So, I hear that we Aspergians have difficulty hiding true emotions such as anger and sadness? Why pray tell the use of the word difficulty? Could it be more the case of NTs having difficulty being true to self? . . . difficulty at being honest about what one’s feels? Forget that argument, because the answer has everything to do with the game that’s being played.
Maybe the better question to ask is, “Do children have difficulty hiding true emotions such as anger and sadness?” Dropping it down to children now seems to present a different focus. People don’t expect kids to hide anger or sadness. They can accept children displaying their emotions. Why then must this change when one becomes an adult? Why is it expected of adults to hide what they really feel? Most don’t do a good job of it anyhow. Take politicians for example. If ever there were portraits of trick-or-treaters in action, they’d be it!
I’m not saying that emotions should be allowed full reign of expression. Aspies are well able to express emotion and still keep a lid on its limits. There are enough excellent Aspergian actors who exemplify wonderful abilities at hiding true emotions when the occasion calls for it. No — it’s more like Aspergians value being real and true to self.
In the movie and book titled, “Housekeeping,” the busy-body ladies of the community (most likely neurotypicals) complained to Aunt Sylvie about her niece Ruthie being sad¹. Lucille, Ruthie’s sister, decided to go her own way with her own friends. This left Ruthie feeling rejected and abandoned, but yet Ruthie was expected to hide her true emotion of sadness?! Thank God Sylvie had the guts to inform these busy-body doe-doe heads that Ruthie was supposed to be feeling sad! You’d think that news flash would have been appreciated, but no! Instead such honesty caused more trouble. Yes, it’s only a novel. However, the way that things happen in that story to the characters could very well be real.
What kind of craziness is expected? We’re supposed to be what others want us to be? I guess then that would make Jesus to be an Aspergian too since he didn’t seem to fit the typical conformist mold either in many ways. The mental health profession is like a fire. It’s okay if it’s kept under control and where it belongs. But when they’re allowed to make the statements they do to describe Aspergians the way want, then that fire left the fireplace and only God knows what those sparks will destroy!
¹The last time I watched this movie or read the book was before knowing about Asperger’s Syndrome, so what I’m about to say is relying on memory. Judging from how differently Sylvie and Ruthie think from the typical people of the community, there seems to be quite of bit of Aspergian traits among those two characters. A guy at the video store commented years back, when I rented the film, that the main character, Sylvie, was a schizophrenic person. Funny how so many so-called ‘professionals’ have misdiagnosed countless numbers of Aspergians as being schizophrenic!
