A Model of Introversion on a Scale from High- to Low-Functioning

The best analysis of all of this stuff that I have seen is from high to low functioning:

Introvert: We all know what this is, can function markedly well ->

Severe Introvert: Possibly odd but can be robustly healthy psychologically otherwise ->

Schizoid Personality Traits: Some coldness, apathy, distance re: human relations and lowered sex drive, otherwise can function very well, reduced functioning ->

Schizoid Personality Disorder: Marked coldness, apathy, and distance re: human relations and strongly lowered, apathetic, confused and baffled sex drive, “something is off about them but you can’t put a finger on it because they seem otherwise healthy,” otherwise some can function extremely well ->

High-functioning Autism or Asperger’s: Something seems very much off, possibly just looks like extreme introversion with marked anxiety but others can appear markedly normal and the condition only becomes noticeable after a few hours with them, problems with excessive seriousness, “sciency” type explanations for emotions, emotions seem off, some flapping, etc, baffled by human emotions, somewhat robot-like behavior, rocking motions, baffled by social skills, do odd things that violate social rules because they don’t understand them, possible gender identity confusion, often denies or minimizes their condition, can have strong sex drive, many females) ->

Medium functioning Asperger’s/Autism: Very weird, something is extremely off, can still function well at certain jobs, often low sex drive and desire for human relations, can be distracted by say a strobe light to where they seem to be entranced, weird ordering rituals with objects, very robotic to the point of being un-human or android-like, possible gender identity confusion, often male ->

Lower functioning autism/Asperger’s: Can still work, maybe a computer job for family, nonexistent friendships, sex drive or romantic partners, keeps asking the same question endlessly in an obsessive fashion, strange to the point where they need help understanding stoplights, severe meltdowns, possibly dangerous or criminal at times, markedly “nerdy,” something very clearly off about them, sex drive retained, possibly sexual orientation or gender identity confusion, some simply cannot work or live on their own at all. ->

Nevertheless, all Aspies often display a strong core of human feelings. Can get their feelings hurt. Capable of righteous anger, sense of pathos or tragedy about situation, in other words, there are times when you realize that they are just as “human” as any of us, and they can seem sad or tragic at these times.

“Pure autism” category: Appear mentally retarded, strong decline in intelligence/IQ, marked repetitive actions, cannot function or work, must live in group homes and have things done for them, nevertheless, a hard core of human awareness such that they can tell if you are ignoring them or not being nice to them and they get their feelings hurt, desire for human action, strange, retarded-like speech, weird body movements.

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16 thoughts on “A Model of Introversion on a Scale from High- to Low-Functioning”

  1. Hey I want to bring back this thread. I’ve come to believe autism is more common than we think. Though in most cases it very mild and subsequently very damaging because they person appears normal but you don’t realize they are very socially inappropriate until many weeks or months down the line. I also think labeling yourself an “aspie” is a fad like being labeled “trans” but their is an underlying truth to this. Self-diagnosed aspies and trans probably do have autism an gender dysphoria. It’s just that their conclusions about their disorder and what to do about it are wrong.

    Consider this female high-functioning autist who looks normal in the video below. She is is a total liberal who believes in the trans nonsense. Similarly her general suggestion to autist lie her is to just let it out. Stop trying to hide it. I think that’s awful advice. In public, don’t act like a fucking retard. In private flap and stim away.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YAhQJ08bzgs

    I don’t doubt she’s autistic. In fact I think you are probably a bit autist yourself Robert. You also have a high IQ. My point is that autist is so common that it might as well be a hard-to treat personality disorder. It’s not something you need a special-needs pity pot. Most non-culturally left autist (right or leftwing) are similar and don’t even know/believe they are autist or they grew the fuck up and learned to adapt.

    Here’s is a right wrong autist who doesn’t know or believe he is autistic. He is like you Robert except he understands finance and is financially independent though not right. He retired in his 40’s, got a vasectomy and now makes social media content for a niche audience. Another odd ball misanthrope who gave in to his loner tendencies.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Me6cL7CasH0

    I might be autist too.

