As an Aspie I find Australia and New Zealand at a great disadvantage in terms of geography. This is because people here and Australia itself is so isolated. Unlike Europe where there is more cultural and closeness proximity, Australia seems to be more of a lizard type of environment.
Yesterday I attended a Yoga Workshop and found the procedure a little to hierarchical as everyone was asked to fill in a sheet of attendance. When you don't have a pen nor somewhere to write on the sheet, it can be a bit difficult to fill the stupid thing in when you are supposed to be attending a relaxation exercise. Despite the Instructor being German, I found myself thinking I couldn't be bothered filling this stupid sheet of paper in so can you please start with the exercises? The instructor said afterward you should have filled this in, you should do it now! I felt like saying I am not in a bootcamp nor am I a child who has to be told what I am supposed to do. I finished kindergarten about 35 years ago. Anyhow, I found the lady next to me a bit close minded. She apparently joked about my smelly shoes and some other gossip when I felt like saying "Lady are you at all interested in the program we are doing here today rather than be wondering about my shoes and commenting and not knowing whether you are joking or not"? One of the things that sets Australia apart from other countries is that its geographical isolation tends to make people defensive. People are more critical of comments made here than taking on board suggestions. For instance if you make a comment about Australia's obsession with sport, then you are told 'mate what's wrong with you, you shouldn't knock Aussies who are the world's finest Rugby players". I mean is there nothing else beside sport in the Australian nation?
As an Aspie I find it suffocating trying to relate to the majority of people in Australia. I just don't know what it is but people just don't seem to think deeply. I also find the isolation in Australia making Australia 3 steps slow than the rest of the world. I often feel like I am suffocating when I have been fortunate to have traveled and then talk to someone within a brief closed questioned conversation as to why such and such did this or that. It is often frustrating trying to share knowledge or ask questions as people just seem to respond in a very limited way. In other words the art of conversation here tends to be somewhat frustrating.
One of the things Australia needs to do and has done well in has to bring in other nationalities. Such people bring with them experiences from their own countries. For instance German people seem very industrious and methodical and some European people are very warm and friendly. Compared to the bogan, open minded people make you feel human and less defensive. Also some Australian accents seem to scare you away as they sound so much like crows on a branch.
If given the opportunity Australians should travel more as I think they are very insular to the world around them. When traveling abroad a person broadens their knowledge base and it also helps to reinforce a person's own identity. As an Aspie I find travel a great way to overcome suffocation syndrome but I find myself constantly frustrating by a society which seems to be resistant to awareness and intellectual curiosity. Working in a university allows me to be someone eccentric but when I drive on Brisbane's crap roads I feel a sense of tension and frustration. Quite honestly I feel like kicking some buts to improve infrastructure and provide a better road base to the crappy roads we have here!
Ask yourself is it the lack of intellectual curiosity that causes Aspies to become introspective and withdrawn? Also does the resistance make it hard for an Aspie to be understood and accepted within main stream culture? I think Aspie men are also treated like crap because we do not exhibit the same qualities as others. Well in my case I am not ego driven, competitive, brag on about my so called qualities, and hit on women at every available opportunity. Aspies have different cognitive wiring so people please understand this rather than trying to conform us for from personal experience it just makes you feel depressed. I am happy being Aspie and I don't see why others have a problem with it and why I should have to suffer Leper Syndrome.
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