Perception Bias Much?

[Fino]

(Did you mean "iceberg...?")

Did I? Then what the heck is a glacier!? *googles it* ...

 

[tducey]

You do look at others and wonder if there are issues there for sure. I really don't notice Autism much in others though.

 

[Nervous Rex]

And the point I meant in regards to an example like would be that it could just easily be ADD, ADHD, manic phases of Bipolar, he's a coke addict, or any number of other things you'd be guessing if you experienced them.

You're absolutely right. When I got diagnosed, I got a new hammer and now everything looks like an ASD-Nail. In reality, they could be a screw, a staple, or a paper clip, but I'm still using the hammer. Also, I'm really good at taking a metaphor too far.

But I do take your point. I need to rephrase my internal dialogue from, "He must be on the spectrum" to "I understand that part of him".

 

[Major Tom]

My wife and I have a similar running joke and thought pattern. I just don't take it very seriously and it isn't malicious. I kind of do think just about everyone has quirks and such that could make it seem like they are on the spectrum at times as well.
My wife is surrounded by people on the spectrum with my son and I, so maybe she's a bit paranoid about it, I don't know why she has that same feeling.

 

[SolarPoweredNightOwl]

I find it easier to say "not" rather than "is" but there's plenty of "maybes". For instance, there's been a trend for people labelling politicians they dislike as autistic/aspergers and it's VERY easy to say "not" in almost every case. There's one or two "maybes" but no definite.

That's quite disturbing. Is that a UK thing? Because in the US, we usually label our politicians narcissists or psychopaths.

Interesting - my wife says that it is usual for me to think I have told her something when I have just thought it, and it has not made it to the outside world.

I do this all the time. And get in trouble for it a lot. :/ Lol

 

[Ylva]

I'd say most of the annoying traits they ascribe to us are their own traits that they hate too much to admit.
It's obvious if you pay attention to them.
Sure, we do some things "more", and some things differently, but
NTs also deal with sensory input by stimming. NTs also want things to be just so. NTs also get annoyed when interrupted out of "the zone".
They lack some sensitivities, and they don't get rejected socially by each other as much. Seems to be most of the difference.

 

[OrdinaryCitizen]

I try to be aware of it and keep it to myself. It's now a running joke between me and my wife: "Did you hear what X said?" "Yeah, he's on the spectrum."

We laugh, but in the back of my mind, I'm concerned about the trend. I can't be right about everyone I think that about. So, how do I get rid of this thought pattern?

I'm guessing that, since autism is now a familiar context for me, it's easy to frame my observations of others in that context. Maybe I need to study a few other forms of neurodiversity or read up on some other common psychological topics, just to break the autism-as-first-choice reflex.

I keep seining autism in people who out of the ordinary as well.
Sometimes it might be just shy person with other psychological problems, but my first thought is autism guess because i am an expert on that after researching it for myself.
I guess its because i dont have enough experience with people with psychological problems so i can only judge by my own example.