field & couldve gotten better in his career if he stayed in his previous workplace at his country. Unfortunately when he moves to my country, there's not even one suitable job which can appreciate his great research skills. Sometimes i feel the environment here is too dumb to be able to appreciate his great research skills (sorry for being too arrogant..)