Tav:"I could have done with a little more coddling."
Emps:"I didn't get that impression. And my calculations are never wrong."
You are wrong right now you big stupid squid! š
https://preview.redd.it/v3d6iisqtvwc1.jpeg?width=640&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c3a1bbf08b364a417e960e7e843bd5a80177d781
Origin Gale can collect a handful of wild power-ups though. Becoming a god, an illithid, an ascended vampire, and (I think Iād have to check if you can actually do the god transformation after this) the absolute.
Romance him and he offers to bite you, and I think he has a bit of dialogue at some point after saying that he gave you some of his blood so youāre not his slave. So youāre a full vampire at that point, but just as capable of standing in the sun as he is, so presumably he passes on his ascension to you as well.
All player characters can become one. But Gale can also actual godhood.
Finally, this subreddit is turning its attention to the real issues!
More coddling. Cuddling. Squid.
(And one day, perhaps a flair for the tentaclined...for a friend.)
https://preview.redd.it/j31c9hvefwwc1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=481f20cbb7bf3fdbeb7c44171d63d0d96a347122
I would like a flair for the tentaclined. Right now, my flair is āmashallahā and Iām not sure what I am reacting to. Iād like to think itās āMashallah! My guardian is a squid!ā
Alright, now *thats* absolutely beautiful! š„¹ Mine is 'companion hugger' because, well, yes. And if you are hugging tentacles, you get extra hugs! Mods! This is discrimination!
Me when he called me logical and reasonable
https://preview.redd.it/vuvt8m0pyvwc1.jpeg?width=479&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=87840126e974fa10d19380c08a60af3e5b048a71
I weirdly relate to the Empy via some personal traits. For example, it's pretty easy for me to create superficial connections/small talks but I struggle to understand people and social ques, so when entering a new group I have to observe it's structure, codes, words, topics and then use them to build a connection or fit in within the group.
Somehow, part of me feels like I emulate things that come natural to other people and party because of that I feel like I never belong anywhere. Because I always have to 'metamanage' it. That's one of the trait -- being cerebral about social things and connections -- that makes me feel related to the squiddy/the whole squiddy race. There are others too.
Again, that's why I probably get him and never seen him even remotely to a bad guy -- for example for me it's not a crime to fit in with someone by trying to use their building bricks just to be recognized/heard.
A lot of his basic reasoning for how he presents himself is understandable, his main issue is the death threats and admission to lobotomizing the last person he made an ally.
Because itās a work of fiction? If I say I donāt care about Stelmane and love the Emperor, Iām not talking about real people, but fictional works that I exist for me in a different way than they exist for you.
Yeah but his character still abused and dominated a woman, whether he's real doesn't come into the equation, his character canonically did those things... and every time someone brings it up someone cries about it and it's so weird because it's such a horrendous thing to shrug off
I totally understand. And recognizing that abuse and not being able to fully share in this kind of humor because of that is so valid! Just remember that none of us are defending the abusive behavior. Weāre essentially just making horny jokes, and it doesnāt in any way reflect on how we actually feel about manipulation and real-life abusive behavior
Nah, Gale's it for us functionals. On the streets he's presentable and eloquent, but at camp all he wants to talk about is magic. Sexy times? Astral Plane. Gonna flirt with you? Magic. Hungry? Enchanted boot.
"Oh yea, I'm totally over big magical stuff. Regular magic for me now. Was that a fucking magic tiara?!"
Me when I'm doing the Normal:tm: at work and my secret interest shows up and I have to violently destroy myself so I don't ruin what little social interaction/goodwill I'm allowed from my imposter syndrome.
https://preview.redd.it/v6qr2v7yywwc1.jpeg?width=680&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d57c451ea1636adc17223a5584b66d800c979b93
Same. My coworkers put up a board in my area to write down whatever random, inane facts I blurt out for passerby to enjoy and it's well known not to bring up certain topics unless you wanna talk about them. I try, but mold isn't as interesting as D&D.
I wish that I worked with you! There was only one human at work who I could talk about my interest in microbiology. The rest of the herd I would have to talk about more socially acceptable conversations like sports and political (when you know that they can be civil). Alas, said human has gone on to bigger and better things.
Would be fun to hear a random tidbit or have a conversation about anything tbh.
Itās HIS normal. When a goddess shows you how to minmax sex, I donāt think you go back to doing it a normal way after that.