    1. I’ve gone over all the symptoms and there ain’t no way that’s me. A lot of people are just neurotics or have anxiety disorders. I’m an OCD’er. But a lot of us seem really weird and I see why people might think we were autists. But they’re not getting us at all. We seem completely out to lunch but really we are amazingly on the ball and nothing is getting past us. Plus I’ve had a ton of therapy and they would have told me by now if I were autistic.

      In fact one psychiatrist described me as “engaging.” Women have been calling me “charming” my whole life. And “sexy.” No autist is sexy, or especially charming or even more extremely, engaging. A lot of high IQ types are pretty damn weird but I don’t think they are autistic. They’re just extremely introverted. From there it goes to Schizoid Personality Disorder, some of whom are very well-adjusted, and beyond that, to autism. It’s a spectrum – introversion -> shyness -> neurotic/OCD -> Schizoid -> Aspergers.

      I’m way too on the ball to have Aspergers. I can read your Goddamned mind. I’m that good. Nothing gets past me. In that sense, I have excellent social skills. Aspies are baffled by social rules and whatnot.

      1. See I don’t know. That autist chick in the video keeps harping on the point that historically evals for autism have been focused on external symptoms rather than the subjective experience. Women think I am hot and sexy. But I have obsessive academic-like interests and a rich inner world. I think you are very similar in that way. I’m socially inappropriate and awkward but I can also pick up on people’s feelings easily.

        In fact, I can tell within seconds who wants to fuck m or not. Even normal non-autist men can’t. That’s how I can get laid easily if I keep my mouth shut. I hone in like a heat-seeking missile on the pussy that wants me. Most men have no clue if a girl likes them or is just being nice. I still think I’m an autist. There is an overemphasis or perhaps a myth about autist not having people-reading skills. I think that’s over simplified.

        Also, OCD is often comorbid and overlaps in a superficially way with autism. I have met suspected autists who are sensitive to people’s emotions. They will stim r make repetitive movements, usually unconsciously like autists and they have focused geeky interests. Most major mental illness are very varied and two people can have the same illness yet not have any symptoms in common save for a shared internal subjective experience.

        Compare a paranoid schizophrenic to a catatonic once. Or a hand-washing ritualistic obsessive compulsive versus a pure obsession obsessive compulsive. In all these cases a trained shrink after exploring the thought patterns of the four patients could easily spot the deep commonality of a break with reality between the two different schizos. He (or she or it or xe or zim zoom zam or whatever the fuck the pronoun Taliban wants me to use) would also notice the shared obsessional anxiety between the two OCDers.

        I never met you so I can’t say for sure. But my growing suspicions is that many of us are autistic and don’t even know it.

        1. Women think I am hot and sexy. But I have obsessive academic-like interests and a rich inner world. I think you are very similar in that way. I’m socially inappropriate and awkward but I can also pick up on people’s feelings easily.

          I’m like this too but more nowadays because I am not attractive anymore. I was probably worse when I was younger, but in my case, no one cared if a hot guy was socially obtuse. Plus I don’t remember being socially obtuse when young, to be honest. There were always people saying I was weird even at the height of my popularity, but that was a minority.

          I think at this point as an unattractive man, every single thing I try to say, especially to a woman or a young woman, is automatically regarded as weird or inappropriate. Mostly they just don’t want me talking to them about much of anything, especially anything personal, like even their name. Mostly I just don’t talk now, so I guess my reputation is way better. The young men are quite nice to me. It’s just young women who are complete cunts, but a lot of them were like that even when I was young.

          There is this guy in town who doesn’t think I’m weird at all. He’s a pharmacist. He’s one of the smartest people in town. He’s fascinated in me and we talk about world affairs. He’s amazed that I know all about his part of the world. There are some other men, often ethnic men, say Arabs, who were really nice to me.

          Same thing, they thought I was fascinating and they didn’t think I was weird at all. Most older men don’t think there is much wrong with me. But I can’t get a word out of even older women either. To all women, I’m just “weird” or maybe just unattractive and that means they don’t want to talk to me?

