I stumbled on a list of typical traits of autistic people and I was quite surprised to see how many of them were also typically associated with individualistic cultures from Northern Europe (+ North America, Australia and New Zealand). Many traits are also typical of scientists and scientific-minded people.
Autism is caused partly by an excess of testosterone during brain development. Male homosexuals experienced just the opposite: they didn't receive enough testosterone when their brain was formed as a foetus. In theory, autistic men can never be gay, or vice versa (lesbians, however, may have autistic traits, as they brain are too 'masculinised').
I have read quite a few books on the psychological differences between men and women (e.g. Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus Why Men Don't Listen and Women Can't Read Maps), and autistic traits appear to be essentially exacerbated masculine mental characteristics. And indeed there is a very strong gender bias for autism towards boys/men.
Autism is not one condition, but a wide spectrum, from mild to profound. Profoundly autistic people may have all kinds of deficits or learning disabilities, but others may not even be recognised as autistic (some are never diagnosed) because they behave mostly like other people, except that they are less sociable or have some or all the traits in the list below. Stretching it a bit, we could almost say that all (straight) men are somewhere on the autistic spectrum, though the majority is so mildly autistic that they have become mainstream or 'normal' (whatever that means).
Here is the list of austic traits I was referring to.
Not only are these traits typically "male", they are also extremely commonplace among scientists, and among Germanic and other people of Northern European descent. What else should a good scientist have if not seek the truth, be passionate about ideas, have good memories, and avoid judging something based on appearances only ? What's more, many career scientists really are less sociable, less materialistic, and care less about social expectations and keeping up with the Joneses.
It is a fact of life that most scientists in the world are men, and not by a narrow margin, especially when it comes to exact sciences like physics or chemistry (or mathematics). The ratio of scientific graduates in most countries usually exceeds 80% of males. Not only are they men, their minds tend to score high on the masculinity index, so it shouldn't be surprising if some of them should be mildly autistic (or more).
Northern European cultures (including other English-speaking cultures like the USA) are known for their individualism and masculine characteristics. It is not an accident of history that Scandinavian women were the first to become emancipated, and the first who wanted to get rid of gender roles to behave like men - including taking positions of power. Northern European, and especially Germanic cultures, have always been more masculine than say Mediterranean, African, South Asian or East Asian ones.
It also just so happened that modern sciences developed more eagerly in these masculine and individualistic cultures than elsewhere. Most of the great names of science come from individualistic cultures of Germanic descent (I phrase it this way so as to include countries like France, which are not culturally Germanic but nevertheless have some Germanic roots and are also quite individualistic). The list of science Nobel prize winners per capita
speaks for itself (think of removing non-scientific Nobel prize winners, such as those won by Saint Lucia and Timor-Leste). All the countries are Germanic, and the list almost seems to go in roughly decreasing order of Germanicity, with partly Germanic countries (UK, Israel, Ireland, Germany, Belgium, France, Czech Rep., Hungary) coming after the old Scandinavian core.
Germanic people (except the British) are also known for their outspokenness and honesty, often to the point of bluntness. This is once again a trait almost always found in autistic spectrum disorder.
This all makes me wonder whether genes underlying these autistic traits were not originally more common among ancient Northern Europeans ? Could it be that North European cultures became more individualistic and scientific-minded simply because of a greater incidence of autism genes ?
Autism is caused partly by an excess of testosterone during brain development. Male homosexuals experienced just the opposite: they didn't receive enough testosterone when their brain was formed as a foetus. In theory, autistic men can never be gay, or vice versa (lesbians, however, may have autistic traits, as they brain are too 'masculinised').
I have read quite a few books on the psychological differences between men and women (e.g. Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus Why Men Don't Listen and Women Can't Read Maps), and autistic traits appear to be essentially exacerbated masculine mental characteristics. And indeed there is a very strong gender bias for autism towards boys/men.
Autism is not one condition, but a wide spectrum, from mild to profound. Profoundly autistic people may have all kinds of deficits or learning disabilities, but others may not even be recognised as autistic (some are never diagnosed) because they behave mostly like other people, except that they are less sociable or have some or all the traits in the list below. Stretching it a bit, we could almost say that all (straight) men are somewhere on the autistic spectrum, though the majority is so mildly autistic that they have become mainstream or 'normal' (whatever that means).
Here is the list of austic traits I was referring to.