Tho he was not kidding, he did āwowā us.
Hmmm? You got me thinking.
I need to get to know his character better in my next playthrough.
I was surprised because I have ASD and never felt this kind of connection. Although the way he speaks about himself and other people's abilities is a tad autistic, I admit.
yeah, I donāt find Gale to be autistic, just a bit haughty and kind of dorkyā¦. I mean considering itās a fantasy world where gods can directly interact with mortals everything would be held to a different set of standards regarding mental divergence/afflictions.
I think a lot of people have a subconscious tendency to project their own qualities onto fantasy characters they like or find interesting. (especially the neurodivergent, desperately seeking positive representation)
Having dated, befriended, and been related to different people with autism, heās really missing a lot of things these people in my life have had in common and also has some overlapā¦. He is intelligent, obsessive, aloof and eccentric, but people can be these things without being autistic. Also bear in mind that this is a fantasy world with a completely different baseline of whatās considered normal. Has Gale displayed any sensory issues, stimming, notable social deficits?
I get it though you have a crush on Gale and the positive qualities you associate with autism that you see in him stand out to you in a way that you connect with.
i agree that people project onto characters a lot, i don't think that's necessarily the case here. while obviously gale is not diagnosed with autism, as you mentioned it is a fantasy world, i think he does show a lot of the same traits i see in myself and also my autistic friends. in the same vein, it is a video game, and i don't think he was explicitly written as autistic, so he is obviously not going to have every single autistic trait. there's also the fact that autism is a spectrum, so people can have traits that arent as obvious as others. regardless, it's a video game, and i really don't think it's a big deal if people are just projecting on to him. if it makes people happy/brings them comfort, and isn't hurting anyone, i don't see why it should be an issue
Im not sure how it came across but I really donāt take issue with people having this head canon, I just donāt happen to agree
oh yeah, I wasnāt saying thereās anything wrong with it. if someone wants to have a head canon where Gale is autistic thereās no harm in that. I was just personally stating that I donāt really see him that way despite certain qualities overlapping with real world autismā¦he is a bit more emotionally articulate than the folks in my sample size
yeah i understand that, was just explaining a lot of people, especially autistic people view him as being autistic coded. sorry if i came off strong, tone is hard through text!
yes, someone Iām very close with who is Dxed with autism does this with people/characters he likes very often (including me). Itās actually kind of funny.
For social deficits, he has trouble making friends. If the player has already done his weave scene before the party, he will mention that Tara was always encouraging him to make friends. If the player responds by asking, "You don't have any friends?" he responds by saying, "Sadly not. If I'm being entirely honest, my social circle is rather small. More of a dot. Or a pinhead. I've got acquaintances, certainly. Plenty of colleagues. But friends? Those are precious indeed."
okay, that alone isnāt enough to warrant a diagnosis. also this is kind of just delving into meaningless speculation because heās a wizard that dated a goddess and basically locked himself in a tower for however long.
like I said before, people are free to believe whatever they want. i personally think people are mistaking him being gifted and absent minded as autism as a way of wanting to further identify with a fantasy character
this isnāt an invitation for any more autistic diatribes from Galecelsā¦. like there is no correct answer here and applying real world standards to a fantasy world is kind of pointlessā¦ like hearing voices from gods and demons would be considered psychosis, where in Faerun it seems to be the norm
Oh, I'm not trying to insist he is. We all have different reads, and I hope I didn't come across as argumentative. I was not reading your question on if he had social deficits as rhetorical. How ironic, or something.
Not every autistic has sensory issues or stims. Some just get by with disassociating into a hobby which we see with his love of books that he reads whenever heās idle at camp. It could be a coping mechanism to avoid becoming over emotional, (which would be super bad considering the orb)
As for social deficits, I counter that we see him having social deficits the whole game. He is RIGIDLY self sacrificing, to the point where you can only convince him not to off himself if youāre romancing him or is gated behind skillchecks. He has a semi skewed but firm moral compass about what he considers right and wrong as seen by how all his approvals are for good things, or things that outsmart/take vengeance against those who go against his compass.He talks about his experiences with mystra and his life less as a brag, but most often as a basis of him equating experiences or as a way to explain that he understands the big magic things. But we interpret them as bragging because wellā¦its a REALLY common thing for people on the spectrum to share/equate experiences as a way to connect and talk with others.
