Is there such a thing as "Intellectual stimming"?

[Jonn]

Well?

 

[AuroraBorealis]

Do you have an example? What exactly do you mean by it?

 

[DavidJSNSW]

Perhaps leafing through your PhD thesis over and over?

 

[Hypnalis]

"Tuning out" by meditating or "daydreaming" might count.

A thought for you though: do you stim when you're doing something physical?

I take long walks (I live close to a large forested park). I never stim while I'm out walking.

 

[AuroraBorealis]

What I did as a child often is loudly narrate what I was doing, as if it was written down in a book, with me in the 3rd person. I was an obsessive reader from the second I was able to. If I didn't "get it right" because I stuttered a little or the sentence wasn't right, I'd do the thing over. I don't really do that anymore, though. I didn't do it to calm myself down, but when I was by myself and relaxed.

When I wanted to escape stressful situations, like family fights, I'd recitate an audiobook I knew by heart in my head. I don't know if that was stimming, since it was a conscious thing to distract myself.

I also sing or hum to myself as a way of stimming. I listen to podcasts or audio books to calm myself down in noisy environments, preferably ones I already know. Is that "intellectual stimming" for you?

 

[Jonn]

Do you have an example? What exactly do you mean by it?

For me, making jokes satisfies/soothes me.
It is difficult to control.

This isn't the first time I have looked at this.
I am pretty sure "it is a thing".

What I find frustrating is being punished for simply being autistic.

I might start researching this concept again.

 

[Jonn]

A thought for you though: do you stim when you're doing something physical?

I don't do physically stimming (arm/hand flapping, head nodding, etc).

 

[AuroraBorealis]

For me, making jokes satisfies/soothes me.
It is difficult to control.

This isn't the first time I have looked at this.
I am pretty sure "it is a thing".

What I find frustrating is being punished for simply being autistic.

I might start researching this concept again.

When it comes to stimming, I am starting to think that it's not about what exactly you do, more about how and why you do it, to decide whether it is "a thing".

I think there needs to be some sort of repetitiveness about it, something somewhat uncontrollable or instinctive, and a soothing effect.
However, regarding the last one, as I said, I seem to do things that look like stimming more when I am actually relaxed and content with myself - at least the more stereotypical things, like slightly rocking back and forth. When I am stressed and would need soothing, I tend to freeze up and go rigid, which is sort of the opposite, and fumble with a ring or a bracelet - I guess that might count as stimming.

It would be interesting to consider if making jokes is your attempt to make the outside world more controllable, more predictable - after all, in that moment you're controlling the social situation by making a joke, counting on others to laugh and thereby causing an expectable reaction from them. Or do your jokes have a different root? And do you make jokes only when in company, or also when you're alone?

 

[Jonn]

When I wanted to escape stressful situations, like family fights, I'd recitate an audiobook I knew by heart in my head. I don't know if that was stimming, since it was a conscious thing to distract myself.

I think Arya Stark had a stim list.

Spoiler

 

[AuroraBorealis]

What I find frustrating is being punished for simply being autistic.

I'm sorry for that. Growing up, I seem to have learned to do a lot of invisible or inconspicuous stimming, like reciting books in my head, or listening to stuff on headphones. And people don't seem to mind fumbling with a bracelet too much.

I think Arya Stark had a stim list.

Spoiler

View attachment 130194

True! Never thought about that one.

 

[Jonn]

It would be interesting to consider if making jokes is your attempt to make the outside world more controllable, more predictable - after all, in that moment you're controlling the social situation by making a joke, counting on others to laugh and thereby causing an expectable reaction from them.

Not at all.
I have no interest in controlling ppl or situations.
"To each their own."
Other ppl's reactions are essentially irrelevant to me.
Appreciation is simply a bonus.

I was on another website where ppl used to complain a lot about my joking/satire.
My attitude was: "Why don't you just skip over my posts or block me?"
It was the ppl complaining who wanted control over ME.

BTW, Some of the ppl on that site had no understanding of satire.
In a way, it was quite amusing.

 

[Hypnalis]

@Jonn

Perhaps not the right time, but otherwise I'll forget.

it's not a good idea to use satire/sarcasm in a forum. Misunderstandings are inevitable.

This is true even within a single culture. Cross-culture, and between people with different native languages, the protocols rules vary a lot, so one persons humor can be rude to another.

