Aspies and the need to analyze jokes

[David Ford]

I don't have Aspergers, nor do I think I'm on the spectrum. I am a member of Mensa, and I notice an interesting phenomena on their Facebook group, which I don't know if it can be attributed to Aspergers or not.

There tends to be an elevated need to analyze jokes by people in Mensa that I don't see elsewhere.

My jokes tend to be word plays that tend to the absurd or ridiculous.

I posted one,

"Sometimes I feel like I'm not the sharpest brick in the elevator",

and got two people wanting to change the wording of it.

I've read some online articles about Aspies not getting some humor clues (facial expressions, etc) in person, but, I'm wondering if this extends to written?

None of the people who have tried to analyze the jokes have also identified as an Aspie, so, I'm just trying to figure it out. Someone else suggested that it might be the issue.

This is not meant to be disrespectful in any way. Just a desire to understand, so I can treat these instances in a more understanding manner, and not push anyone's buttons or make things difficult in a public setting. In one case I simply messaged the person privately explaining the joke, but never heard anything back from them. Usually I just say "Jokes are not for analysis", which is meant as a sort of joke in itself.

I'd really be interested in some insight. Thanks.

David

[Martijn Dekker]

[posted & mailed]

Post by David Ford
There tends to be an elevated need to analyze jokes by people in Mensa that I
don't see elsewhere.

An elevated intellectual intelligence is correlated with an increased
tendency to be analytical. That could explain a lot right there.

It could also be that pedantry is part of Mensa's social culture. If
that is the case, then even nonautistic members who have a high tendency
to wards social conformance would tend to come across as such.

And yes, to have a high need to analyze and understand everything can be
an autistic/Asperger trait; this can be a compensation for reduced
social intuition and increased need of certainty. Many autistic people,
out of necessity, spend a lot of time and effort gathering information
of all kinds relevant to getting along in society.

As to which of these (if any) is "the issue" with an particular person,
your guess is as good as mine.

[...]

Post by David Ford
I've read some online articles about Aspies not getting some humor clues
(facial expressions, etc) in person, but, I'm wondering if this extends to
written?

In written communication, facial expressions and other body language are
irrelevant. So it can serve as a great equalizer between the
autistic/neurodivergent and the neurologically typical populations.

I've often noticed that NTs (neurotypicals) complain that textual
communication disables them. They lament the lack of facial expressions
and other body languages and find their ability to communicate
effectively impeded.

For me, as an autistic person, it's always been more of a liberation to
communicate in text. I do have a "real" social life as well, but mostly
with other autistic people.

Hope this helps,

- M.

(Because a.s.a. is pretty dead, I'm dropping you a cc as a heads-up that
I posted a reply, but feel free to reply in the group only.)