Thinking that Neurotypicals have extrasensory perception

[Myrtonos]

In my experience, especially as a child, non-autistic people appear to obtain information out of nowhere, or that people who claimed to "just pick something up" weren't being honest. It wasn't just about picking up emotional tone and body language but all sorts of other things.

How frustrating can it be when someone gets something right for illogical reasons?

 

[Fino]

They have magic powers.

 

[Crossbreed]

They pick up on things that we don't (like social cues).

We pick up on things that they often miss (like broken patterns).

 

[Myrtonos]

They have magic powers.

Except that many of them don't believe in magic.

They pick up on things that we don't (like social cues).

In my experience, technically minded ones in particular, often act as if they pick up other things, like cost to benefit analysis.

We pick up on things that they often miss (like broken patterns).

Sometimes they act as if they do notice them but magically know that those patterns are unimportant. Again, this is especially the case with technically-minded ones such, such as mathematicians, physicists and engineers.

 

[Crossbreed]

There is an unusually high occurrence of of neuro-diversity among STEMpunks.

Those kinds of things are accessible to autistics unless one's perseverations are elsewhere.

(The OP was about the proclivities of the neuro-typical.)

 

[Fino]

Except that many of them don't believe in magic.

And neither do I!

 

[Bolletje]

Comparing myself to the neurotypicals in my life, I feel like I’m the one that picks up on lots of things others miss. I haven’t met other people with more finely tuned perceptions than mine, whether sensory or social.

 

[Progster]

It has often been the case that I'm the last one to understand or pick up on something (mainly social or relationship stuff), and this always made me feel inadequate rather than frustrated. But on the other hand, I sometimes see things that they don't. Often it's about information, having or not having knowledge of something, rather than some kind of 'magical' intuition, not necessarily related to autism. It can also be because I often have a different perception on this, think deeply and in a different way, have a different viewpoint, that allows me to see things that others don't.

 

[Myrtonos]

But what about neurotypicals picking up anything other than the social or anything about relationships?
And what about those on the spectrum seeing important things that others don't, vital details for human prosperity and/or salvation?

 

[RtWalton]

Keep in mind that one of the crucial aspects of communication between two people is connotation as well as denotation. When someone claims that they just “picked something up” without trying, they do not mean it literally. They just mean that they learned it through guesses based on tacit social cues rather than any specific piece of more verifiable evidence. When someone says this it is by no means a proclamation that one holds magic powers, they are just telling where they got their info from by using a specific phrase that means something more specific than is literally meant based on the context of when it is used. It is quicker and easier to say that they “picked something up” rather than providing a whole explanation though, so the phrase was popularized. When most people say this they are not trying to refuse to give an answer, they are actually giving an explanation, just not one that makes sense without more knowledge. It may seem frustrating, but it is actually quite ingenious that the English linguistic community is able to explain such a complex topic with such a simple term.

 

[Lundi]

Why does it seem that I just stand there, minding my own business, not saying anything, and the neurotypicals stare at me or glare giving me the "eye" like I just committed a big faux pas? Is this what you mean when you think that neurotypicals can see something extra?

 

[Myrtonos]

It has often been the case that I'm the last one to understand or pick up on something (mainly social or relationship stuff), and this always made me feel inadequate rather than frustrated. But on the other hand, I sometimes see things that they don't. Often it's about information, having or not having knowledge of something, rather than some kind of 'magical' intuition, not necessarily related to autism. It can also be because I often have a different perception on this, think deeply and in a different way, have a different viewpoint, that allows me to see things that others don't.

But do you see important things that they don't?

 

[Progster]

But do you see important things that they don't?

Sometimes.

 

[SDRSpark]

They pick up on things that we don't (like social cues).

We pick up on things that they often miss (like broken patterns).

Things I don't understand (or know what to do with): "hints". If you don't tell me outright what you want, I'm not likely to get it. I don't get flirting. And if you say one thing, but your mannerisms say something else, I'm going to go "mixed signals!" and default to what you SAY because, that's what I can interpret/know what to do with. (This is often, socially, wrong. I'm supposed to ignore what you say and do what your body language tells me, but since I'm not confident about it, if you tell me one thing, I'm generally, for the purposes of interacting with you, going to take your words at face value and keep my suspicions about your other thoughts/feelings to myself.)

Things I do pick up on: Someone said X months ago and then you said Y, and I put two and two together and realized that you were both talking about the same event and trying to conceal the identity of the other one. I keep this knowledge to myself.

 

[sidd851]

Comparing myself to the neurotypicals in my life, I feel like I’m the one that picks up on lots of things others miss. I haven’t met other people with more finely tuned perceptions than mine, whether sensory or social.

Agreed.

I find myself hyper-aware, at almost all times.
I am acutely aware of what is happening around me-- aside from the ebbs and flows of socializing. I have often been one to avert a tragedy or mishap-- through awareness.

I am constantly bombarded by information-- which I am then forced to sift through in a search for patterns--or a perceived lack of them.
Launching myself into reshuffling variables until I can reverse engineer, or make accurate, complex predictions, about past or future events.

I am usually already settled upon the correct, most expedient course of action, while others are fumbling around.
The difficulty arises, because neurotypicals default to ego, or dominance, and emotionality, to determine which course of action to take.

As the neurodiverse, we often seem to be able to disregard these illogical and inappropriate measuring devices-- and see things for what they are.

Those primordial dominance rituals have been supplanted by what was once barely discernable as a swelling at the end of a notochord.

Unfortunately, knowledge isn't enough.
It takes skilfulness to guide.

If I am able to act, immediately and autonomously.. ~100% success rate.

If I have to convince...
It all goes to crap.

Best case scenario?
I am able to quickly convince the majority of the immediate need for specific concerted effort.

We begin.
Those disgruntled to have been "wrong",
or to have had their "alphaness" offended,
deliberately underperform and sabotage the group effort.

No.
This is not paranoia.
I have witnessed this..
sabotage, when the protagonist was not me, on many more occasions than not--
this is acting purely on heirarchical instinct.

What they are doing, consciously or un-, is assuring a result less advantageous-- so that the decision appears faulty, or incomplete, somehow-- and the general consensus will be that much more favorable in their own
"chances" at leadership in the future.

Primates, huh?

Edit:
Lest the above sound arrogant, in my defense, I have been extraordinarily lucky, to have been rather autonomous, in the performance of my duties
-- where the onus of performance was on me.
I have had an exemplary career.