I am lacking in empathy, but I’m nowhere near charismatic or confident enough to be a psychopath. In fact I lack empathy to the point where it would be nearly impossible for me to manipulate other people: I can’t figure them out well enough to push their buttons.
I possess a few cognitive traits associated with autism, though most likely not enough to be formally diagnosed as autistic.
I’m sorry about your lack of empathy, as it seems like it might feel isolating. (If it is—I shouldn’t project.)
Are you sure you would like to push people’s buttons if you could? (No guilt? Or are you relieved you don’t?)
One autism trait is difficulty making eye contact, because it is over-stimulating. Do you feel more comfortable looking at pictures of the baby with closed eyes than the bunny with the open eyes? Or does that not have anything to do with anything?
As it happens I’m pretty introverted so my difficulty in social situations doesn’t bother me, I quite like having a fairly empty social calendar. I can cope fairly well in social situations, mostly because I’ve learned the proper rules for conduct they way I learn any unfamiliar information. The problem is when I find myself in unfamiliar social situations (like dating) where I don’t know the rules.
I’m really not keen on being able to manipulate people, though at times I think I’d be sorely tempted. In any case its a moot point because without extensive cognitive modification of kind currently unknown to science, I really don’t think I’m able to manipulate people.
I don’t have the eye contact issue, and I really don’t know why I find cute things off-putting. On rare occasions I find cute things endearing, for instance I liked the chipmunk-tarantula that someone else has posted on this thread. The only common thread I can find is that things that are uncanny or unusual tend not to disgust me even if they’re cute. Also, apart from cute things I find almost nothing disgusting.
I am lacking in empathy, but I’m nowhere near charismatic or confident enough to be a psychopath. In fact I lack empathy to the point where it would be nearly impossible for me to manipulate other people: I can’t figure them out well enough to push their buttons.
I possess a few cognitive traits associated with autism, though most likely not enough to be formally diagnosed as autistic.
I’m sorry about your lack of empathy, as it seems like it might feel isolating. (If it is—I shouldn’t project.)
Are you sure you would like to push people’s buttons if you could? (No guilt? Or are you relieved you don’t?)
One autism trait is difficulty making eye contact, because it is over-stimulating. Do you feel more comfortable looking at pictures of the baby with closed eyes than the bunny with the open eyes? Or does that not have anything to do with anything?
As it happens I’m pretty introverted so my difficulty in social situations doesn’t bother me, I quite like having a fairly empty social calendar. I can cope fairly well in social situations, mostly because I’ve learned the proper rules for conduct they way I learn any unfamiliar information. The problem is when I find myself in unfamiliar social situations (like dating) where I don’t know the rules.
I’m really not keen on being able to manipulate people, though at times I think I’d be sorely tempted. In any case its a moot point because without extensive cognitive modification of kind currently unknown to science, I really don’t think I’m able to manipulate people.
I don’t have the eye contact issue, and I really don’t know why I find cute things off-putting. On rare occasions I find cute things endearing, for instance I liked the chipmunk-tarantula that someone else has posted on this thread. The only common thread I can find is that things that are uncanny or unusual tend not to disgust me even if they’re cute. Also, apart from cute things I find almost nothing disgusting.
I have never heard of autistics having difficulty making eye contact with animals...