Mind-blindness

[Streetwise]

Just yesterday, a lady I do not know, who is one of my facebook contact, friends, said that she also loves cross stitching, but her eyes fail her and so, she cannot do cross stitching. I immediately said I havea magnifying glass if she wants it? I have not got the same issue as she has, but the idea of not being able to cross stitch again, prompts me to use what I have, for someone else.

I tend towards the practical element; sympathy is hard, when I see a solution.

are there kits for people who are visually impaired? i cant remember? its a pity she cant have laser surgery:-( i was at the point of blindness, its brought me back to about one or

two it was 20:20 for a few years

 

[wight]

The empathy issue is still not clear to me exactly what it is.

Sympathy and Empathy are related and both have to do with the concept of Theory of Mind.

Sympathy is the perception, understanding, and reaction to the distress or need of another life form. This empathic concern is driven by a switch in viewpoint, from a personal perspective to the perspective of another group or individual who is in need.

Empathy is the capacity to understand or feel what another person is experiencing from within the other person's frame of reference

In short: Theory of Mind (perceiving and understanding that others are separate and exist),
empathy (capacity for sympathy),
sympathy (perception/understanding).
One may have a deficit in one, two or all 3 of these.

If I read a story in the news about a tragedy (a house fire, e.g.), and I say to my wife, "oh, that's terrible, what is that family going to do?" I have demonstrated all 3 of these traits.

 

[Chance]

To me mind blindness in its simplest terms is being in a situation where everyone else is knowing or agreeing how to act, or react, and here I am lost... not feeling or understanding the intentions or emotions of those around me...

It is circumstance specific though... If its some political, racial, or religious situation... I'm out because I don't see their core beliefs (I cant put myself in their shoes). It just situations which are just based on stuff they were programmed with by other people. I tend to see past all that and that leaves me out in Neverland most the time.

If its factual and not filled with drama... I feel I can put myself in that position to some extent and have a reasonable short conversation...

The whole point of mind blindness is actually what defines us as AS/ASD isn't it? We cant fit into what others just easy process... So we are seen as "blind" to what they see as simple interaction.

 

[Suzanne]

are there kits for people who are visually impaired? i cant remember? its a pity she cant have laser surgery:-( i was at the point of blindness, its brought me back to about one or

two it was 20:20 for a few years

I have no idea, for I do not know this person, but the magifying glass is especially designed to use when cross stitching.

 

[Streetwise]

found them on ebay .co.uk,they are titled large print cross stitch kits i think they'll be cheaper in france, the euro is stronger than the pound ,
there was a beautiful one of the countryside with vivid colours started at about £20

 

[Divrom]

One of the things that sucks about the idea is that if we have learned to intellectualise what others are thinking - rather than intuit it - then that doesnt count and we are still 'blind.'

So NTs guess and thats ok. We work it out and that's not.

 

[wight]

The whole point of mind blindness is actually what defines us as AS/ASD isn't it?

No. Theory of Mind deficit/delay is one INDICATOR during early childhood development of being on the spectrum. Even the person that came up with the term agrees that it doesn't account for all aspects of autism.

Theory of Mind, as an aspect of mind/psychological development, can be delayed even in NT children and develops to varying degrees in each person and over the lifespan of the individual person. It is not a fixed characteristic.

 

[Divrom]

No. Theory of Mind deficit/delay is one INDICATOR during early childhood development of being on the spectrum... It is not a fixed characteristic.

Wight, I think you are speaking accurately, but also ideally. It is not rare to read even well-respected authors who use the idea as a defining one and as something that aspies/auties just cannot do. In fact, I read one such author just this morning.

 

[wight]

authors who use the idea as a defining one and as something that aspies/auties just cannot do

They may do that, but the degree to which we (people with AS, ASD) have developed theory of mind varies a significant amount, and in some cases that assertion is simply false. Consequently, these authors are either oversimplifying, making a fallacy of composition, or patently wrong.

 

[Divrom]

I would say it's the latter. In fact, for some of them, developing TOM doesn't count if it is intellectualised, rather than intuited.

Nonsense, if you ask me!