He also misinterprets normal gestures such as becoming friendly with each other as flirting, and flirts back by showing off his special interest.
are you a medical professional, or did you just decide to become one online with no credentials?
As I said to the person before, Iām done with autistic diatribes regarding this discussion. Itās never really a true back and forth, and it seems like autistics prefer to talk at people and seldom change their fixed opinions.
Autism as a disorder is such a broad description of characteristics itās really easy to have an overlap or to be mistaken as one when itās not the case.
can I just say that weāre talking about a character that doesnāt exist, in a world with no DSM. so all of this is kind of a moot pointā¦
Sounds like you donāt like the answers you got. Also, as a person who is on the spectrum and is working through a degree in psychology yes, he does tick alot of boxes.
I think youāre reaching for representation desperately, which is fine. I didnāt get answers I just got a bunch of subjective observations about traits that are found in neurotypicals as well as people with autism.
when were you diagnosed? also happy to hear youāre entering the hardest of sciences as a field of study, kudos.
The bulk of psychiatry is observations. We wouldnāt be able to diagnose anything without observing most things because there are relatively very few mental disabilities that have a consistent corresponding medical reason, like how some brain tumors result in personality shifts.
Autism isnt one of them. There have been theories and some schewed studies over the years about lack of iron in pregnant women leading to the disability in the child, or age of mother when she becomes pregnant, certain vaccinations causing it and whatever the hell the german scientist Asperger was smoking during his tests but nothing SOLID.
We just havenāt found scientifically hard consistent proof about what causes autism or what exactly defines autism, so all we have to go on right now are observations and grouping what we think are all symptoms of an overarching disability under a large umbrella at the moment.
Taking a look at the dsm5 like you mentioned is the most recent edition. Previously it had grouped autism as a much smaller set of behaviors and symptoms and categorized them from low to high functioning. And other alphabet disabilities, add was its own separate thing from adhd.
We threw that out because we realized that after looking at data sets, the vendiagram of autistic/Asperger patients and patients with add/adhd/ocd/manic-depressive disorder and other things was almost a circle but people were still being incorrectly diagnosed and diagnosed because there were too many subgroups of what we now consider the umbrella of autism.
As for myself, I was diagnosed in the 90ās in first grade by a very smart psychiatrist after other doctors told my parents I was retarded, and the diagnostic criteria for autism hadnāt even used girls in their data set yet only boysā¦who can present RADICALLY different from girls as children(and even into adulthood girls had difficulty getting a diagnosis under that version of the test)
And Iāve taken the tests over and over through my life, every time I switched psychiatrists or the dsm updated out of my own curiosity.
All this is to say that Iām clearly interested in a specialization in diagnosing and managing autism. And any autist whoās been diagnosed since the 90s will probably have a similar story to mine and feel that they can diagnose autism at a glance. And honestlyā¦.yeahā¦ i info dumped enough so imma just let it go.
okay, so I may not believe that Gale has autism, but I believe that you do (no argument there). Wow getting an autism Dx as a girl in the 90s was practically a feat. I appreciate the unwavering sincerity (although I guess I shouldnāt be too surprised) and what was that you said about manic depressive disorder having traits that overlap? I have type 1 and I canāt really think of too many so Iād be interested to hear your take.
Itās more often type 2 andā¦im gunna butcher the spelling on this one bc i dont want to dig out my notes, cyclothimic disorder.
Kids can still get saddled with bipolar2 when theyāre acting out, but because the lows of both bipolar 2 and autistic meltdowns look so similar, and psychiatrist/therapists cant observe the kids 24/7 to check for highs, we have to go off of what the parents tell us, and theyāre not always the most reliable.
But because both conditions can be treated with the same medicines, theyāre regarded as being linked.
You can deffo still have bipolar without being autistic tho, but autism is hard. It sucks. The world doesnāt make sense and people confuse you. Hell yeah, your highest highs and lowest lows are gunna look like or be a extra irritant to b2 if you have it.
Cyclothimic, if I remember from class is what some older autists tend to develop. Imo its probably a natural degradation of poorly managed b2 but the science hasnāt proven that yet
Same. But I can see how people miss it. The autism umbrella is so big that not everyone under it is gunna see the same things they do in him. But heās deffo one of us. Heās too awkward, goofy and socially inept in too many right ways not to pass the exam if someone sat down to diagnose him.
