How do neurologically typical people feel & experience life?

I know this is pretty futile musing, although maybe some of the more neurologically typical people on here can help! (I shy away from using the term "NT's" because it feels a bit "them and us" to me).

I've found myself wondering, as I'm accepting, exploring and deepening my understanding of my own atypicalness & ASD diagnosis, about what it's like for others.

For every "aha!" moment I have about e.g. noisy restaurants, eye contact, lack of capability / impetus to maintain friendships, exhaustion in social situations, there is a corresponding "What's it like for others?" moment.

So for example, for typical people:

  • How does the world *sound*? Is it muted, filtered by attention etc?
  • How does eye contact *feel* when experienced as something that you *want* to do? Even with strangers?
  • What's it like to be drawn to want to be with a group of other people?
  • What's it like to enjoy a day out with friends, and not be exhausted (except in a tired & content kind of way)?
  • What's it like to be thrilled at the prospect of going out every single evening for days in a row?
  • What's it like to want to ask other people where they went on holiday, and be interested in what they tell you about where they went and what they saw?
  • What's it like to say the opposite of what you mean, because for e.g. you're being polite, and yet know that everyone knows what you actually mean?
  • What's it like to wish that you had more time for travel, seeing family members, more face to face meetings etc?
Parents
  • Hiya, I'm not sure if I saw this question some time ago or whether I've been thinking it since dx'ed earlier in the year. I am looking at NTs now and thinking what is going on in their minds; how are they coping with daily life. Very timely though, thanks for bringing it up.

    TBH, I'm feeling more alien than ever now I'm watching the NTs :) A little knowledge, huh! Just the healing process I'm going through I guess.

    I wonder if all the NTs would NOT like to do all these things, but are bound by social expectations?


Reply
  • Hiya, I'm not sure if I saw this question some time ago or whether I've been thinking it since dx'ed earlier in the year. I am looking at NTs now and thinking what is going on in their minds; how are they coping with daily life. Very timely though, thanks for bringing it up.

    TBH, I'm feeling more alien than ever now I'm watching the NTs :) A little knowledge, huh! Just the healing process I'm going through I guess.

    I wonder if all the NTs would NOT like to do all these things, but are bound by social expectations?


Children