I don't always see the bigger picture

[Aspergers_Aspie]

I don't always see the bigger picture. An example is, I was in a bar, a person went downstairs to the restroom I presume, but instead of taking the easier shorter way back to her seat, she took the longer way, that confused me. I mentioned this to the two friends I was with, one said maybe she was looking at drinks at the far side of the bar, it could have been why but she wasn't looking, I wasn't particularly looking at her she was in my field of vision. But my other friend said she could have just went for a wander, stretching ones legs is a plausible explanation. I don't always see the bigger picture, or realise all possible explanations for things.

 

[Suzanne]

I just asked my husband and he said that sometimes I do not see the bigger picture, but also said that he thinks most humans are like that.

In truth, I try not to look at what others are doing in a public setting, due to me having extreme social anxiety, so that the idea of someone looking at my movements, stops me from even going to the toilet on my own in a public arena!

 

[Suzette]

You for friends were throwing out guesses as to why this woman did what she did, that shows that they didn't know either. The real difference here is that your friends weren't interested in this woman until you pointed her actions out. Only you were the one interested. They were giving you answers because you asked for them, not because they had any valuable insight.

You would probably make a good spy if you didn't question your own thinking. You see things that other people don't. That is a valuable skill.

 

[jleeb05]

It's funny because I've always considered myself a big picture person and in many ways, I am. I don't always notice small details.

I guess it can be situational though. Babies spend a lot of time observing others because they are learning and trying to understand what's going on around them. Not to compare us to babies but I could see why people on the spectrum (some of whom don't innately understand human behavior) might spend a lot of time observing it, and focus on details that don't make sense. I've certainly done this as well only to have my friends say I'm reading too much into things or making a big deal out of nothing. I don't think I am but to them, questioning why someone behaves the way they do isn't as important.

 

[Ronald Zeeman]

I question peoples unothodox actions all the time, once you realize not every one follows conventions, the less it becomes an issue.

 

[Tom]

I also tend to notice small things when they are out of the typical/expected sequence. It has always made me good at seeing problems coming, from a distance. Unless... I am hyper focused and in 'the zone'. Then, I might not notice a small explosion going off right next to me.

 

[Gerald Wilgus]

I get confused by specifics sometimes unless I understand the parameters of the larger picture and how things fit together. But with social situations and people's behavior I remain incurious unless I observe behavior that may threaten me (only happened twice in my life).

 

[ROR]

As I learned in my life, there is reason for everything

 

[Yeshuasdaughter]

I often take the long way because I'm curious about my surroundings. Maybe there were neat old concert posters on the wall, or little hallways that went back to an events room? A bar can be quite a boring and overwhelming place, and so sometimes it's nice to take a breather and explore the back nooks. It gives you a chance to be alone, and stimulate your mind with something new.

 

[Kalinychta]

I don’t think you have a problem with missing the bigger picture; rather, you simply notice small details and find them interesting and mysterious. It’s very cool. Nothing to be ashamed of, certainly. I’m the same way, actually. I love watching people and tend to write down my observations and share them with a friend of mine who has almost as big of an imagination as I do, and we play with them for a while like cats with a tinfoil ball.

Anyway, my guess re: the girl is that she was either avoiding someone whom she would have had to potentially interact with if she had taken the “as the crow flies” route back to her seat, or she was tipsy and accidentally took a wrong turn.

 

[Aspychata]

Or you may walk around to observe the people there. I check to see if there is a pool table, celebrity pictures, a dart board, a town drunk, and so on. I may ask the bartender questions about a restaurant, entertainment, happy hour. And also you can see what people ordered and decide if it's worth the risk, since bar food can be hit or miss.

 

[Suzette]

Anyway, my guess re: the girl is that she was either avoiding someone whom she would have had to potentially interact with if she had taken the “as the crow flies” route back to her seat, or she was tipsy and accidentally took a wrong turn

Maybe she had been in the car all day and just wanted to move her legs. Or maybe she was weafing new shoes and liked how they felt on her feet.

 

[Au Naturel]

Maybe she was avoiding someone. Or intentionally passing close to someone.

 

[jleeb05]

My guess is she was checking out the crowd. When I'm at the club with my friends its not unusual for one of us to go to the bathroom and do s little sightseeing on the way back. You never who'll catch your eye or vice versa haha.

 

[Neonatal RRT]

At least for me, in these situations, I have to pause for a moment and think about perspective and context. Otherwise, the impulsive part of me will jump to some conclusion,...and not always the correct one. If my "inside voice" impulsively becomes my "outside voice", I can get myself in a bit of trouble, or at least some perplexing looks from other people.

Being self-aware of one's thinking errors can be a difficult thing,...I am working on them all the time.

 

[Au Naturel]

I probably would not be in the bar long enough to notice such a thing.

1. Crowded
2. Loud, esp. lots of background chatter
   
3. Social interaction is sort of required.

Three strikes and I'm out.

 

[Pieceofmind]

My relationship with that is weird. In some contexts I do and others I don't and it's actually very consistent. For example say someone interacting with me is coughing and seems very upset.I am able to very easily consider all possibilities of what could be going on there. Maybe they're upset cause they have a cough. Maybe something else happened and it happened to fall on a day where they had a cough. Maybe they had an allergic reaction to something not too long ago. The list goes on.

But when it comes to conversation I am very spontaneous and don't think of what I say well and thing can come out I didn't want to. At worst they may be offensive and I didn't realize till after the fact I said something that might be interpreted the wrong way in a joke or something. Maybe I'll say something that I didn't plan to be said in the way I did at all in that short time. In those moment I am unable to percieve the bigger picture. When I'm preoccupied with something going on in my mind there isn't really much room for that bigger picture. I'm really straight forward and otherwise absent minded when something is going on in there requiring me doing something like speaking.