Tirbes, are you tribal?

Arise said:

What IS the correct collective term for a group of autists?

Here are a few suggestions:

https://community.autism.org.uk/f/adults-on-the-autistic-spectrum/33632/a-collective-noun-for-people-on-the-spectrum/327127#327127

You've done it now. What IS the correct collective term for a group of autists? I'll go with... a diversity of autists. Anyone?

Unfortunately, all humans are tribal. We can't escape it as it's part of our nature. There is strength in numbers and everyone does have an internal need to feel a sense of belonging. As infants, we would die if abandoned (this is not true for other animals). Think of this in reverse impact: rejection can create a great deal of psychological trauma as a consequence.

The issue isn't black and white, but to what degree one can withstand not Belonging. 

To feel secure or grounded in more extreme isolation might actually be a Natural Ability - to the degree that most people in our Typical population are potentially disabled. Jung wrote a great deal on his concept of The Mask, which is actually this "intuitive blending in" with everyone else, and the concept also includes: 1. the inability to remove this mask without years or decades of emotional work and 2. the external mask as the more true and unique self. Behind it is an individual who is connected into (or disintegrating into) a collective consciousness. Hard-wired in, as it were, without choice or knowledge. And apparently, in psychology, there is a strong agreement that the Wire (one cannot break from) is an unshakable sense of guilt and indebtedness (not gratitude, but literally, in-debt).

Autistics will always be on the margins for not having this particular 'wiring' which dominates the Neuro-Typical experience, and is most likely at the heart of the structure polarising Autistic from Non-Autistic perceiving, reasoning and understanding: Tribal belonging. This is the bias behind the double empathy problem, as well. 

Apparently this is part of strengthened left-brain 'wiring' for social linguistics. It's connected to Language (language can be music, gestures, all kinds of expression, not just mouth words). It's often been discussed as being 'encoded' into human thinking. Take the collective consciousness a step further: collective thought. A neurologist has found that in a group effort, brain waves sync up. Autistics "appear" to think outside-the-box for, basically - not being wired on the Neurotypical "radio frequency". 

There have always existed variations of differences. Jung invented the personality archetypes as a way to help bridge misunderstanding. However, this particular difference is probably the most misunderstood. Not feeling a sense of telepathy in a room, but having to synthetically evaluate and work out conscious ways to fit in. I do believe there is an evolutionary purpose, but one needs to grow in wisdom when they don't have an automatic sense of 'being too connected' to everyone else. 

It's human to need to Belong and one can do just as much good with that desire as bad. We form tribes in small family units, in community groups and in Countries. Even capitalistic ventures use branding to create affiliations and a 'false' sense of tribal belonging to sell their products... tribes are everywhere. The upside to Autism is we can literally pick where we'd like to invest our time. 

_____

I want to add, NTs don't necessarily 'go along' with orders blindly or ignorantly. Being wired the way they are simply implies a different way of thinking which prioritises the social collective, the group outweighs anything else- I genuinely see it as a human nature element, which also needs wisdom to notice when it's all gone horribly wrong. There is a strong chance 99% of us who are autistic here, might not sacrifice a "truth" for the sake of the group when it really matters, but we're not special LOL - we're just not wired the same way. 

I have never belonged anywhere so I gave up on trying to belong and I wondered why it’s so important for others. Now I have some sort of feeling, that I belong. Here. Here I finally found people who I can share a piece of me and get some understanding, support or just have a conversation. We are social species, even those who like being alone and do things on their own, like me. I noticed many people like having some enemies, maybe it makes them feel stronger or their sense of belonging. It’s not a person being their enemy, rather some group of people whose beliefs may be opposite to theirs and this fuels them. I noticed this kind of dynamic but I don’t get involved in hatred based on some stereotypes and beliefs about some group. Human being is first. 

i think id like a tribe, a unified peoples, a homogenous culture of unified people.... strong sense of belonging and togetherness....

but yeah i never get included and never got that so being a left out outcast i likely want it because i didnt have it. other people who had that community and togetherness may not value it or want it because they already have it all the time and take it for granted.... but who knows, if i get it i may not want it too lol and likely if such a thing was possible id still be left out of it, or even if i was included id still feel weird and like id not be acceptable anyway. id just naturally repel or gravitate away from it even if it was a possible thing and likely even if such a tribe wanted to accept me id still gravitate away as id feel weird and not the same and not feel fitting in anyway.

As for me, definitely not. I've always been on the outside looking in. Don't even think I've made it to one of your edges!

Can that be the name of our tribe of people on this forum - a Pride of Autists?

You and me both Amerantin, I would end up in prison and I wouldn't get up and do 10 mile runs vbefore breakfast or whatever absurditites they try to make you break even though you're in prison and are going to be thrown out.

Iain I don't see it as self sabotage, I'm just not a social clubable person except maybe with a baseball bat, lol! I think its common sense not to keep putting myself in a situation that I know isn't going to end well.

With my cats I guess I have a pride!

 I call my brothers and sister my tribe. Thought I didn't believe in that but it seems that is what it is.

TheCatWoman said:

For me I'm not really a part of any tribe

Same here - I don't really enjoy the social aspect of the tribalism.

TheCatWoman said:

I wouldn't want to be part of any club that would have someone like me as a member.

This seems a fairly common form of self sabotage that I've seen in a lot of autistic people - I wonder how common that is.

Nope, I'm an individual.

(Shortest post I've ever written, I think!)

This is one of the reasons I’ve never understood why some autistic people complain about not being able to get into the army.

Me in a hierarchical control structure where you have to unquestioningly obey orders? Would not end well.