          I’m getting better at social bullshit all the time and I’m slowly figuring things out. People are extremely sophisticated this way, even people who are way less smart than we are. And sometimes people are ridiculing or insulting or imitating me, maybe trying to say I’m inappropriate. But I’ve been “inappropriate” my whole life. It’s easier when you’re hot cuz no one cares. You’re just the outrageous hilarious hot guy.

          But I have obsessive academic-like interests and a rich inner world. I think you are very similar in that way. I’m socially inappropriate and awkward but I can also pick up on people’s feelings easily.

          I’m like this too. But I’m getting better about the social bullshit all the time. It’s a lifetime learning experience.

          In fact, I can tell within seconds who wants to fuck or not.

          I suppose I can too, except no one acts like they want to fuck me anymore. Well, I can tell if I am turning a woman on. Turning her on and her wanting to fuck you are two completely different things! This took me forever to figure out. I don’t know about seconds but looking back when I was younger, I remember a lot of women who I thought were just being friendly but I was obviously making them horny and maybe they wanted to get with me. When you’re making her horny or she likes you sexually, she tends to act in this certain way.

          Of course it varies all over the place, but I’ve experienced this from hundreds or thousands of females over many years and after a while, it just clicks because you’re seen it so many times. I’m realizing how many times I fucked up when I was young when for sure I could have gotten a phone number, a date, or probably even sex but I was too much of an idiot to go for it.

          I’ve been shy like this my whole life. Females even get frustrated with me. “Are you going to fuck me or what!? So are you going to kiss me or what!?” It’s not as fatal as it seems as women will wait around for clueless hot guy and just keep throwing clues at him.

          Even normal non-autist men can’t.

          Right, probably a lot of women don’t have our skills.

          That’s how I can get laid easily if I keep my mouth shut.

          I’d probably get laid more if I shut up too. But I used to be very quiet too. Usually it’s deadly but if he’s hot, he’s just, “Oh isn’t Chad fascinating? He’s so quieeeet.” They’ve called me, “the quiet one.” And they wanted to fuck too. Or they say, “Damn still waters run deep, huh?”

          I hone in like a heat-seeking missile on the pussy that wants me.

          If there’s any pussy that wanted me now I could do that too theoretically. Except there isn’t really. Except some women my age.

          Most men have no clue if a girl likes them or is just being nice.

          That’s true even in the best of times though tbh. There’s really almost no way whatsoever to tell unless she is being super obvious. There’s no surefire way to tell these two things apart.

          I still think I’m an autist.

          Go talk to an autist sometime and ask them what their inner world is like and see if it clicks.

          There is an overemphasis or perhaps a myth about autist not having people-reading skills. I think that’s over simplified.

          So go get a diagnosis! I’ve thought about it but I had therapy for 30 years and I’m almost sure they would have mentioned it by now. There was a therapist who I could email about this, but I think he’s cut me off. I emailed him a while back concerned I was a narcissist because everyone calls me that, but he says I’m not. Not the bad kind anyway. We are all narcissistic!

          Also, OCD is often comorbid and overlaps in a superficially way with autism.

          I don’t think it does, really. It’s just part of the general rather “weird” introversion spectrum. They’re both weird introverts. When you see autism as part of a weird introvert spectrum it all starts to add up. I think it just appears like autism. But OCD appears like lots of things. When it’s really bad, people think OCD’ers are psychotic and it’s common for people to call them schizophrenics because they have a blank stare in their eyes.

          I think it just mimics autism in some ways. I’ve had hundreds of OCD clients and only a few have been autists. Actually the “pure obsessive” is easily mistaken for an autist, but they’re way different. Pure obsessives are totally on the ball! They just seem crazy and out to lunch. When it gets really bad, they appear psychotic. I’ve had some clients like that that were really hard to figure out. Freud said, “It certainly is a crazy illness, isn’t it? But the strange thing about it is they are not crazy!” That’s so perfect.

          I met a pure O physician’s assistant a while back. He sure was weird. He looked totally out to lunch and he appeared to be off in his own world. His movements were a bit frantic and pointless. He would put something down and pick it up again. Your average moron Normie NPC (I literally think most normies and NPC’s are literally retarded) would say, “That dude’s crazy, man!” Or “He’s so fuckin’ weird.”

