Autistic People are NOT natural born leaders... we're this instead...

This reminds me of an old saying. "One step ahead and you're a genius. Two steps ahead and people will think you are crazy."

Nothing makes me feel more alone than being around other people.

A former coworker did an experiment w me. My idea and build out, intentionally he pitched it. Everyone marveled at it and he said “yeah, it was all her idea. I’m just pitching it to prove to you how you’re ignoring the genius in front of you. Wonder why that is?” Our theory was bc I was the only female in a group of men. That was in 2007. I was diagnosed this past year. This video makes me want to reach out and thank him for seeing ‘me’ for who I was at heart. May just do that soon. Thank you for the great video. (Two years old and it is still relevant. Proof of great advanced-thinking content on an algorithm platform. Well done.)

One of my earliest memories from elementary school was in first grade when the fire alarm went off and a deaf child was screaming inconsolably. While everyone was unsure what to do I had said "Just turn off her hearing aid." A few moments later a boy next to me said to turn off her hearing aid loudly, and they did just that.

This was one of my biggest insecurities growing up. In the US, everyone is obsessed with "leadership qualities", but I will be honest at job interviews and say no, I'm actually more of a follower. Not in a conformist sense (obviously) but tell me what to do and I'll get it done. If everyone is a leader, who the hell are they leading??

Happens to me all the time at work. I actually proved it to a work buddy at a meeting, when I offered a suggestion and nobody in the room reacted at all, except my buddy, who looked at me, and then repeated my suggestion. Everyone reacted and acknowledged "his" good idea. He immediately looked back at me with a look of shock. That was a very validating moment for me.

I'm not autistic, but I always seemed to gravitate towards those who weren't always heard or didn't get the right attention they deserved. I always found those people to be genuine and more aware of what's going on than those around them focused more on winning social points

I have a colleague on the autism spectrum. He’s an amazing software engineer. When he started working for us about 5 years ago he didn’t have confidence in his leadership ability. He hadn’t found his voice yet. Slowly he grew in his confidence as he was given tiny leadership tasks, then slowly greater ones, and greater ones. He has really come into his own as a thought leader and many seek him out for his wisdom.

“I don't care that they stole my idea. I care that they don't have any of their own.” “The present is theirs; the future, for which I really worked, is mine.” ― Nikola Tesla

This helps, but it really hurts. It is hard to accept the possibility of never reaping the social and material benefits of my own ideas. I didn't sign up to be a martyr, to have everything stolen from me, and to be left behind. I don't exist solely for the collective wellbeing. I deserve wellbeing too.

I’m 50+ and you have just simply explained why I’m so unhappy in my job and why things can be so stressful and difficult.

thank you for this . as an autisitc female i have a hard time dealing with what is FAIR. I often innovate ideas that get rejected but a few years later the same people are jealous of me for persuing these ideas. For example i decided to move offgrid before it was fashionable and everyone was gossiping and teasing me for living in a tiny home. Now they envy me!!! I wish they would just ask for advice.

I literally live through this at work 2 or 3 times a month. Not even joking. I've made a joke to be ignored and literally 2 seconds later someone makes the same joke and everyone is laughing. I thought I was going crazy.

I've noticed that how most people respond to information depends more on how they feel about the person giving the information than it does on the information itself. Personally, I've always found that very odd.

I got self conscious in school about asking questions. It always felt like I was almost having a one on one discussion with my teachers. When I asked one of my friends about it they were dumbfounded and shocked that I was worried, "You ask the questions I haven't even realised I need to ask yet". Over the years I've just gotten used to saying "I told you so" without actually saying it

This is so relatable that it hurts, What I found out is that is easier to be the second hand of a leader and give advices only to them, also just doing things as an "experiment" until it becomes a standard.

I refuse to lead for exactly the same reason why I refuse to follow.

This video hit me like a ton of bricks. I've always felt like I should be a leader, but it also always felt like I was overlooked. This explains why. I'm not a leader, I'm a trailblazer. People may not follow us where we go, but the path we make when we go will help to guide the leaders who come behind us.

I used to see my special education as a giant mark on my life, a little slip of paper saying I've got a few kinds of mental issues set me into different dumbed down classes, with dumbed down work and dumbed down effort. They let us breeze through and I was never more insulted to be treated like just side trash you gotta get out of the way. As an adult, I currently work with people who do not understand how vegetables "work", who think cold water makes you fat, and cannot understand how being slammed with 200lbs could hurt you. And these same people are allegedly "normal" If you're struggling with the perception that you're an idiot because that's what the general public says, take a closer look. Odds are they're literally soo frigging retarded you'll feel like a genius, and realize all that special education didn't slow you down at all.

This has happened to me multiple times at different workplaces. It's good in a way because it shows the true nature of whom i am dealing with. If i am presented with a good idea from someone, i have always credited the source (always). i have never in my life wanted to become a leader, 99% of leaders are horrible human beings and i don't understand this obsession with everybody wanting to be a leader. Just a bizarre world to me.