DogwoodTree
Still here...
Tony Attwood, in his book The Complete Guide to Asperger's Syndrome, says on pg 208, "I have the impression that many people with Asperger's syndrome consider a conversation to be primarily an opportunity to exchange information, to learn or inform, and if there is no practical information to exchange, why waste time talking?"
This is completely accurate for me. I do recognize that helpful information on another person's mood can be transmitted by a small amount of conversation. But even that--conversation, for me, exists for the purpose of exchanging information. I don't really "get" what other purpose there could be.
I see the signs that NTs engage in conversation for the sheer pleasure of it, and they do, in fact, seem to enjoy it. But I don't experience that at all, unless the information being transmitted is interesting to me. What am I missing? I read that statement in Attwood's book and I'm like, "Well duh. Why else would people bother with talking?"
In that same chapter, he talks about various social skills that aspies need to learn to be successful conversationalists. But dang...all those rules and concepts, all of which has to be processed at a cognitive level. It's so much work!! I can perform a lot of it fairly well, but it's certainly not enjoyable. Compliments, entertainment, sympathy, proximity...conversation is not satisfying for me in any of these areas.
This is completely accurate for me. I do recognize that helpful information on another person's mood can be transmitted by a small amount of conversation. But even that--conversation, for me, exists for the purpose of exchanging information. I don't really "get" what other purpose there could be.
I see the signs that NTs engage in conversation for the sheer pleasure of it, and they do, in fact, seem to enjoy it. But I don't experience that at all, unless the information being transmitted is interesting to me. What am I missing? I read that statement in Attwood's book and I'm like, "Well duh. Why else would people bother with talking?"
In that same chapter, he talks about various social skills that aspies need to learn to be successful conversationalists. But dang...all those rules and concepts, all of which has to be processed at a cognitive level. It's so much work!! I can perform a lot of it fairly well, but it's certainly not enjoyable. Compliments, entertainment, sympathy, proximity...conversation is not satisfying for me in any of these areas.