          So this guy seemed completely out to lunch and he was so lost in his own head that he could not possibly pay attention to me or anyone else. Yet he was picking up on everything I was saying and doing and often really fast too. After a while, I thought he was hilarious. At the end, I thought, “LOL this guy seems completely crazy or out to lunch or weird but really there’s nothing wrong with him at all!” And that was pretty damn funny too. Deep down inside, OCD’ers are frighteningly sane.

          I have met suspected autists who are sensitive to people’s emotions.

          Retarded people can do too. They get terribly hurt if they think you reject them for being retardfs. On some level they know they’re retards and that it turns people off. It’s actually a bit sad.

          It’s social clues they can’t get, body language, rules about what’s appropriate and what’s not, a theory of mind where you can sort of figure out what the other person is thinking. They often don’t get humor, sarcasm, or irony, and I’ve seen them go insane by weird ambiguity or extremely uncomfortable truths. I have had some autists on my site as commenters and after reading their comments for some time, there was definitely something off about them. They were off in a way that none of the rest of us are.

          I had one guy who was suicidal over some uncomfortable truth that if you mention it you will be called an evil criminal and have a lynch mob at your door in ten minutes. Yet it’s pure straight up science. Yep reciting pure science will get you hanged nowadays or probably in any era.

          They will stim r make repetitive movements, usually unconsciously like autists and they have focused geeky interests.

          Ever met an OCD’er? I’ve only met one in my whole life lol. OCD’ers don’t necessarily have geeky interests. OCD’ers are normal, regular people. It’s just that they have this weird glitch in their brain but otherwise they are just like anyone else. You will never understand them unless you figure this out.

          Who stims? Some OCD’ers have little nervous habits. I’m told I do. More like “microhabits.” You might not even see it. I clean my fingernails quite often, even in conversations. People call it nervous. I know as soon as I went on Anafranil the first time I went to see my parents and they were amazed at how different I was. They said they thought it was some extreme sedative because of how many it calmed me down and stopped all this little micromovements.

          I had no idea that I had micromovements or nervous habits at all as they are quite subtle! OCD’ers don’t stim. People with anxiety disorders typically have nervous gestures and habits and whatnot. It’s the nature of the best. And of course they are repetitive. Nervous gestures are repetitive by their nature, maybe because repetition calms the mind like a mantra.

          Most major mental illness are very varied and two people can have the same illness yet not have any symptoms in common save for a shared internal subjective experience.

          Maybe so. I never meet my clients. I just talk to them on the phone or chat. I did a few Skype sessions with some clients and it was shocking how normal they were. OCD’ers are normal. You’re looking at them thinking, “This guy is so damned normal, so how on Earth is his mind so whacked out?”

          Compare a paranoid schizophrenic to a catatonic once. Or a hand-washing ritualistic obsessive compulsive versus a pure obsession obsessive compulsive.

          Sure. I don’t get handwashers. I just work with pure obsessives and I’m a total expert. People come from around the world to work with me. I wonder what a handwasher would be like. My clients don’t have physical compulsions. They have mental compulsions. All OCD’ers have compulsions.

          Weird thing is I have to do diagnosis with new clients to figure out if they have OCD or not. It’s usually not even too far into the emails before the light goes off. There is something about the “narrative.” Basically, they’re like a bunch of actors who are all reading off the same script! I’m at the point where I can spot OCD half a mile away, at night, blindfolded. Yes mental illness is all about the thought patterns.

          Though in the case of my bipolar brother, it’s behavioral patterns. And no one guesses it about him. My landlord still can’t figure out that he’s ill. Bipolar disorder is easy to hide and most people just think manics are bad people, assholes, scumbags, “on drugs”, or criminals.

          I’ve been around him my whole life so I know his illness better than he does (he denies being ill) but for your average person, they don’t get it. For a while there the extended family was interacting with him and only a FEW of them thought he was manic. We kept telling them he was manic but none of them believed him. Mostly they said he was “on drugs.” People don’t understand that disorder at all.

