Choosing your generation?

[AspieMillennial]

(07-13-2019, 07:48 PM)Warren Dew Wrote:

(07-13-2019, 06:52 PM)AspieMillennial Wrote: This isn't really true to me but then again I'm an old Millennial. In my experience, standing firm, standing your ground, and not budging works.

It has worked so far for you, but we're still in the fourth turning.  Boomers are still fighting, so if you disagree with some, there are others that will come to your defense.  And Gen X are fine with independence.

After the crisis and the forming of a consensus, during the first turning, the winning Boomers and the (nonaspie) Millenials will enforce the consensus ruthlessly.  There is already talk of taking away rights from the "mentally ill" and, in some circles, preventive detention of them; in the first turning, nonconforming aspies, as well as any other nonconforming nonneurotypicals will likely be labelled mentally ill and put in asylums.  The neurotypicals will conform because of their strong herd instinct.

People talk about how high a percentage of the US population is in prison now; back in the 1950s, the percentage in prison was much lower, but the percentage involuntarily committed to insane asylums was much higher than now, and about the same as are in prison now.  McCarthyism was a winning political tactic in the 1950s.  Don't think it can't happen again.

Independent thinkers won't be safe again until the second turning.  And frankly, back in the 1960s, there were still remnants of enforced conformism; it's just that there were enough Adaptives - Silents - around to reinforce the Reactive Lost in their efforts to restore some individual freedom.

I'm not saying you need to change your habits now, but I am saying that you should be on the lookout for a sea change that will suggest that you need to change or at least tone down your habits.

Quote:I was taught social skills but more in a specific sense. Specific words to say, specific phrases to say, specific actions to take, specific body language, posture, ways of walking, specific types of eye contact. I was taught specific rules of politeness, how to make an impression, how to haggle and negotiate, how to do favor for others to gain favor back. I was taught when something was weird or strange. I didn't get the urge to fit in but I got the urge to use those skills whenever I needed something. This was enforced by parents, teachers, and psychologists. On the other hand, I was taught critical thinking and discussion was a daily part of my life. I was taught how to use logic.

Sounds like your parents did a good job.  My daughter was referred to a city psychologist because of behavior issues at school, and the psychologist remarked repeatedly on how rationally she discussed individual relations.  Aspies need these skills because we just don't have the intuitive understanding of how neurotypicals handle interpersonal relations.

I'm going to isolate myself in the first turning from the majority of people and only limit my interaction to people who are close to me. I will get my way by finding niches. Also in the first turning, Millennials won't be the only generation there. I will specifically use strategies to avoid interactions with certain people and crowds and only limit myself to those who will accept me. I will ignore all others and specifically avoid them. I will only limit myself to the minority of people in my generation or Gen X who agree with me. The others I will go out of the way to not talk to them. Is this a good strategy? I'm fine with independence and was raised differently from many in my generation.