About.com said:1. Autistic People Rarely Lie
We all claim to value the truth, but almost all of us tell little white lies. All, that is, except people on the autism spectrum. To them, truth is truth -- and a good word from a person on the spectrum is the real deal.
2. People on the Autism Spectrum Live in the Moment
How often do typical people fail to notice what's in front of their eyes because they're distracted by social cues or random chitchat? People on the autism spectrum truely attend to the sensory input that surrounds them. Many have achieved the ideal of mindfulness.
3. People with Autism Rarely Judge Others
Who's fatter? Richer? Smarter? For people on the autism spectrum, these distinctions hold much less importance than for typical folks. In fact, people on the spectrum often see through such surface appearances to discover the real person.
4. Autistic People are Passionate
Of course, not all autistic people are alike. But many are truly passionate about the things, ideas and people in their lives. How many "typical" people can say the same?
5. People with Autism Are Not Tied to Social Expectations
If you've ever bought a car, played a game or joined a club to fit in, you know how hard it is to be true to yourself. But for people with autism, social expectations can be honestly irrelevant. What matters is true liking, interest and passion -- not keeping up with the Joneses.
6. People with Autism Have Terrific Memories
How often do typical people forget directions, or fail to take note of colors, names, and other details? People on the autism spectrum are often much more tuned in to details. They may have a much better memory than their typical peers for all kind of critical details.
7. Autistic People Are Less Materialistic
Of course, this is not universally true -- but in general, people with autism are far less concerned with outward appearance than their typical peers. As a result, they worry less about brand names, hairstyles and other expensive but unimportant externals than most people do.
8. Autistic People Play Fewer Head Games
Who was that woman, and why were you looking at her? I know I TOLD you I didn't mind if you went out, but why did you believe me? Most autistic people don't play games like these -- and they assume that you won't either. It's a refreshing and wonderful change from the Peyton Place emotional roller coaster that mars too many typical relationships!
9. Autistic People Have Fewer Hidden Agendas
Most of the time, if a person on the autism spectrum tells you what he wants -- he is telling you what he wants. No need to beat around the bush, second guess, and hope you're reading between the lines!
10. People with Autism Open New Doors for Neurotypicals
For some of us neurotypicals, having an autistic person in our lives has had a profound positive impact on our perceptions, beliefs and expectations. For me, at least, being the mom of a son on the autism spectrum has released me from a lifetime of "should" -- and offered me a new world of "is."
Not only are these traits typically "male", they are also extremely commonplace among scientists, and among Germanic and other people of Northern European descent. What else should a good scientist have if not seek the truth, be passionate about ideas, have good memories, and avoid judging something based on appearances only ? What's more, many career scientists really are less sociable, less materialistic, and care less about social expectations and keeping up with the Joneses.
It is a fact of life that most scientists in the world are men, and not by a narrow margin, especially when it comes to exact sciences like physics or chemistry (or mathematics). The ratio of scientific graduates in most countries usually exceeds 80% of males. Not only are they men, their minds tend to score high on the masculinity index, so it shouldn't be surprising if some of them should be mildly autistic (or more).
Northern European cultures (including other English-speaking cultures like the USA) are known for their individualism and masculine characteristics. It is not an accident of history that Scandinavian women were the first to become emancipated, and the first who wanted to get rid of gender roles to behave like men - including taking positions of power. Northern European, and especially Germanic cultures, have always been more masculine than say Mediterranean, African, South Asian or East Asian ones.
It also just so happened that modern sciences developed more eagerly in these masculine and individualistic cultures than elsewhere. Most of the great names of science come from individualistic cultures of Germanic descent (I phrase it this way so as to include countries like France, which are not culturally Germanic but nevertheless have some Germanic roots and are also quite individualistic). The list of science Nobel prize winners per capita
speaks for itself (think of removing non-scientific Nobel prize winners, such as those won by Saint Lucia and Timor-Leste). All the countries are Germanic, and the list almost seems to go in roughly decreasing order of Germanicity, with partly Germanic countries (UK, Israel, Ireland, Germany, Belgium, France, Czech Rep., Hungary) coming after the old Scandinavian core.
Germanic people (except the British) are also known for their outspokenness and honesty, often to the point of bluntness. This is once again a trait almost always found in autistic spectrum disorder.
This all makes me wonder whether genes underlying these autistic traits were not originally more common among ancient Northern Europeans ? Could it be that North European cultures became more individualistic and scientific-minded simply because of a greater incidence of autism genes ?