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Is secrecy an autistic thing?

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I'm relatively new to this, and keep finding things about me that directly link to autism... I wonder: is secrecy an autism thing? 

I can be _really_ private - I could give loads of examples (but they're secret!), though a simple one would be that while I'd happily ask this question here, I wouldn't talk to my partner about it, or I deed want them to know I was typing this here, now, on the internet... I don't want them to know what I'm doing in that space at all come to think of it!

So is this also (another) trait? I've seen it in my work context with young autistics which is partly why I ask... it's funny what you pick up from younger, less filtered/masking autistics - I hadn't realised that I stim in certain situations until very recently, and that was something I' seen in much younger autistics. 

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  • I've taken the question from both sides (allistic, autistic).

    When I was a young adult, I started wondering why people would treat me as a psychologist and tell me everything they had in mind. Especially very private things.

    So I asked them. Apparently 1) I listen, 2) Suggest questions to explore their problem further, 3) I would never share what they said to me (sometimes against their will, where it was expected I would share it).

    Some of it may be just chance. But one other reason is that I believe sharing secrets creates social snowballs, just as lying does.  So it's much better to never share secrets.

    On the other hand, I don't share my own secrets, because most people are not like that, at all. It was hard initially, but I became used to it eventually, and even a need.

    For me it is also important to control my online traces to some extent as well.

  • in reply to emanningis

    I worry about that last part often, to the point t where I often edit a day after for fear of doxing myself. I'm not sure why I care - it's probably a professional thing - but I do, increasingly so. 

    Funnily enough I've also been a trusted type in that way for people too - I always wondered if it's because folk knew I was a little different so  l'd understand and empathise more, as well as being good at not passing stuff on. Thinking about it perhaps people thought I got other people well too - and I did because I'd been studying the strange things my whole life! 

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  • in reply to emanningis

    I worry about that last part often, to the point t where I often edit a day after for fear of doxing myself. I'm not sure why I care - it's probably a professional thing - but I do, increasingly so. 

    Funnily enough I've also been a trusted type in that way for people too - I always wondered if it's because folk knew I was a little different so  l'd understand and empathise more, as well as being good at not passing stuff on. Thinking about it perhaps people thought I got other people well too - and I did because I'd been studying the strange things my whole life! 

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