Everyone in the workplace and in volunteer situations knows me as the person to ask if they have any kind of question. During an average day, I have half a dozen people come ask me for advice, because they know that if I don’t already know the answer, I know where to find it.

Of course, much like a stereotypical village wise person, there is a kind of social distance between me and other people. But I prefer it that way.

Autism makes my life very hard in some ways, but I do love my ability to create an internal encyclopedia on subjects I enjoy.

  • Inui [comrade/them]@hexbear.netEnglish
    18·
    4 days ago

    I don’t know if I feel ‘wise’ necessarily, though I do know a lot about tech-related stuff that I get asked questions about a lot by friends and co-workers. My largest drive to accomplish tasks is if I’m helping somebody. A person says “hey I can’t find this rare/niche thing I am trying to pirate online”, I know where to find it. “I need a volunteer for this booth on Saturday” and if my schedule is open, I am there 100%. So sometimes wisdom, sometimes just reliable and extra willing to help. Even if it takes me hours of searching to do it.

    I think it’s part of the enhanced empathy many people on the spectrum report feeling. If I can make someone else’s life easier or make someone happy and also feel useful, it just naturally seems that’s what I should want to do.

    Of course, I don’t do that for everyone, but outside of people I actively dislike, it applies to strangers irl and online too.

    • OgdenTO [he/him]@hexbear.netEnglish
      16·
      4 days ago

      I feel this. I have come to realize that I really love helping. I assumed it was some kind of trauma response to childhood, but that never really jived with my recollections. I like the idea that it’s frankly just something I enjoy because of bigly empathy. Thanks for this point of view.

  • Imnecomrade [none/use name]@hexbear.netEnglish
    3·
    3 days ago
    What do you call the Autistic person that will warn people something disastrous they are doing, they still do it, the Autistic person is vindicated for the 1000th time, and the cycle repeats because nothing was learned?

    Maybe this is somewhat niche. I am referring to my previous job trauma where I worked at a corporation with the dumbest, circlejerking IT “system analysts” (used ChatGPT to write broken PowerShell scripts that never worked, and they were running in production) I have ever dealt with.