          But my growing suspicions is that many of us are autistic and don’t even know it.

          I’m tempted to write my old psychologist and ask but he’s cut me off. I’m certain he’d say no or I hope he would. The only reason I care is because people keep telling me I’m an autist. That’s all from online though. I had a Pakistani physician once who said, “No way do you have OCD.” He was a GP but he also had an interest in psychiatry. He said I wasn’t nervous enough. He said they were mostly all these meek, nervous type.

          I’m sort of ballsy and assholey and bad boyish (actually a lot of people hate me on sight maybe for that reason) and apparently I’m rather calm or at least way too calm to be OCD. My last therapist said I had no significant nervous symptoms. He said, “Well you have some minor stuff,” but he acted like that was as common as weeds.

          I don’t think I want to be an autist, though it gives me one more excuse for being a fuckup, so it’s tempting.

      2. Another point. The autist chick in the videos has a graduate degree in psychology. And she said it NEVER crossed her mind or anybody else that she might be autistic until years later. This could be you.

        You once wrote that people either love you or hate you. I get similar reactions. That’s probably indicative of autism. If you were a public figure then no because people would judge you on your politics/stances. So your online reputation doesn’t count. I’m taking about in-person based off of how you come off to people. I don’t think non-autists are so polarizing.

        1. What state are you from, Claudius? I keep tabs on all races across the US. Italian influence on food is my favorite, so areas with a Little Italy are extra cool. Robert’s Old School CA hippie. A Nazi by today’s Cultural Left, but they are way off base. Years ago, the Left was the open-minded side, but now they want to silence everyone that’s not an NPC.

          MN is a cool place, a lot of hippie chicks go west and business broads go east.

          People complain about the big cities more since George Floyd. A pub I liked was closed for many months because of a riot over cop shooting a Black. I rank MN better than neighbor states, but WI has more cheesecurds. MN’s sort of a paradise minus the good weather/sunshine.

          Somalis have a small minority of hot chocolate, I think maybe Ethiopian, features. Somalis are totally culturally unassimilated though, so a pinch of beauty isn’t worth it.

          1. Hey Polar Bear. I’m in a Northeast state. I don’t wanna give out too much info. I’m not Italian. I am a White Latin American. I’m not really an Uncle Tom because I acknowledge that other races have low IQ’s. Most Whites in Latin America are pretty bigoted. It’s normal for us. I’m pretty sure I have a bit of negro in me though on one side of the family. Not too much though it ain’t noticeable.

            Ironically many White Latin Americans hate Whites, usually Spaniards, and some how ignore the fact that they are white and this is why they are socially superior to the brown bastards they trample on. Robert did a good piece on the non-existent White IdPol of Latin America. I was born and raised here with blood ties to both the Old and New World.

          2. “The Whites of Latin America.”

            I’ve met quite a few of these types and they are often quite proud of their Spanish blood. I met one Mexican White who would not even admit he was Mexican. He insisted he was a Spaniard. Except he was born and raised in Mexico and lived there til he moved to the US. He looked down on mestizos and in particular felt that they spoke a garbage form of Spanish that was full of English words, which he considered to be contamination. He also insisted that he spoke “the pure Spanish” from Spain but a lot of Latin American Whites insist that. I’m not sure how true it is.

          3. I think I have some actual African blood though. Latin America is as very mixed place. I don’t thinki have any native however.

          4. Mexicans have 3-5% Black blood on average. Argentines have 3% Black blood! What county are you or your people from?

          5. A drop in the bucket don’t mean much. Thinking you are above race is more egotistical in a way. “I’m Superman.” vs “I’m a Kryptonian.” I like Latin American influence. South Florida would be boring without them.

        2. You once wrote that people either love you or hate you. I get similar reactions.

          Nah that’s just a polarizing person. I don’t think people feel this way about autists. Can I see this autist chick in the videos?

          I don’t think non-autists are so polarizing.

          I don’t think they are polarizing at all. I met a friend who had it and he’s maybe a bit boring and average. Not polarizing at all. And I think I dated a woman who had it. She was just extremely shy, like way, way, way, way, way too shy. And nervous too, way, way, way, way too nervous. Would not look me in the eye.

