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
  • I'm finding this question rather interesting the more I think about it.. My first thought was no, I don't think they have feelings. However, when I'm cross with something I usually start calling it all sorts of foul and offensive names, uttering dire threats to its very existence. So, when I'm doing that, am I just venting my spleen, or am I trying to offend the thing, hurt its feelings and make it feel guilty? Well, I'm beginning to think it could be the latter. So yes, maybe they do have feelings.

    So now that I have that in my mind, when I'm next having a rant at something will I start to feel guilty lest I've offended it?  Will I apologise to it when I've calmed down?  Will that mean the 'thing' has won and maybe got the better of me?

    I'm not sure I like that possibility.

  • It's funny how reading posts or books on autism i can think "that's not me," then slowly realise it is. I didn't think I had any inusual interest in car number plates and said so in the AQ test. Then reading how autists see number plates before the car i realised that was exactly me, I just thought that was the same for everyone.

Reply
  • It's funny how reading posts or books on autism i can think "that's not me," then slowly realise it is. I didn't think I had any inusual interest in car number plates and said so in the AQ test. Then reading how autists see number plates before the car i realised that was exactly me, I just thought that was the same for everyone.

Children