> Speaking as someone on the spec, I could never imagine life partnership with an allistic person, nor can I imagine such a person putting up with my deficiencies and quirks. Moreover, quite literally all my friends are also autspec and would never interface with someone who isn't. So I believe ASD is strongly selected for by people with ASD.
I am profoundly grateful I grew up in a situation that didn't cause me to self isolate into a subculture.
I have all sorts of other problems, but I appreciate that one more as I age.
So, you could form an intimate relationship with literally anyone on Earth? Good luck getting through just the first floor of your condo block.
I haven't written anyone off, I just plain don't like most of them. Are you that different? Why do you assume my statement is a priori instead of an empirical observation? Is that how you think about your own preferences, or do you ever just kinda go "huh, I guess I really don't like $thing?"
Love is very, very specific, and I happen to be blessed with it.
> I haven't written anyone off, I just plain don't like most of them.
I'm not trying to convince you, but for anyone else reading this, especially if you're young, people are social creatures and being social will make your life better. It's frequently not easy, and often quite difficult, but so is doing 100 pushups or getting a phd or whatever. Being difficult is not the same as being bad for you.
There is a gigantic difference between "I talked to Jay and he told me he hated me and I was going to burn in hell so I decided I don't like him" and "I have decided that all normies/allistics/football fans/whatever are boring and I don't like them".
It's hard to describe the kind of mindset I'm talking about here in a YC textbox. I firmly believe that every person working at say, the checkout line in my local grocery store, know or have done genuinely interesting things and if you ask the right way, you can find those fascinating things.
That doesn't mean I actually talk to every person who rings up my groceries, or even most of them, frankly. I'm frequently tired and in an asocial mode. But there's a big difference between "I'm choosing not to interact with this person right now due to my own energy/preferences right now" and "this person is inherently bad".
> or do you ever just kinda go "huh, I guess I really don't like $thing?"
Not anyone, but i wouldn't exclude 98% of them, sight unseen. I think it is very closed minded, factually biased, and wrong. Further it sets the stage for a lot of hostility.
> Moreover, quite literally all my friends are also autspec and would never interface with someone who isn't"
I am profoundly grateful I grew up in a situation that didn't cause me to self isolate into a subculture.
I have all sorts of other problems, but I appreciate that one more as I age.