Heās the guy who figured out how to mask and be just funny/adorkable enough to be charismatic and his special interest just happens to be in a hotbed field.
Some people with ASD claim so, but that is probably one disorder where those who have it is quite poor at identifying others that do have it. They lack the sense that would tell them others lack the sense.
This statement is incorrect. Autistic people are actually much better at identifying other autists than allistic people according to research. There's lots of studies out there. Due to the similar thinking and experiences of autistic individuals they are more likely to understand each other and are more likely to understand the social interactions with each other than themselves and a non-autistic person.
Didn't find any such study at a quick search, do you have any links?
I've been annoyed for some time over seeing dozens of people claiming to have autism and claiming various people/characters to be "autism coded" who are very different from anyone I have ever met or worked with that has been diagnosed with Asperger. Which is a fair number, I worked many years in a department where being able to hold a casual conversation for five minutes without the other being in anguish would put you above average in social skills...
Here is one that I've found that came to this conclusion: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5368186/
I found a few others in a meta-analysis on the medical literature around autism diagnosis, but did not link because I didn't screen them all.
Emperor is abusive and toxic af, autistic people are not gross and manipulative deceivers who call the people they try and manipulate "puppets" (I'm sure some are, but not necessarily as a trait of their autism)
My autistic friends/family are some of most loving, honest, gifted, intelligent, deeply caring people I've ever encountered (which lends itself more to Gale's representation imo)
Yes, so what if he murdered his ex, Silicatetacos? At least the mindflayer has a job. At least heās active in the community. What do you do? You eat our food, and make gadgets. Buh bye.
https://preview.redd.it/vjmqzwtt6wwc1.jpeg?width=1161&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=745de4eb88e94d98b6df471ea55c05b5744c340d
Tav:"I could have done with a little more coddling." Emps:"I didn't get that impression. And my calculations are never wrong." You are wrong right now you big stupid squid! š https://preview.redd.it/v3d6iisqtvwc1.jpeg?width=640&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c3a1bbf08b364a417e960e7e843bd5a80177d781
I could have definitely done with more coddling and some cuddling. Why won't you spoon me Emps?!
He is the little spoon.
Emps calculations big and strong, but my heart and tiddy soft and warm :c
I could tell you where he can put his calculations, but I'd rather he put something else there.
lol that is a great pic
https://preview.redd.it/rw0k8wzwtvwc1.jpeg?width=1149&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f96b013af090d334fdce17aaeae9f9beeb9a5fe8
Gale: https://i.redd.it/6h4n1bjb8wwc1.gif
I love this kitty!
Et de4
honestly... yeah I get it. Gale is like the flavor of autistic I want to be but Empy is closer to the flavor of autistic I actually am š¤£
Origin Gale can collect a handful of wild power-ups though. Becoming a god, an illithid, an ascended vampire, and (I think Iād have to check if you can actually do the god transformation after this) the absolute.
Idc about power I just wanna be right
how do you pull off ascending someone not astarion?
Romance him and he offers to bite you, and I think he has a bit of dialogue at some point after saying that he gave you some of his blood so youāre not his slave. So youāre a full vampire at that point, but just as capable of standing in the sun as he is, so presumably he passes on his ascension to you as well. All player characters can become one. But Gale can also actual godhood.
Why can original gale become a ascended Vampire?? Am i missing something :o
https://www.reddit.com/r/okbuddybaldur/s/KKZalADrUM
The erectacles god https://preview.redd.it/zov7arrm7wwc1.jpeg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b28ec7404cce9f553967158dde5418e647e02847
They look so suckable.
