The Ten Second Autism Test

[Sam-pmvy]

I am most definitely autistic and I am creative and prefer working alone … and yet I don’t know that I can answer that question definitively in one direction. I suppose I can’t get past the thought that the world cannot be summed up in such simple binary concepts, especially when those concepts aren’t opposites, and that both are valuable in their own ways

[nrok]

if you don't share your cool new arrowhead with someone else, the knowledge disappears like it never happened. I prefer to work alone, but cooperation is more important for society to even exist

[Cryptic]

How the question is posed also certainly changes my answer. What is most important to "society" would have to be cooperation, for there could be no society without it. On the other other hand, if you ask what's most important to "human thriving, " it skews toward creativity.

Ultimately, perhaps my most autistic trait is that I really get hung up on grappling not just with the spirit of the actual question, but also the crucial nuance of difference it makes to phrase "society" as the good we're trying to promote.

Perhaps what I might suggest is that society itself is good for humanity to the extent that it successfully performs the balancing act needed to make the relationship of the individual and the group a symbiotic rather than parasitic or competitive one. Where things go wrong is when one or the other is given primacy, and people go from "All for one and one for all" to "I got mine, good luck getting yours"

[TDPEquinox]

I have never been able to answer this question. I've always landed directly in the middle, both seem equally important to me. Gun to my head, I don't think I could honestly pick one.

[petergeorge]

Autism is the technology gene. ADHD is the hunter gene. We needed both to progress.

[SmiliesGarage]

I am 45 and was recently diagnosed with high functioning autism. My journey through life is becoming clear, like a plane decending through clouds, and the runway is now visible.

[sguttag]

I'm stuck Dave! I said "BOTH!" How can society not have both and in abundance. I really can't value one over the other.

[truckerallikatuk]

Looking at this logically, as Aspies tend to do, the society exists due to cooperation, thus that is the core of society. Creativity is the key to advancement of that society. In my (not so humble) opinion, both are vital.

[gigaherz_]

Cooperation is needed for society, creativity is needed for progress. Without either we wouldn't be where we are.

[jimgrady]

Took me 1/100 of a second to yell, "Creativity!".

[Jules_Diplopia]

Whether you call it autism or something else, it seems clear to me that it is the 'odd ones' the 'outsiders' who led the development. They are the ones who dared to taste that odd plant, that might have been poisonous, and discovered new food sources. They are the ones who played with stones or sticks and discovered fire and blades etc.

The cooperative social ones are needed of course, they keep things going. but it is the outliers, who fail or succeed, trying something new, and thereby expand the boundaries.

[dr.monotone]

Can't have a society without everyone working together, can't advance society without some creative weirdos.

[truthveritas]

I failed to slog through your LED video without yawing, thus I am relived to say I am 100% Autism Free.

[babybirdhome]

I’m not formally diagnosed yet, but every indicator points strongly in the direction that I’m autistic. I don’t think society can exist without both. With no creativity, we’d still be huddled around that camp fire (until it went out and nobody knew how to start a new one) living in caves. But on the flip side, no matter how perfectly an autistic person can make an arrowhead, it won’t do them any good if a tiger pounces on them while they’re hyperfocused on crafting it and oblivious to the world around them as I often am.

I believe that in the grand scheme of things, one cannot long exist without the other. And I say that knowing full well how much I’d rather live in an autistic world. But there are just some things that I can’t manage on my own, and the civlization and all its benefits on which I depend for my survival couldn’t exist if the world were full of only people like me. I depend on neurotypicals as much as they depend on me. The only big difference is that I readily recognize and acknowledge that, whereas most neurotypicals neither recognize nor acknowledge their dependence on people like me.

[TomCee]

I was diagnosed as ADHD about 20 years ago, and I recently turned 70. I’ve come to the conclusion that labels are helpful, but frequently mishandled. This is much like how tools may be redefined as weapons.
I’ve also concluded that spectrum is an apt descriptor of anything to do with the brain, since no two people are alike, and the factors that lead to labels are hard to measure at best, and likely vary from time to time.
I’ve described myself as a Jack-of-all-trades because I find many things come easy, at least in the initial stages. On the other hand, I have significant difficulty in honing perfection at anything. I’m pretty good at a few things, but only because I’ve been doing them for decades. Most anything I can figure out the basics, and that’s often good enough. Part of me wishes that could become really good at something, but the target isn’t clear enough to sustain motivation. I could go on, but probably shouldn’t. 👨🏼‍🏫

[tuhaggis]

Creativity solves problems, cooperation executes the solutions.

[Green_Expedition_Drgn]

I definitely say creativity! I also, have ADHD and had to watch this twice because I missed the question the first time 😂. Even with Dave saying, "are you ready?" 😂

[mansquatch]

Ancient cavemen talking about their hunt.
Ancient autistic caveman, who is bummed out that he only got a few minor kills and doesn't care about the boasting, makes a much better arrowhead. Spends a few nights making a few dozen.
Next hunt, he nails a prime kill and becomes the talk of the fire, shows others how to make the arrow head. Then the tribe eats much better for the next few years, but his name fades, he withdraws from the fire and finds a much better way to MAKE the now very popular arrowheads.

He isn't the best hunter, but the best hunters always come to him for arrowheads, and he gets a nice wife, has many kids and dies a respected, but reclusive, tribal elder.

[voodoo]

My dictionary has the two following definitions for society:
- an organized group of persons associated together for religious, benevolent, cultural, scientific, political, patriotic, or other purposes.
- a body of individuals living as members of a community

For both of those definitions, cooperation is essential. Meaning without cooperation you can't have a society to begin with. So from that point of view cooperation is definitely more important. Or said another way: If you have to spend all your energy and time on surviving, you won't have the opportunity to be creative and implement your ideas.

At the same time if you want to have a successful society you will definitely need some creative people that can use that cooperative environment to dream big and push society forward.

But even then - most inventions and creative endeavours required large amounts of cooperation to implement. From the pyramids to going to the moon to CERN. None of those would've been doable by a single person.

[LindenAshbyMK]

Considering how easily the crowd can be driven by false, violent motives - I can relate and respect much stronger towards introvert and autistic individuals.