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
  • Yeah, I remember feeling this when I was very young.  I'd get teary when I'd have to throw away the silliest things, like the paper bag from a 10p mix up lol.  I'd visualise its lonely journey from the waste bin to some landfill site and imagine how I'd feel if that were me.  Probably projection, I wasn't a happy child early on.

    Nowadays I suppose I feel guilty throwing away old clothes, like I at least owe them drawer space after many years of loyal service even though they might be completely worn out.

    Can also relate to what Aidie said about her first car.  I donated mine to the local fire brigade for training and they set upon it with the jaws of life, tore it to pieces!

Reply
  • Yeah, I remember feeling this when I was very young.  I'd get teary when I'd have to throw away the silliest things, like the paper bag from a 10p mix up lol.  I'd visualise its lonely journey from the waste bin to some landfill site and imagine how I'd feel if that were me.  Probably projection, I wasn't a happy child early on.

    Nowadays I suppose I feel guilty throwing away old clothes, like I at least owe them drawer space after many years of loyal service even though they might be completely worn out.

    Can also relate to what Aidie said about her first car.  I donated mine to the local fire brigade for training and they set upon it with the jaws of life, tore it to pieces!

Children
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