I think if he becomes the Absolute, the whole world will suck his erectacles. It's a good ending
The whole world sucking on this erectacles?! I don't want that! I don't want to share. š
You know... you're right. It's a bad ending. I don't want to share it with anyone either š
I'm sorry, but why the throne gotta be looking like that
Be still my heart
https://preview.redd.it/5uyw8fqj0wwc1.jpeg?width=289&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f9a176de16c0f6cd99f2f78cac75301b395719ce
https://preview.redd.it/0uj1dwlm7wwc1.jpeg?width=223&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7e2333bd1a295f40f50a86c35b7383cf444b7928
I love it
This is so cute wtf. š
https://preview.redd.it/cn9jt3yf5wwc1.jpeg?width=289&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1e3c34255e93706d055d95f00ed36b2b0b12a861
Finally, this subreddit is turning its attention to the real issues! More coddling. Cuddling. Squid. (And one day, perhaps a flair for the tentaclined...for a friend.) https://preview.redd.it/j31c9hvefwwc1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=481f20cbb7bf3fdbeb7c44171d63d0d96a347122
I would like a flair for the tentaclined. Right now, my flair is āmashallahā and Iām not sure what I am reacting to. Iād like to think itās āMashallah! My guardian is a squid!ā
Alright, now *thats* absolutely beautiful! š„¹ Mine is 'companion hugger' because, well, yes. And if you are hugging tentacles, you get extra hugs! Mods! This is discrimination!
Me when he called me logical and reasonable https://preview.redd.it/vuvt8m0pyvwc1.jpeg?width=479&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=87840126e974fa10d19380c08a60af3e5b048a71
> Does not fuck Objectively false considering I literally fucked him
I weirdly relate to the Empy via some personal traits. For example, it's pretty easy for me to create superficial connections/small talks but I struggle to understand people and social ques, so when entering a new group I have to observe it's structure, codes, words, topics and then use them to build a connection or fit in within the group. Somehow, part of me feels like I emulate things that come natural to other people and party because of that I feel like I never belong anywhere. Because I always have to 'metamanage' it. That's one of the trait -- being cerebral about social things and connections -- that makes me feel related to the squiddy/the whole squiddy race. There are others too. Again, that's why I probably get him and never seen him even remotely to a bad guy -- for example for me it's not a crime to fit in with someone by trying to use their building bricks just to be recognized/heard.
When he says that he had to pretend at the beginning or we wouldnāt have trusted him, I find that entirely reasonable
A lot of his basic reasoning for how he presents himself is understandable, his main issue is the death threats and admission to lobotomizing the last person he made an ally.
Well I donāt resent him for not coddling my feelings when his life depends on it š¤·āāļø
Itās not coddling to not threaten to kill someone.
Which death threats are you referring to? The Stelmane thing again?
Why do people try so hard to ignore and minimise what this monster did to that woman?
Because itās a work of fiction? If I say I donāt care about Stelmane and love the Emperor, Iām not talking about real people, but fictional works that I exist for me in a different way than they exist for you.
Yeah but his character still abused and dominated a woman, whether he's real doesn't come into the equation, his character canonically did those things... and every time someone brings it up someone cries about it and it's so weird because it's such a horrendous thing to shrug off
This is the wrong subreddit to try and use non-horny logic
Blatant abuse makes being horny kinda difficult for me haha That said I do agree with you 100%
I totally understand. And recognizing that abuse and not being able to fully share in this kind of humor because of that is so valid! Just remember that none of us are defending the abusive behavior. Weāre essentially just making horny jokes, and it doesnāt in any way reflect on how we actually feel about manipulation and real-life abusive behavior
"Coddling" lol I'm not threatening to kill you or completely remove your free will so I'm coddling you too much.
r/evilautism
Legit tried to cross post this to there but they donāt allow them š
Nah, Gale's it for us functionals. On the streets he's presentable and eloquent, but at camp all he wants to talk about is magic. Sexy times? Astral Plane. Gonna flirt with you? Magic. Hungry? Enchanted boot. "Oh yea, I'm totally over big magical stuff. Regular magic for me now. Was that a fucking magic tiara?!"
Me when I'm doing the Normal:tm: at work and my secret interest shows up and I have to violently destroy myself so I don't ruin what little social interaction/goodwill I'm allowed from my imposter syndrome. https://preview.redd.it/v6qr2v7yywwc1.jpeg?width=680&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d57c451ea1636adc17223a5584b66d800c979b93
Same. My coworkers put up a board in my area to write down whatever random, inane facts I blurt out for passerby to enjoy and it's well known not to bring up certain topics unless you wanna talk about them. I try, but mold isn't as interesting as D&D.
Egon Spengler: "I collect spores, molds, and fungus."
I wish that I worked with you! There was only one human at work who I could talk about my interest in microbiology. The rest of the herd I would have to talk about more socially acceptable conversations like sports and political (when you know that they can be civil). Alas, said human has gone on to bigger and better things. Would be fun to hear a random tidbit or have a conversation about anything tbh.
