DON’T LET THEM CALL YOU CRAZY - Steve Jobs
When thinking of Bill Gates, Steven Spielberg, Walt Disney, what do you think of?
For me it’s simple. I think of three men that all worked exceptionally hard to be and create what they have and to be the best in their field. I also think of a shared set of characteristics that got them there; Determination, Obsession, Focus, and a rejection of an ordinary life. I think of success.
But now, would you be surprised if I now told you that all these traits are actually the symptoms of a medically recognized difference?
Asperger’s & Aspie’s
Aspergers syndrome is the term used to describe a rare and irreversible psychological difference that affects the way in which certain people communicate, work and perceive the outside world.
Common Characteristics Include:
- A singular attention & intense focus
- A disinterest in social contact
- The need for a routine and a plan
- An intense intelligence and talent in one field alone
I’ve previously covered the effect that a person frame of mind can have on them, but the interesting thing about Asperger’s is its effect alone on the person and their future.
Combined with the dream, Asperger’s and its traits have probably been a huge player in the successes of some people. Steve Jobs, Charles Dickens, Thomas Edison, Steven Spielberg, Bill Gates, and Walt Disney, they all have all got, had or are assumed to have had it and they have all succeed to their aim’s.
But once upon a time the figures listed above were just like you. They had a dream and path. But now, as they leave their mark in the world, they prey that you won’t just carry on from where they left off in later years, but do so having learnt from them in terms of both their successes and their mistakes.
Learning from Them
The world is an evolving place, and it’s the job of everybody in it to evolve themselves and their fields with it. To build on what the previous successes brought to the world, in order to make it better.
From Aspergers We Can Learn the Importance of:
- Planning ahead & organising your mind
- Being proud to think differently
- Being focused and persistent
- Having the ability to undergo work and effort to get to where you need to be
- Ignoring outside distractions
- Tunnel Vision
In terms of getting things done, these qualities could be considered essential ingredients to making your own way in life and rethinking an idea in a way that has never been seen before.
“If the world was left to you socialites, nothing would get done and we would still be in caves talking to each other” Dr Temple Grandin
But as discussed in my tunnel vision blog post, rejection of change and socialization can also lead to a rejection of life, inspiration and opportunity. Which is especially important when considering the creative field of Walt Disney and Steven Spielberg.
So it’s Equally Important to Avoid:
- Routine & Inflexibility
- Single focus
- Obsession (to the point where your field is your life, not a support for)
- Ignoring outside opinions
- Tunnel Vision
To conclude, the success of all these amazing people may be considered as despite or as a result of their condition. But to me, the reason these people made the history books is because they considered both sides to the story.
It’s important to remember that there are many people who have also succeed in our world without this difference, but by bringing in some of the keys of Asperger’s to your life, and bearing in mind the things below I believe anybody can achieve and succeed.
Bare In-Mind the Following:
- There’s a difference between following a routine and missing opportunities.
- There is a difference between distractions and possible ideas.
- There is a difference between being focused and being obsessed.
Learning the difference will divide you from those achieve and those who don’t, those who are happy and those who aren’t. And that difference is the achievement of a one life success.
The question is, what will the people of the future learn from you?
Wrote by Aimee Hall