  2. My point is that autism is very common, it’s not really a fad, but it’s also vey easily overcome if you are taught social skills. Not believing the Mainstream Media could be a sign of autism in my opinion. Though in the case of the woman in the video, she buys into the media madness. I guess it epend son why you believe or disbelieve.

    1. I don’t think it’s all that common. Go watch one of those videos about what it’s like to be a real Aspie. That was nothing like me at all. All kinds of introverted, nerdy, dorky, awkward, geeky people are out there, most of them men. Most of these guys are not Aspie at all. Socially awkward does not = Aspie!

      Also if you can overcome it by learning some social skills (I’d argue that you would not overcome it; you would only get better, maybe a lot better), you didn’t have it in the first place. I have a friend who is Aspie and he tells me studying social skills forever isn’t going to fix them. Aspies can get a lot better if they do this, though.

      1. “Nah that’s just a polarizing person. I don’t think people feel this way about autists. Can I see this autist chick in the videos?”

        Here’s the link again. I posted it above. Btw, she is a total libtard who believes in trans people being the gender they claim.
        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YAhQJ08bzgs

        =================================

        ” CA: They will stim r make repetitive movements, usually unconsciously like autists and they have focused geeky interests.”

        RL: Ever met an OCD’er? I’ve only met one in my whole life lol. OCD’ers don’t necessarily have geeky interests. OCD’ers are normal, regular people. It’s just that they have this weird glitch in their brain but otherwise they are just like anyone else. You will never understand them unless you figure this out.”

        I was saying that autists stim not OCDers.

        =================================

        “I’m tempted to write my old psychologist and ask but he’s cut me off. I’m certain he’d say no or I hope he would. The only reason I care is because people keep telling me I’m an autist. That’s all from online though. I had a Pakistani physician once who said, “No way do you have OCD.””

        Your old shrink was probably going off by traditional (outdated?) diagnostic criteria. The autist chick keeps making a point of diagnosing autism from based on the subjected experience of the autist not objective external symptoms. Granted this is a very Culturally Left thing to say because this how as a society we got to, “Hey you feel like a woman on this inside? No worries. Just chop off your dick because are are a woman.” Lol.

        Still, there is merit to the subject-focused diagnosis. I think the objective one produce too many false negatives whereas the subjective-focused leads to too many false-positives yet this is better. Once therapists chill out with the dick-choppin’ and pill-poppin’ and focus on psychotherapy a few false-positives won’t be a big deal.

        1. I am reading Temple Grandin on autism right now. I’m not like that all. However, I admit that I do check a few of the same boxes that autists check.

          I get lost in projects and can’t stop them, I admit I do love repetition from an early age, I’m quite logical and intellectual, and although I used to pine for human companionship, now I can take it or leave it.

          Oh, and I think pictures too, or I can if I want to. When I write I often think in pictures or better yet, movies. For my analogies and whatnot, I’m looking for the perfect analogy and that turns into a movie that demonstrates it. Then I write it down. But a lot of writers and especially artists think like that.

          I’m now quite introverted, but I didn’t used to be. I’m not very emotional anymore, but I used to be very emotional, too emotional actually. I relate to Normies and NPC’s because AFAICT, I am one of them. But they often don’t seem to treat me like that.

          I do violate a lot of social rules, but a lot of them are sort of being outrageous or just end up being funny. They’re not so much violations per se or at least not bad ones.

          For instance, at the bank today, I wanted to know how it the nonprofit credit union operated, and I saw this guy who looked important over at some important-looking desk. I walked over and stood there silently looking away a bit and waited for him to acknowledge me. I do this a lot and Normies might think it’s weird, but to me, I’m just being extremely polite and inoffensive. I consider it rude to walk up to someone and say, “Excuse me,” if I want to talk to them. I want them to see me and ask if they can help me.

          First thing I did before I sat down was I apologized for not shaving because I worried that this important guy would think I was being disrespectful. He said, “That’s ok,” but he acted like it was a bit odd that I would apologize for such a thing. Once again though, to me that’s just extremely polite.