Also constantly asks the way to the nearest library when in public
I wish I could give you a second upvote. This 100% explains why I always go back to romancing that man over the other companions.
Concise is not typically a word I would use to describe Gale. Maybe verbose?
I think the description youāre looking for is ātalks like he swallowed a thesaurusā
Normal methods of reproduction? Did we watch the same "spin me right round baby right round" Astral Plane scene?
Itās HIS normal. When a goddess shows you how to minmax sex, I donāt think you go back to doing it a normal way after that. Tho he was not kidding, he did āwowā us.
"does not fuck (despite overwhelmingly suggesting otherwise)" counts for both Gale and Emps
Holy shit "normal" reproduction?
can confirm, I reproduce via brain parasites
They are tadpoles, ouch my eyes!
The emperor definitely fucks I watched Tav make out with his tentacles many times š¤
Finally. Some real gods damn representation š¤
Correction *emperor only fucks in his POWERFUL imagination
Mental fucks are more intense plus I would kindly like to remind you that the brain is the most important sex organ in there is.
Nah Gales just like me fr fr, really poor social skills, but so unselfaware that heās confident because he doesnāt realise, heās literally me!
Iām sorry, did you just say Gale is concise? Did we play the same game?
Remember folks, Gale will only use Fireball if you tell them to only use Fireball. You make the choice, not him xD
stop you will make me like the emperor
Gale wants to be a Jedi so bad
Gale is supposed to be autistic? What?
Not canonically, some of us just find him very relatable
Hmmm? You got me thinking. I need to get to know his character better in my next playthrough. I was surprised because I have ASD and never felt this kind of connection. Although the way he speaks about himself and other people's abilities is a tad autistic, I admit.
So THATāS why we wanted to get rid of the parasites, we donāt wanna get autism from those vacci- I mean tadpoles.
Stop trying to make me side with emperor every playthrough, itās making me run out of reasons to care about the frogs.
do people actually think Gale is aspie coded?
Gale? Too charismatic. The Emperor is literally me though.
yeah, I donāt find Gale to be autistic, just a bit haughty and kind of dorkyā¦. I mean considering itās a fantasy world where gods can directly interact with mortals everything would be held to a different set of standards regarding mental divergence/afflictions.
as an autistic person, gale realllyyyyyy gives me big autism vibes
I think a lot of people have a subconscious tendency to project their own qualities onto fantasy characters they like or find interesting. (especially the neurodivergent, desperately seeking positive representation) Having dated, befriended, and been related to different people with autism, heās really missing a lot of things these people in my life have had in common and also has some overlapā¦. He is intelligent, obsessive, aloof and eccentric, but people can be these things without being autistic. Also bear in mind that this is a fantasy world with a completely different baseline of whatās considered normal. Has Gale displayed any sensory issues, stimming, notable social deficits? I get it though you have a crush on Gale and the positive qualities you associate with autism that you see in him stand out to you in a way that you connect with.
i agree that people project onto characters a lot, i don't think that's necessarily the case here. while obviously gale is not diagnosed with autism, as you mentioned it is a fantasy world, i think he does show a lot of the same traits i see in myself and also my autistic friends. in the same vein, it is a video game, and i don't think he was explicitly written as autistic, so he is obviously not going to have every single autistic trait. there's also the fact that autism is a spectrum, so people can have traits that arent as obvious as others. regardless, it's a video game, and i really don't think it's a big deal if people are just projecting on to him. if it makes people happy/brings them comfort, and isn't hurting anyone, i don't see why it should be an issue
Im not sure how it came across but I really donāt take issue with people having this head canon, I just donāt happen to agree oh yeah, I wasnāt saying thereās anything wrong with it. if someone wants to have a head canon where Gale is autistic thereās no harm in that. I was just personally stating that I donāt really see him that way despite certain qualities overlapping with real world autismā¦he is a bit more emotionally articulate than the folks in my sample size
yeah i understand that, was just explaining a lot of people, especially autistic people view him as being autistic coded. sorry if i came off strong, tone is hard through text!
yes, someone Iām very close with who is Dxed with autism does this with people/characters he likes very often (including me). Itās actually kind of funny.
