Practical Life Lessons For Every Aspie.

[Autistic Yoda]

Learning how to navigate the world as an aspie is key. I have pages of core aspie values to share, but (spoiler) I'm not actually Yoda. Therefore I'm not always right, and open to suggestions and corrections. Hopefully you'll find the following useful, so I may return to expand this list:

1) You do not live in your own world. You are part of society, so it's essential to build many constructive relationships. Joining and participating in groups can help smooth out your rough edges, while bringing good things of many types into your life.
2) Love feels better than hate. So love wastefully and hate sparingly.
3) Sympathy earns you a drink of water and a crust of bread, little more. 'It hurts me' generally only works on mommy.
4) The world mostly cares what value you can provide. Trading force for value (robbery) is wrong. Trading tears for value (begging) is hardly ideal. Trading value for value. The proper path, this is. So be more useful than annoying, and more useful than needy. There are so many ways to be useful to others. Just being pleasant company or making someone laugh do count as authentic usefulness.
5) Our narrow obsessive focus grants us the potential to achieve great deeds. We can provide incredible unique contributions to the world. Bill Gates, Jerry Seinfeld, Charles Darwin, Temple Grandin... the list of highly successful individuals on the spectrum only grows longer.
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Please feel free to add your own such philosophies in a nutshell. Constructive criticism is more useful than polite applause. I'd appreciate feedback, and you can't possibly offend me...

 

[Wolfsage]

Understand yourself. Really get to know your strengths and weaknesses. Know what your limits are and where you can push them without hurting yourself or others.

 

[WildCat]

There's also this thread as well:

https://www.autismforums.com/threads/what-lessons-have-you-learned-in-life.20996/

 

[Tom]

I thought your ideas good. Usefulness is I think a common natural need. Not all have grand abilities but even the smallest one can bring satisfaction. I know one of the pillars of my self esteem is based on my ability to find things in the house others have lost or misplaced.

But as far as giving examples of people on the spectrum I do not think good to state it as fact when it is only speculation, particularly with deceased persons. Of your list I am only aware of Grandin actually being diagnosed. I know Seinfeld made the comment once he might be, but then backed away from it as far as I remember. Gates is outside speculation and Darwin retro-outside speculation. I think the most one can honestly say is they might be and then give reasoning or links to such.

Bill Gates, Jerry Seinfeld, Charles Darwin, Temple Grandin... the list of highly successful individuals on the spectrum only grows longer.

 

[Aspychata]

Of course l would like to add: sometimes you need to fart. Buddha says without farts, the world would be lacking fart jokes.

 

[Sara3]

Understand that not everyone is well - intended. Keep by your side the people that actually make you life better and happier. Stay away from people that are only good for causing you troubles, or the ones that are very selfish/mean and don't care about improving their behavior.

Understand that not all people on the spectrum are potential friends. Some can use autism as an excuse for being a bad person as they were not properly educated in childhood stages. Some won't even reevaluate their behavior.

Be happy to be on the spectrum as most people with autism are very interesting, kind and caring! You can find the best friends ever among people on the spectrum!