          First thing I asked him was if he was the manager. He said no, he was the financial analyst.

          I joked that the reason I talked to him was because he looked like an important guy. He chuckled nervously a bit. Some Normies might think that was a weird thing to say, but to me, that’s a joke. And a compliment, so again, I’m being super-polite.

          Then I started to ask him how the nonprofit worked. He acted like that was a weird question to ask but he did answer it. He said all the money (profits) went into a big kitty and they just used it to loan out money. Turns out nonprofits actually make a profit but they can’t stick it in their pockets, so it’s as if they are not making one! He then said that we, the loaners, owned the company. I asked him if we got a profit share like dividends. He said no, but they did pay out $100 to each of us for COVID.

          So even though we own it, we don’t get a profit cut! Which is unlike a lot of cooperative models. Then I started going into the cooperative mode of development and how it would differ. He acted like this was going off-subject and a Normie would probably say I should not have gone on a tangent like that. Soon after that he acted like he wanted to shut down the conversation and get back to work, and I picked up on that and bade him farewell.

          He acted like I was a little weird or offbeat or eccentric but I was also totally on the ball. Also, I was harmless and kind of funny. This is a common reaction a lot of people, especially say, middle aged men, have towards me. I wouldn’t call it hostility. Some think I am “amusingly but harmlessly naive in sort of a cute but stupid way.”

          I have a genius IQ. A friend said, “All of those genius guys are totally out to lunch,” and he gave me an intense look when he said it. A lot of them appear distracted and lost in thought and commonly worried, probably about something really stupid. A lot of us have deep and intense, often weird interests. Most professors are like this.

          I’ve probably been OCD from birth. I always loved repetition. There was something soothing about it. I used to ride on my rocking horse as a little boy for hours and hours on end without getting the tiniest bit bored.

          I don’t remember it well but I was probably thinking. My Mom was amazed that I could ride that long without getting bored. I still like repetitive thought patterns, but those are more OCD compulsions I think. I also use them to try to train my brain to think in new ways and overcome hangups and anxieties. I shut down my feelings pretty early in life and my most recent therapist said I was a bit of a “Spock.” I’ve had girlfriends freak out in terror when they think they realize that I have no feelings.

          I have a ton of feelings actually, and they are changing all the time and they effect my behavior a lot. But those are “microfeelings.” I think if you were really perceptive and watched me very closely including facial expressions and eye movements, you would figure out that there is actually lot of feeling activity going on. The introversion and lack of need for companionship along with the feeling shutdown were all later developments, so they’re not an inborn condition.

          I’m fine with being OCD, but fuck being autistic. It just feels so “not me.” Thinking back on it, the typical personality of the weirdo genius or totally out to lunch distracted genius and the typical picture of an OCD’er overlap a lot. There is an article called “The Outsiders” that talks about men who have over 160 IQ’s. Most were living in poverty. Most were celibate and not dating at all! They all lived alone. Those who worked did so at low wage jobs, often minimum wage or jobs or say the post office. Basically they were too weird or maybe too smart to function in society.

          There was no indication that any of them had autism, though Sidis, perhaps one of the greatest geniuses who ever lived, was definitely autistic or Aspergers. Towards the end of his life, he collected bus tickets. From teaching physics at Harvard at age 9 (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) he pretty much dropped out of life and got weirder and weirder and accomplished less and less. His accomplishments peaked in this early 20’s.

          After 125, career success and social skills peak and beyond that number both tend to decline, especially social skills. Basically, people start getting weird and get progressively weirder the smarter they get. After IQ 145, success in academia starts to decline because they start getting too weird for academia, which is pretty bad as academia tolerates a lot more “weirdo geniusness” than most other fields. If you’re too weird for academia, I’m sorry, but that’s pretty damn bad!

          I’m thinking that OCD and autism and your typical genius IQ personality do share some similarities. But that does not make them the same thing. But I could see how people would confuse them. If you look at the Introversion Spectrum, she almost says that they are all sort of the same thing but that Aspergers is just the extreme of the continuum of one condition.

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