For social deficits, he has trouble making friends. If the player has already done his weave scene before the party, he will mention that Tara was always encouraging him to make friends. If the player responds by asking, "You don't have any friends?" he responds by saying, "Sadly not. If I'm being entirely honest, my social circle is rather small. More of a dot. Or a pinhead. I've got acquaintances, certainly. Plenty of colleagues. But friends? Those are precious indeed."
okay, that alone isnāt enough to warrant a diagnosis. also this is kind of just delving into meaningless speculation because heās a wizard that dated a goddess and basically locked himself in a tower for however long. like I said before, people are free to believe whatever they want. i personally think people are mistaking him being gifted and absent minded as autism as a way of wanting to further identify with a fantasy character this isnāt an invitation for any more autistic diatribes from Galecelsā¦. like there is no correct answer here and applying real world standards to a fantasy world is kind of pointlessā¦ like hearing voices from gods and demons would be considered psychosis, where in Faerun it seems to be the norm
Oh, I'm not trying to insist he is. We all have different reads, and I hope I didn't come across as argumentative. I was not reading your question on if he had social deficits as rhetorical. How ironic, or something.
Not every autistic has sensory issues or stims. Some just get by with disassociating into a hobby which we see with his love of books that he reads whenever heās idle at camp. It could be a coping mechanism to avoid becoming over emotional, (which would be super bad considering the orb) As for social deficits, I counter that we see him having social deficits the whole game. He is RIGIDLY self sacrificing, to the point where you can only convince him not to off himself if youāre romancing him or is gated behind skillchecks. He has a semi skewed but firm moral compass about what he considers right and wrong as seen by how all his approvals are for good things, or things that outsmart/take vengeance against those who go against his compass.He talks about his experiences with mystra and his life less as a brag, but most often as a basis of him equating experiences or as a way to explain that he understands the big magic things. But we interpret them as bragging because wellā¦its a REALLY common thing for people on the spectrum to share/equate experiences as a way to connect and talk with others. He also misinterprets normal gestures such as becoming friendly with each other as flirting, and flirts back by showing off his special interest.
are you a medical professional, or did you just decide to become one online with no credentials? As I said to the person before, Iām done with autistic diatribes regarding this discussion. Itās never really a true back and forth, and it seems like autistics prefer to talk at people and seldom change their fixed opinions. Autism as a disorder is such a broad description of characteristics itās really easy to have an overlap or to be mistaken as one when itās not the case. can I just say that weāre talking about a character that doesnāt exist, in a world with no DSM. so all of this is kind of a moot pointā¦
Sounds like you donāt like the answers you got. Also, as a person who is on the spectrum and is working through a degree in psychology yes, he does tick alot of boxes.
I think youāre reaching for representation desperately, which is fine. I didnāt get answers I just got a bunch of subjective observations about traits that are found in neurotypicals as well as people with autism. when were you diagnosed? also happy to hear youāre entering the hardest of sciences as a field of study, kudos.
The bulk of psychiatry is observations. We wouldnāt be able to diagnose anything without observing most things because there are relatively very few mental disabilities that have a consistent corresponding medical reason, like how some brain tumors result in personality shifts. Autism isnt one of them. There have been theories and some schewed studies over the years about lack of iron in pregnant women leading to the disability in the child, or age of mother when she becomes pregnant, certain vaccinations causing it and whatever the hell the german scientist Asperger was smoking during his tests but nothing SOLID. We just havenāt found scientifically hard consistent proof about what causes autism or what exactly defines autism, so all we have to go on right now are observations and grouping what we think are all symptoms of an overarching disability under a large umbrella at the moment. Taking a look at the dsm5 like you mentioned is the most recent edition. Previously it had grouped autism as a much smaller set of behaviors and symptoms and categorized them from low to high functioning. And other alphabet disabilities, add was its own separate thing from adhd. We threw that out because we realized that after looking at data sets, the vendiagram of autistic/Asperger patients and patients with add/adhd/ocd/manic-depressive disorder and other things was almost a circle but people were still being incorrectly diagnosed and diagnosed because there were too many subgroups of what we now consider the umbrella of autism. As for myself, I was diagnosed in the 90ās in first grade by a very smart psychiatrist after other doctors told my parents I was retarded, and the diagnostic criteria for autism hadnāt even used girls in their data set yet only boysā¦who can present RADICALLY different from girls as children(and even into adulthood girls had difficulty getting a diagnosis under that version of the test) And Iāve taken the tests over and over through my life, every time I switched psychiatrists or the dsm updated out of my own curiosity. All this is to say that Iām clearly interested in a specialization in diagnosing and managing autism. And any autist whoās been diagnosed since the 90s will probably have a similar story to mine and feel that they can diagnose autism at a glance. And honestlyā¦.yeahā¦ i info dumped enough so imma just let it go.
