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Literal thinking

Sloan

I was listening to the radio the other day and they were talking about things that you’ve only just learnt or realised that everyone else seems to just know, the typical - “I was today years old when I realised…”. Made me think of some things that I didn’t register about straight away, and now wonder whether this is part of my autistic way of thinking about things, that I just thought about things literally. Some examples… 

On for sale sites when people put something about collections, I always thought they meant that the person that bought the item had to be a collector to purchase it, as in a stamp collector or a coin collector, like it was their hobby. Not that they had to physically be able to go and collect it from the person selling. 

In the song ‘one man went to mow, went to mow-a-meadow’ I always assumed there was a place called mow-a-meadow. I didn’t realise he was going to a meadow to mow/cut the grass.

when people put ‘Tia’ at the bottom of a post I thought it was that their name was Tia and it always amused me how many people shared the same name. It was only recently that I realised it was ‘thanks in advance’ 

Has anyone else got any examples of things like this? Do other people do it? Is it an autistic literal thinking thing or am I just stupid? :) 

  • ‘Meet at 2 pm.’
    I expect them to mean 2 pm

    For anxiety one is meant to 

    ‘float, don’t fight’

    how do I literally float?  On water? 


    I felt like quitting playing violin when a new prospective ‘great’ pedagogue explained that there was no such sound as mine in violin playing. 
    He did add 

    ‘…well, maybe in French music’

    I was playing flautando and he wanted me to dig the bow into the string which is painful because I am too close to it.  I guess autistic sensitivity makes it hard to appreciate the distant concert audience perspective needs stronger playing than is bearable up close. 

    At a violin lesson I was playing a concerto and my teacher asked me to ‘grab the bull by the horns’.  I felt more distracted than educated in that instant. 

    A colleague gave me a ‘gift’ of something recently.   I wrote all over it in pen: it was mine, right?  No, they had meant I could borrow it to copy shared information. 

    ‘you are big-headed’ 

    I am easily offended by what people say because of literalism.

  • in reply to James

    Wait, that’s not what it means?! 

    what the hell does it mean then?? I always thought that it was two spaces after every word! 

  • in reply to Iain

    Ahh that’s such a good example of being literal! Makes total sense why you’d address it like that! I’m glad they still gave you the job! 

    I do wonder whether it’s not that autistic people are literal but rather that non-autistic people do not explain themselves fully! lol 

  • in reply to Homebird

    Ahh I’m glad it’s not just me who thought Tia was the name! 

    ah it’s so weird isn’t it how literal thinking works, I think I’d have thought the same about the do not reply! 

  • in reply to Ausomely Autistic

    Ahh I’m glad it’s not just me then! 
    yeah I can imagine it results in a lot of confusion and funny conversations! 
    Have you got any examples of funny conversations you’ve had?! :) 

  • Mine is double spacing. 

    Took it so literally, the next time the formatting guide stated it does not mean pressing the space bar twice. 

  • in reply to Pegg

    My Mother was convinced that nursing homes were flats for nurses.  I tried to explain to her otherwise, she told me that I was talking B#######.

  • in reply to HMO
    HMO said:
    I used to think teacher training day meant that teachers were allowed to wear trainers.

    It should mean that, in my humble opinion! Joy

  • When I was 17 my parents had a friend who was a supermarket manager and they asked him if I could apply for a job before going to university for a few months. My parents told me to write a letter to them ASAP so I dutifully sent a letter starting with "Dear Mr Asap..."

    I still got the job, but that is neopotism for you... He always remembered the application though.

  • Literalism is 100% an autistic trait (which I also share Blush):

    "Social communication

    Autistic people have difficulties with interpreting both verbal and non-verbal language like gestures or tone of voice. Some autistic people are unable to speak or have limited speech while other autistic people have very good language skills but struggle to understand sarcasm or tone of voice. Other challenges include:

    • taking things literally and not understanding abstract concepts..."

    https://www.autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/what-is-autism > Social communication and social interaction challenges

  • I used to think teacher training day meant that teachers were allowed to wear trainers.

  • I'm not sure I knew the Tia one. I think I would have thought it was their name. I can't think of any examples but I often puzzle over something only to realize they didn't mean it literally.

    I have just remembered one. I used to wonder why I got messages with donotreply automatically when reporting things, thinking it was some type of computer language.It was only when I mentioned the donoreply thing one day to someone that they explained it was do not reply.

  • Sloan said:
    when people put ‘Tia’ at the bottom of a post I thought it was that their name was Tia and it always amused me how many people shared the same name. It was only recently that I realised it was ‘thanks in advance’ 

    Funny!

    Sloan said:
    Is it an autistic literal thinking thing or am I just stupid? :) 

    Definitely an autistic thing! You are amongst some very literal autistic thinkers, especially me! It makes for some very funny conversations and interactions on a daily basis!

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