Best friends usually bond over shows, books, movies, and other shared interests, which is why they tend to get along so well. Even though they might like a lot of the same things, each individual should be allowed to have their own passions without fear of judgment.
Unfortunately for one woman, she realized that her autistic best friend wanted to force his favorite show on her. Since he was obsessed with it, he expected her to show the same interest, and got extremely offended when she said it wasn’t her thing.
More info: Reddit
Friends should be able to express their views freely to one another without the fear of criticism
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The poster shared that she had attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and her best friend from second grade had autism
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Over time, the woman felt that her friend wasn’t at the same maturity level as her because he kept getting petty over small things, like his favorite show
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The man kept talking about the show he was obsessed with, and was offended that his friend hadn’t watched it yet
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When the man began acting petty about her interests, the poster decided that they could make an effort for each other, since they both valued the friendship
The poster shared that her autistic friend always seems to be obsessed with one show, and he would constantly send her memes or things about it. Since it was his favorite, he also wanted her to watch it, probably so that they could discuss the same things. He didn’t seem to realize that she wasn’t interested in doing that.
According to experts, people with autism tend to have special interests they obsess over because of the way their brains process information. Their brain’s reward center responds differently to certain stimuli than that of neurotypical people, which is why they might delve into such depth about the most random topics.
The woman must have probably realized why her friend was so captivated by the show, but since it wasn’t something she was interested in, she didn’t feel like pushing herself to watch it. He didn’t seem to realize that by forcing her into his obsession, she would probably start disliking it.
The reason why folks with autism might talk about or delve into their special interests so much is that it excites them and gives them joy. They might not realize that other people don’t share their passion for the topic, and may even feel a bit of distress if someone dismisses it. The woman understood this about her friend, and that’s why she hadn’t shut him down completely.
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The problem only happened when the OP’s friend started dissing a YouTuber that she liked. He went out of his way to be petty and malicious, which is when she realized that his behavior was getting really out of hand. Since he had been her friend for a long time, the poster didn’t really know how to handle the situation.
It’s important not to completely shut down an autistic person sharing their special interests. Instead, one can handle the situation with kindness and explain that you enjoy listening to them share about the topic, but it is not something you are as interested in. Then follow this up with a suggestion to talk about something you both like.
The woman was baffled by her friend’s behavior, so she asked the Internet for advice. Some people felt that she should be honest with him and not entertain his petty behavior. Others felt that it would be best to direct his attention to something else that they both enjoyed in order to ease the tension in the friendship.
Eventually, the woman decided on a creative compromise where she would watch the first episode of his show, and he would read a few pages of the book she loved. That way, they’d both make an effort for each other and also feel respected.
What do you think about the OP’s solution, and do you have any other ideas on how this situation could be handled? Let us know in the comments.
Some folks felt that the guy should be put in his place for being so petty, while others urged the poster to show more grace toward him