 

[Judge]

I'd have considered Arya Stark's "stimming" more along the lines of homicidal daydreaming.

 

[AuroraBorealis]

I'd have considered Arya Stark's "stimming" more along the lines of homicidal daydreaming.

It's been a while since I watches GoT, but the way I remember it, she would recite that list over and over in scary, threatening situations in a fairly monotone voice, and it would help her to keep going. Or do I remember wrong? That way, it would indeed go more into the stimming direction. It wasn't like she sat somewhere, relaxed, and saying that list maybe once or twice, which would be my image of daydreaming.

 

[Judge]

It's been a while since I watches GoT, but the way I remember it, she would recite that list over and over in scary, threatening situations in a fairly monotone voice, and it would help her to keep going. Or do I remember wrong? That way, it would indeed go more into the stimming direction. It wasn't like she sat somewhere, relaxed, and saying that list maybe once or twice, which would be my image of daydreaming.

If her character was intended to convey autism, I think they went about it with far too much subtlety. Frankly subtlety isn't an adjective I'd use to describe most any character and the overall plot in that particular production.

In essence, virtually every character seemed so "over-the-top" in various ways that autism would be easily eclipsed by other considerations in an environment that fostered extreme violence. Making considerations of the production conveying autism or stimming a moot point that would be so easily lost with a predominantly NT audience both mesmerized and traumatized in bloodlust.

 

[AuroraBorealis]

I'd have considered Arya Stark's "stimming" more along the lines of homicidal daydreaming.

Frankly I think it's a moot point whatever one calls whatever this fictional character did in reciting her wish list of whom to kill. In an environment that exuded extreme violence.

If her character was intended to convey autism, I think they went about it with far too much subtlety. Which would have been lost on a predominantly NT audience. Frankly subtlety isn't an adjective I'd use to describe most any character or the overall plot in that particular production.

I am a bit confused, I think I mistook your first post as a neutral statement that's open for discussion. That's why I took it up and earnestly wrote my thoughts on it.
Sure, it's not really important since it's a fictional character, but I wasn't trying to suggest that Arya's supposed to be autistic, but it was only about that particular behavior in the context of stimming. GoT is a violent show, that's clear, but I was only focused on the topic of stimming.

Sorry, I could have noticed that you didn't mean it to be discussed further. But then, it wasn't really obvious, either.

 

[Judge]

I am a bit confused, I think I mistook your first post as a neutral statement that's open for discussion. That's why I took it up and earnestly wrote my thoughts on it.
Sure, it's not really important since it's a fictional character, but I wasn't trying to suggest that Arya's supposed to be autistic, but it was only about that particular behavior in the context of stimming. GoT is a violent show, that's clear, but I was only focused on the topic of stimming.

Sorry, I could have noticed that you didn't mean it to be discussed further. But then, it wasn't really obvious, either.

Point taken. Nope, I was focused on the notion of connecting stimming literally to the character relative to autism. And why I saw that as a remote possibility. Though it does offer the opportunity to point out that stimming in most classic sense can be done by both autistic and non-autistic people. That much is true as well.

Frankly I wouldn't want a fictional autistic character in such a violent atmosphere. We're already stuck with the very real legacy of mass-murderer Adam Lanza, and don't need to emphasize autism in such a way at all, IMO. Ultimately it's difficult for me to remove my focus on such concerns compared to just considering how stimming may be interpreted unto itself.

 

[thejuice]

Saying 'indubitably' over and over is my favourite intellectual stim

 

[Judge]

Saying 'indubitably' over and over is my favourite intellectual stim

Have you ever heard that word spoken in a real-time conversation?

LOL...I don't think I have. Seems I heard some fictional character say it in a movie or tv show....just can't recall exactly who it was. Maybe "Lost In Space"....-Doctor Zachary Smith?

I use the word "indeed" frequently in communicating online. But only once in a real conversation that I recall. Whereupon the other person responded, "DEE PLANE, DEE PLANE!"

(Fantasy Island's "Tattoo to Mr. Rorke")

On a more serious note, I suppose I should add that in my own case, my only two stims pretty much happen involuntarily. (Swaying back in forth while remaining stationary, and pacing back in forth deep in thought, looking like a "judge".) Nothing "intellectual" about involuntary responses in my case. It just happens...

 

[thejuice]

Have you ever heard that word spoken in a real-time conversation?

Indubitably, old chum! *Chomps cigar*

There, now you have!