Aspies For Freedom - Famous Aspies

Droog Wrote:

I've been thinking lately that Osama Bin Laden might be an aspie. This is a very wild guess though.

These are the reasons:

1. Although little is known about him, people who have interviewed him describe him as very shy but well mannered. Despite being the leader of a terrorist organization.

2. You can't really live more reclusive than him. He's been living in caves for years now and he just can't be found. My theory is that he prefers to live a solitary life, with as little social contact as possible. An NT would probably seek out social contact and would more easily get caught because more people would know where he lived.

3. He's obsessed with Islam and 'western imperialism'. He also likes horseback riding and reading poetry...Could be aspie obsessions.

This is just my personal speculation though...

Sorry, but Aspies are usually not psychopathic. I think you are off-base.

Lili Marlene Wrote:

I believe there has been some scientific evidence found linking left-handedness with autism, and the link between homosexuality and left-handedness is well-proven.

Hmm, well I am right handed.. what would this say about me?

Droog Wrote:

I really don't think he is a psychopath. He has a distorted and sick view of what's the right thing to do, because he's a muslim fundamentalist. I read one article that claimed he has some sort of narcissistic personality disorder.
Indeed, he seems to have a lot of charisma, but he also has a lot of money which may be the reason why he's the leader. He finances the whole thing.

He's left-handed btw, which seems to be of some significance if I look at the list of famous people?

I think you are right, I believe I was saying "psychopathic" because he seems to "skip over" the entire concept of concern for innocent people, indeed anyone who genuinely had respect for life and especially innocent life, would not be able to do the things Osama has done.

But perhaps Muslim fundamentalism allows you to skip over this natural concern in specific cases where a perceived enemy is concerned.

I take back my initial thought. I do definitely believe that he would be a case of Narcissistic Personality Disorder, or at least a highly narcissistic individual. He seems to be full of grandeur, and delights in thinking that he's a great leader for his people, etc.

ichtms Wrote:

Has anyone mentioned Andy Kaufman (1949-1984) as a possible aspie?

I believe he would be, yes.

Lili Marlene Wrote:

Andy Kaufmann is in my main list. He was discussed as possibly being a "high-functioning autistic" in the book Elijah's Cup by Valerie Paradiz. From what I've read about Kaufmann he was a very interesting and enigmatic person.

An example of AS with strong divergent thinking ability, certainly going against the grain that says "we lack imagination." Nothing could be further from the truth when talking about a comic genius such as Kaufman.

ichtms Wrote:

Lili Marlene Wrote:

Andy Kaufmann is in my main list. He was discussed as possibly being a "high-functioning autistic" in the book Elijah's Cup by Valerie Paradiz. From what I've read about Kaufmann he was a very interesting and enigmatic person.

I hadn't seen the entire list so I didn't know about Andy Kaufman being there. Bruce Chatwin was another one that I had thought of that I now found in your list. What about Richard Brautigan 1935-1984? Or Peter Sellers?

AFAIK Peter Sellers has only been speculated to have a personality disorder. I saw a movie about him and he looks like a narcissist more than anything else.

Lili Marlene Wrote:

One of our kids appears to be quite a divergent thinker, manifesting in the child's writing. Our child has been writing some very funny and unusual stuff since they were little. The child appreaciates some very sophisticated adult-level comedy drama, while we have adults in our family who get very little out of most TV and cinema comedy. The autism genotype seems to be associated with extreme expressions of some abilities, with some under-able or weird and some with superior abilities.

I was always the "creative one." I had an unusual/offbeat sense of humor since I was little, in that I would notice peculiar things that others wouldn't. I think I might be Nicholls-type Asperger's, as my whole "persona" revolves around creativity and art, without the slightest bit of science/math components. I don't have the cognitive abilities needed in those areas... I am "under-able" as you say in Math, in fact very under-able (that is, if we compare my Math skills to the Aspie-Math stereotype.)

flardox Wrote:

not sure if this is true but i have heard that tim burton and steven spielburg have aspergers i also know that the creator of pokemon is an aspie
these��links might help

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_peo...c_spectrum

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/People_spec...n_autistic

Personally I do not believe that Steven Spielberg has Asperger's.

I think Tim Burton is very likely, I have seen interviews with him and he has this "self-righteous attitude" that tends to often occur with AS, and esp. the most dedicated/hardworking Aspies.

flardox Wrote:

Batman55 Wrote:

flardox Wrote:

not sure if this is true but i have heard that tim burton and steven spielburg have aspergers i also know that the creator of pokemon is an aspie
these��links might help

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_peo...c_spectrum

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/People_spec...n_autistic

Personally I do not believe that Steven Spielberg has Asperger's.

I think Tim Burton is very likely, I have seen interviews with him and he has this "self-righteous attitude" that tends to often occur with AS, and esp. the most dedicated/hardworking Aspies.

well i dunno i had heard rumours and just thought i'd say but a friend of mine said he was quite sure of tim burton being an aspie!

I already said I agreed to that--yes, Tim Burton is almost certainly Aspergian.

It is Steven Spielberg that I have my doubts about.

Simen Wrote:

How can you be so certain about a man you've never met?

I don't know: ask Lili Marlene, who maintains the list of famous living and non-living Aspies. You'd have to ask her, and not me.

I must admit that all the scientific skepticism, and self-righteous character (often you see both together), of so many of us on this forum sometimes gets a bit irritating.

Simen Wrote:

I thought aspies were supposed to be non-prejudiced, taking things literally instead of focusing on the person making a claim. I'm starting to realize that was only prejudice from reading too much and meeting too few aspies on my part.

Unfortunately I do not hit the "Aspie mark" in that category, I can be literal minded but I also notice tonality in writing and the possible subtext of what someone is saying. Anyhow I am partly NT (perhaps slightly), and what's more, I've been conditioned to examine all modes of communication for symbolic meaning (NT communication) and to derive an emotional state of mind when possible, so that I can respond correctly. That's how I was taught, and brought up. A lifetime of "trying to read the stupid symbols that NTs use" will do this to a person.

energeia Wrote:

Quote:

What pisses me off is this constant focus on people and their attitudes and ways of expressing themselves instead of what they express. I thought aspies were supposed to be non-prejudiced, taking things literally instead of focusing on the person making a claim.

A lot of people aren't able to make the distinction between a person and his or her ideas. So a criticism of the latter is interpreted as a criticism of the former.��It can get pretty annoying, I agree.

Thank you for including me in this group, but then you might argue, "case in point."

energeia Wrote:

Poster A:��"I (or some other aspie) experience(s) bla bla bla"
Batman:��Well, I don't experience bla bla bla, so does that mean I'm not an aspie?

I confess. I find this kind of interruption to a thread irritating.

I've explained the general cause for this tendency before, I think: I don't have a self-concept or identity. Before you think this is another attack on myself, realize I'm being quite honest. I don't know if you or anyone else here can help me form an identity or a self-concept, but I'm saying, that's what "leads" to this.

I theorize that some Aspies don't have identity problems because they have great cognitive gifts in their special interests, and then probably go on to careers which involve their special interests in some way. The cognitive gifts allow them to excel in their career, providing it caters somewhat to their interests. Not to underestimate the value of hard work, of course. But this is how their identity is formed--their identity is based around their job, interests, and the great amount of work they do in these areas.

All I can say is it's a much, much different story for me.

I agree, I don't think the conditions of psychopathy and AS/autism overlap much, if at all.