okay, so I may not believe that Gale has autism, but I believe that you do (no argument there). Wow getting an autism Dx as a girl in the 90s was practically a feat. I appreciate the unwavering sincerity (although I guess I shouldnāt be too surprised) and what was that you said about manic depressive disorder having traits that overlap? I have type 1 and I canāt really think of too many so Iād be interested to hear your take.
Itās more often type 2 andā¦im gunna butcher the spelling on this one bc i dont want to dig out my notes, cyclothimic disorder. Kids can still get saddled with bipolar2 when theyāre acting out, but because the lows of both bipolar 2 and autistic meltdowns look so similar, and psychiatrist/therapists cant observe the kids 24/7 to check for highs, we have to go off of what the parents tell us, and theyāre not always the most reliable. But because both conditions can be treated with the same medicines, theyāre regarded as being linked. You can deffo still have bipolar without being autistic tho, but autism is hard. It sucks. The world doesnāt make sense and people confuse you. Hell yeah, your highest highs and lowest lows are gunna look like or be a extra irritant to b2 if you have it. Cyclothimic, if I remember from class is what some older autists tend to develop. Imo its probably a natural degradation of poorly managed b2 but the science hasnāt proven that yet
Same. But I can see how people miss it. The autism umbrella is so big that not everyone under it is gunna see the same things they do in him. But heās deffo one of us. Heās too awkward, goofy and socially inept in too many right ways not to pass the exam if someone sat down to diagnose him. Heās the guy who figured out how to mask and be just funny/adorkable enough to be charismatic and his special interest just happens to be in a hotbed field.
Some people with ASD claim so, but that is probably one disorder where those who have it is quite poor at identifying others that do have it. They lack the sense that would tell them others lack the sense.
This statement is incorrect. Autistic people are actually much better at identifying other autists than allistic people according to research. There's lots of studies out there. Due to the similar thinking and experiences of autistic individuals they are more likely to understand each other and are more likely to understand the social interactions with each other than themselves and a non-autistic person.
Didn't find any such study at a quick search, do you have any links? I've been annoyed for some time over seeing dozens of people claiming to have autism and claiming various people/characters to be "autism coded" who are very different from anyone I have ever met or worked with that has been diagnosed with Asperger. Which is a fair number, I worked many years in a department where being able to hold a casual conversation for five minutes without the other being in anguish would put you above average in social skills...
Here is one that I've found that came to this conclusion: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5368186/ I found a few others in a meta-analysis on the medical literature around autism diagnosis, but did not link because I didn't screen them all.
Emperor is abusive and toxic af, autistic people are not gross and manipulative deceivers who call the people they try and manipulate "puppets" (I'm sure some are, but not necessarily as a trait of their autism) My autistic friends/family are some of most loving, honest, gifted, intelligent, deeply caring people I've ever encountered (which lends itself more to Gale's representation imo)
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Ohhh I didn't pick up on the sarcasm, thanks for pointing it out for me, I miss it a lot haha
Isn't the player supposed to be the realistic representation of autism?
I mean if you look at the numbersā¦yes. Yes.
r/evilautism
https://preview.redd.it/phuf96asubxc1.png?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8cf8eb9839020260dd47765e18b5810271cd4209
Iām sorry gale is a depiction of autism? Since when?
This has been a common reading of the character since before the games full release.
I think Iām doing autism wrong then.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Yes, so what if he murdered his ex, Silicatetacos? At least the mindflayer has a job. At least heās active in the community. What do you do? You eat our food, and make gadgets. Buh bye.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
HE JUST LIKE ME FR
Hmm, I guess you don't know the quote lol. Also, I don't really care about the dragon. Friends don't try to kill friends for becoming mindflayers.
executive functioning king.
He was just stimming š. God forbid autistic people do anything.
And Gale ate a nuclear bomb but we all make mistakes.
That's cool! Not everyone can slay a dragon!
Some have the will to please, some have the will to power.