Published on 12, July, 2020
For me it's various things, some of which are (in no particular order):
Quietude in myself, quiet in my surroundings
Being alone or being with people I care about (preferably one at a time)
Being with animals and insects, especially studying how they spend their days
Being at home, in my bedroom, reading a novel
Being in nature away from the noise made by people
Watching a bird flying high in the sky, especially a raptor
Looking at the moon
Being creative
Thank you everyone for your replies which I've found really interesting.
out_of_step said:Contentedness means we are not constantly striving for happiness but appreciating what we already have. It's interesting how no one has said buying stuff or watching the news or using social media makes them happy or content.
Yes and also, I'd be really curious to know how this would be responded to by a forum of allistic people.
I think that the responses would differ greatly.
I think it'd be the same.
Interesting you think that ... I think it would differ quite a lot ...
So this is what I was trying to get at...I don't think we can say autistic and allistic answers would differ as it's more personal preference. I do think there's a difference between something which "brings joy" and "enjoying something" or maybe I'm being too pedantic.
May I ask what it is you enjoy about them? Actually, I might enjoy a shopping mall if it's very quiet and I'm on a leisurely day out. But it's not something which would bring forth joy like nature would. Sometimes it's all about context!
I agree with nearly all of that. Apart from the paragraph where you asked if anyone would enjoy being in a shopping mall. The answer is that some people would. And i'm one of them. And i'm as Autistic as they come. Life is complex, what can we say? Autism is yet another complex part of life.