Empathy and Aspergers

It's hard for me to understand people who aren't like me. Especially when I was little. I couldn't understand why everyone didn't love dinosaurs as much as I did, or anything else that I liked. Even now, I've never met someone who loves moths and insects in general as much as I do. I cannot understand why everyone doesn't just love moths. And look at this praying mantis. Look at her.

The only other people I've seen who like that kind of stuff are on Bugguide.net where a bunch of bug nerds sit around and talk about moths and other arthropods all day long. (I've helped people on there identify about thirty species so far.)

I don't really understand people's feelings, either. When I was younger I would lash out at my siblings when they annoyed me, and they would cry and I would feel nothing. This is not as much of a problem nowadays. I can read my family's emotions pretty well now because I know them, but if I don't know a person, it's much more difficult. 

I used to have these reading assignments where I was supposed to answer questions about how the characters felt and stuff. It would be like: "Write 5 sentences about how you think Walden the pig felt when his entire family was decimated by rabid coyotes."  

And I'd be like... "He felt... bad?" 

(I like to think about books in my own head in thoughts that don't get put into words. I hate talking about books. It ruins the experience when I have to stop every chapter and write a bunch of sentences.)

I think the internet has helped me understand people a little better because it exposes me to a lot of different opinions people have, and their reasons for them. I listen to debates a lot, and even if I think a person is wrong, I can understand where they are coming from better.

Empathy may not be my strong point, but that doesn't necessarily mean I am a sociopath. c:

 

Here are a couple of my other posts that are related:

Asperger kids and feelings

Saying sorry

Comments

[Sarah]

amazing! thank you for sharing!

[Patrice]

I understand your feelings,I don't know how old you are,but I took lots of time to understand people are not like me,sometimes it was hard,like learning people are lier and stealer,when I was 7,or thinking real friendship maybe doesn't exist when I was 18,I have some doubt about the "true love" concept too...
What I kno,for sure,is I don't understand why people don't understand the marvels of mechanics that built some insects or other creatures,vegetals,or even rocks.
In the first time I was thinking I was just enthusiast,and I discovered my asperger syndrom about one year ago(I'm 35)
Now I know people are different,it helps,because it can get easier to understand differences,and work with more than against them.

PS:I found about ten mantis this year,more than I found during my all life,and all were in the garden where I live for a year now.
I found 13 snails species too,all in the same garden,from a couple of millimeters to about 3,5cm diameter.
There are lots of things to see,when we look with real eyes,and a fully functionnal brain.
It doesn't matter if we are not able of lies....sorry,I mean,empathy....if someone needs my help,I find solutions I'm not here to tell him he is a poor guy life is so sade with him,useless....