Did you think things had feelings?

As a child did you think 'things's had feelings?

Like toy cars, buildings, roads, plants, cups, etc?

I keep reading how child autists see people as inanimate objects. But I'm unsure if that's true. I was terrified/bewildered by new people, but also I felt objects were animate and had feelings. So in a room with people it seemed fair I gave attention to the ignored. It's also why I felt some days we had to go on a certain road, because it wasn't fair to ignore it, or maybe if we always used one road it won't be upsetting for it if we used a different road. When I stimmed, I had to finish my stim before answering someone because it wouldn't be fair on the parts I hadn't done, and it was too much to stim and answer.

I can still sometimes feel bad when I get rid of something, that it'll now it's unloved. Is that why some of us hoard?

Is this a being a kid thing? Or an autism thing? Or me? I feel it's not that I lacked empathy, it's that it extended to everything and so dividing my empathy up meant there wasn't much for humans.

Parents Reply Children
  • I think plenty of philosophers have worried about this. And lots of books and films cover this ground, like Blade Runner. In a way it's a deep question, what are feelings and emotions? What is it to be human? If we're just cells that have been wired and programmed a certain way by our environment then at some point machines will reach the same. So what is it that makes us human?

    The blog link above could be interesting for him. How old is he? Would he like this forum?

  • Really? I'l have to let my son know that, as I think he worries about the things he worries about sometimes! Slight smile He always feels better when he realises he's not alone Slight smile Not literally of course - he prefers being on his own Slight smile But he's always surprised when he finds out that other people have had similar thoughts to his own Slight smile

  • I think I'm mostly over it. But then I've adapted and got used to things that I don't notice my quirks, but on this one I'd say at 50 I'm well over it.

    But yes, I've been concerned about how AI might have feelings but humans won't care cos they're machines so will cause them suffering.