Chapter Twenty-Two: Being “Gifted”
| Q: | So what do you think are the positive elements to being an Aspie? I’ve heard some people talk about Aspies being talented. Is there any truth to that? |
|
| A: | Oh, yes! When I think about my Asperger’s nowadays, I realize just how lucky I am to have this “syndrome,” because the strengths that come with it really are something I value. Being socially awkward, “quirky,” different, “weird,” “inappropriate,” sometimes isolated, and not fitting into the nine-to-five role, this is the price I pay for the talents I’ve landed. In the wrong environment, it can be a real struggle, but in the right nurturing one, it’s so worth the prize. |
I recently heard a quote from Tony Attwood pointing out that “most of the major advances in science and art have been made by people with Asperger’s Syndrome[30],” which is outstanding, really, considering how rare Asperger’s is in the population! Understanding Asperger’s the way I do, it doesn’t surprise me. We have minds that are designed for great contribution. We’re the deep thinkers and inventors of the world!
Tony Attwood went on to say, “Asperger’s has probably been an important and valuable characteristic of our species throughout evolution[31].” And I have to agree. I wonder if, without Aspies, the human race could have advanced as rapidly as it has. I cherish my hyperfocus and deep thinking. I would hate to have been born any other way.
As individuals, of course, we do vary greatly. Every one of us has different interests, strengths, and modes of thinking which can lead to very different focuses. Some of us have extremely strong interests in more common areas such as math, science, engineering, literature, music, drawing, painting, photography, acting, programming, etc. However, this focus could go anywhere: studying oscillating fans, recreating corporate logos, collecting topological maps, and so on.
I’ve heard of some Aspies who excel in many areas and some who don’t really excel in anything in particular, bar perhaps playing games or having extensive knowledge of TV shows. But you know, that’s the way life works out. Things are always a little random.
I myself think that having hyperfocus in our pocket—for the majority of us who do—can be a huge advantage to almost any task. When we tackle problems of interest, we can do it with intense concentration, repetition, and persistence.
Unlike typical people, we’re not afraid to be left alone with our item of interest for long periods of time to get things done. We will persevere for as long as a task takes, even sometimes forgoing meals or social engagements—whatever it takes to achieve an outcome to our level of satisfaction! Believe me, I know what it’s like to get too caught up to eat. I’m usually only reminded when I start to feel a bit sick and my tummy reminds me. Oh, that’s right. I haven’t eaten in eight hours. I forgot!
But, so as not to give all the credit to hyperfocus, we also do have a few other cool things going for us: We’re naturally detail oriented and can be great at seeing specifics that others may miss. We reason logically and methodically and can be “outside-the-box” problem solvers. And we really enjoy forming a deep base of knowledge in our specialty areas, which makes us likely to become experts in our field.
Heck, once we get going on something, we can be surprisingly visionary about what we want to achieve, well above and beyond what’s usual. I know that once I have a concept in mind, I become ridiculously eager to stop everything else I’m doing and plan it out in detail then and there from the big picture right down to weird, unimportant details that my mind comes up with, such as how I am going to lay out my storage room. Planning is fun, and I wish I had such visions more often just for the simple joy of being able to map the ideas out!
On top of all that, I’ve also heard of many Aspies having unique and creative talents in the arts, which, while not my area, is apparently a popular Aspie field. I guess it’s unsurprising when you consider how different our minds and creative processes are from the norm! I can only imagine what random stuff a group of Aspies would come up with. The mind boggles. And maybe it’s just the perfectionist in me talking, but I can see how being fussy about the details could also be a big advantage when shaping an artistic product.
For example, an Aspie artist who is fussy about specifics may work on his/her piece over and over until the work is “just right” according to his or her vision, altering details that others may not even notice. They may work on it long after others would have declared the job finished. I think Hans Asperger (the man after whom Asperger’s Syndrome was named), originally described this phenomenon when he said, “For success in science or art, a dash of Autism is essential[32].” And there have certainly been many examples of Aspies in the history of the arts to back this up!
For example, here is a list of historical or famous people (across all fields) who are either known to or are now speculated to have had Asperger’s based on their known personality traits:
|
You have to agree, that’s quite an extensive list! But please don’t quiz me on the details of these. I will admit I just got them from Google! Following celebrities has never been an interest of mine; however, feel free to look them up if you yourself are more fascinated with them than I am! After all, most people are.
And now, last but not least, while I’m on a roll here, I wanted to mention one more awesome thing about Aspies that most people don’t think about very much. That is the many positive characteristics of our personality (social awkwardness aside). Though you may think of these as being nothing much, if you search the depths of the internet, there are actually a lot of great things that people have to say about us.
We’ve been described as honest, loyal, compassionate, non-judgmental, open minded, trusting, reliable, dependable, and caring to the significant people in our lives (although we don’t always express it in conventional ways). We’re rarely manipulative, bitchy, backstabbing, or fickle. We value others based on their behavior, not superficial attributes, and give all people a fair chance. Aspies can really make loyal, dependable friends to those who take the time to recognize those traits and treat us well.
So I can’t speak for everyone, but personally, I’m so glad I was born an Aspie with all the logic, rationality, and other gifts that come with it, because it’s such an important and special part of me. I like being able to question and analyze the world around me. I like being part of a group that philosophizes and even questions cultural rules, religions, politics, etc. We are the ones who challenge the society that we live in and question whether things are right.
Without this introspection and critical thinking, I wouldn’t be me, and I wouldn’t have been able to reach the levels of peace, understanding, and insight that I’ve achieved. And that’s something I wouldn’t trade for all the money in the world. Long live Aspie gifts!