Is it inspiring for you?

[epath13]

I'm just curious when you view this video, does it seem inspiring to you?
Somebody shared it on Facebook and it made me think, ok another person with a disorder is pretty good at something. It does touch people's heart and that's what producers want in their show - an emotional situation with unexpectedly wonderful result. Predictable but this kind of things work, that's why they picked him. He's really good and what surprised me the most, his singing was expressive, which may indicate that he knows exactly what he feels while he's singing, which could be challenging for some people on the spectrum.
But one thing I can't quite figure out... Why is it inspiring? Some people might say, "what? How can you not understand that?" but seriously, I do not get it. And it doesn't make me cry I think I might cry if he was severely autistic, lived on a street and I don't know... Learned to sing all by himself... Ok that's not realistic. Remove severely. Just was on the spectrum, was very poor and learned how to sing by himself... But then again, I don't think I would cry then either and consider it inspiring.

The reason why is because it is one in a million cases, most of the people don't get those opportunities. It's just not possible. People who are in control of those opportunities have only that many spots anyway I think it's much more inspiring when a person makes something out of him/ herself without much support, and somehow after improving his/her life improved lives of others as well.

But why is a random person with a good voice inspiring? What kind of message does he carry? That anything is possible?

I think I simply don't understand that a lot of people need this unrealistic message to inspire realistic results.

What do you guys think?

Here's the link:
Man With Autism Absolutely Stuns an Entire Crowd

 

[epath13]

I'm going to reply to my own thread I think what I've said sounds more like "I don't get it plus a lot of blah". It's obviously a matter of perception, different people are inspired by different things. Some might even be inspired by cute little kittens, who knows... I think I should have asked it this way...For people on the spectrum and for those who are not...: Does this inspire you? or at least I don't know... Touch your heart? (specifically because he's got Autism) and What is inspiring for you in general?

 

[ziggification]

A week ago I had no idea what AS, NT, Aspie, Asperger's, Autism, spectrum, or socializing meant. The only reason I looked it up was because I made a new friend who has AS. He would say things that didn't quite make sense and I was struggling to understand. Being who I am, I dove straight into the issue and have been neck deep in books, videos, websites and forums trying to learn more. At this moment I have a cursory understanding. And the thought of being AS terrifies me. I look at the things I have done and the places I have been and then I think about how much those experiences rely on me being who I am, as socially-capable and adaptable as I am. If you have feet, you take walking for granted. If you are NT, you take it for granted.

To see a video of someone who is on spectrum, standing up in front of a crowd that I would never be able to face, sharing a part of himself that he has kept locked in a house for years is inspiring. It makes me go "hey, that guy has some problems. I have problems, too; so I can identify with him. But if he overcame them, so can I." I don't feel an urge to sing or stand up in front of a crowd, just an urge to do better and be better as an individual.

BUT the only reason it matters that he is spectrum is because of the setting of the video. If he were to be an AS person who say solved some great mathematical problem from the safety of his own home office and later won some sort of prize for that, it would be inspirational but not because he was AS...just because he was smart. It lacks the social aspect to it, so the fact that he is AS doesn't really add to the context for me.

To find something inspirational is to say that it fills you with a sense/feeling/desire to do or think something. This video does that. But then so do you guys. All the people on AC. You're all so nice and helpful and honest. It inspires me to also be nice, helpful and honest. I don't think that something inspirational has to be something that is grand...The smallest things can give you that same feeling to get up and conquer something.

-Sylvia

 

[HelloDizzy]

Oy.
Well, the guy is a great singer. And I envy his ability to go through all that which is involved in getting ONTO American Idol much less being in front of the country after being locked up so long. Good job.

Inspired?
I would have to say...no. I don't know why. I didn't tear up, I didn't feel any sense of...anything. Logistically, he accomplished something very big for someone with autism. As someone on the Spectrum, am I inspired? Well, maybe I should be - if he could do that, the least I should be able to do is leave the house to go to college classes next month. So maybe I'll think about it then.

But, no, for some reason, "inspired" is not the emotion I feel.

 

[earthsteward70]

I liked this vid. I think it's inspiring for anyone to be able to overcome fears, on the spectrum or not. Here's another song he sang for autism awareness. Scott James: Through My Eyes - Autism Awareness - YouTube I love his wonderful voice, and I wonder if he wrote the lyrics to this song or not. It's a neat song.

 

[epath13]

I forgot about this one... I think I know why it's hard for me to understand... I can't relate to his situation... Maybe I can dig something out of my heart to put a few more little emotional "packages" together so I can relate more to different types of people...

 

[RavenSly]

I listened to the guy, judging him as a singer, not as someone overcoming Autism. I'm with Dizzy in that I wasn't really inspired by it. A lot of people on these shows try to use their disabilities or issues to make themselves into champions for their respective causes. Sometimes they do it because they genuinely want to help people like them, and others just try to use it so that they'll be treated more favorably by the judges, you know, in a "I'm representing all people "[insert disability/disease/minority/problem here] so you should vote for me if you want to help them." More often than not though, its the shows themselves, not the actual contestants, who do that kind of stuff. I think I'm a pretty good judge of people, and I think the guy seen here is genuine, and was probably thinking more about his stage fright than being a representative for all people with Autism.