If you're autistic, can I ask you a question?

[Jammiedogers]

Just a curious question.

I'm diagnosed autistic and work with a lot of autistic teens. Each and every one of them are genuinely wonderful but I have a reputation among them for being gullible. Since they are so wonderful, they never use this info for nefarious purposes (at least I think 🤔😂).

But I'm kind of curious how many autistic people are gullible Vs how many aren't.

Please don't remind me of the whole once you've met one autistic person, you've met one.... I know all of this.

Just wondering how much of a trait it is.

Yes - I am autistic and my natural gullibility level is quite high however decades of experience have overlayed this with a consciousness of this fact which means I am less likely to be caught out nowadays.

We’re all autistic and gullible in this house. 🤣

I'm undiagnosed but consider myself autistic. I'm not gullible in that I'm likely to be defrauded or conned, but I do struggle with eg. work politics where people intentionally give an impression of thinking one thing but then do another. Sometimes I don't know if someone is joking about things which can be difficult.

I'm autistic and I wouldn't say I was anymore gullible than anyone else.

Should say, no more likely to be conned than anyone else. I'm sure we all overestimate our abilities to see through a con.

I'm not gullible but have often taken people at their word because I'm very literal.I would say it's different because that's how I process the world rather than a lack of worldliness on my part.

Im diagnosed autistic, I am pretty gullible but also can be very suspicious, I find it very hard to judge people and their intentions, and I always seem to get things the wrong way around, I suppose I'm a person of extremes, I either completely taken in and believe everything, or I'm highly suspicious and not sure what's going on.
I'm more easily taken in by simple things/jokes that go over my head, more complex matters I'm never sure and can read too much into things
Hope that makes sense!

Exactly this for me.

3 of us autistic and all 3 very gullible.

Autistic and very gullible. In my early 20s, my housemate would spin me ridiculous, fanciful stories (along the lines of 'Did you know they found a penguin biscuit in the ancient pyramids?') and I believed every word. I relayed these stories to others as facts!
In my early 30s, after being burned by a machiavellien manager too many times, I had to have a physical cue to remind me that everything he was saying was a lie.

I think I am better at spotting things now but it takes work, and it's sometimes only afterwards when I am replaying the conversation that I realise it.

I think the fact that there is a word "gullible" at all says a lot about culture and society given that it really means "Works on the basic assumption that people are decent and honest and don't lie about things for fun." The fact that you can't go through life assuming this is sad.

This is me

I’m actually the opposite. I don’t trust anything anyone says but I think it’s years of bullying and horrible experiences that have made me that way.

DH and DS 1 aren’t formally diagnosed

DH just generally disbelieves everything he doesn’t already agree with. Everyone else is wrong. So he doesn’t fall for much as he gives no one else any time at all 🤣

DS will fall for anything, bless him. Can’t dissemble politely if his life depends on it.

But we don’t do the whole nasty tricking people thing and call it humour. It just isn’t funny in this house. We do dry, deadpan humour but instantly ‘fess up.

Very gullible for many decades. Ended up in a few abusive/dangerous situations because of it. I still remember how shocked I was when I realised someone had been lying to me. I've combatted this by swinging the other way, don't believe a word anyone says now.

I'm autistic and used to be gullible. I just assumed that people don't lie as much as they apparently do. Was caught out a few times and then became very cynical and distrusting which I still am. I don't think it's enhanced my character in any way, but it has protected me and I'm often right when I identify a person's wrong motives. Dh has learned to trust me regarding this.

I'm autistic and have just learned to question everything

I was gullible, but decades of observing and analysing human behaviour have given me a mental tick list as to whether someone is speaking in good faith or not. I'm still not infallible though, especially when it comes to men.

I’m autistic and very sceptical! I think I have become that way after experiences taking things at face value and then feeling like an idiot.

I'm neurotypical but completely gullible and fall for what my students tell me every time! I now give a head tilt and say oh that happened, aye? in a not-buying-it fashion, but it has taken time.

Same! 4 of us, 13yr old dd and 21yr old ds, both diagnosed. I was diagnosed with ADHD last year and am also on the adult pathway for autism but it’s clear as day I have it. Dp is also undiagnosed but clearly autistic ( I’ve said it before but I feel like autistic people have a radar for sensing other autistics, like a “gaydar” ) anyway I digress…

there was a video of a cat on YouTube a couple of years ago and the owner says “do you want a treat?” And the cat says “yasssss” and I waa convinced it was real, honest to god and my dc were telling me it was fake and it only dawned on me after watching it a million times.

Most of the autistic people I’ve met are gullible/vulnerable/easy to mislead.

I am not officially diagnosed as autistic but my family members are and it’s likely I am too but I am not gullible in the slightest, in fact I am the opposite and struggle to believe what people tell me.

Yes I am extremely gullible and believe literally anything anybody tells me

Gullible for a long time, really learned the hard way, now am almost the opposite dont trust people I dont know at all. Still get hoodwinked by close family and friends, but thats more unrealistic expectations on both sides than deceit.

I was DEFINITELY gullible as a teen but this improved with age and life experience! I have also improved my reactions and responses so that now I’m able to laugh it off and move on without feeling intensely embarrassed!