" I can point to several who are almost certainly Aspies, and Dante is one of them."

While I kinda appreciate the comparison to Sheldon Cooper, that just isn't the case.

I've worked with a few Aspies, and also hung out with those who work with the autistic and autism-spectrum folks. And indeed, I skew towards the analytical ( just as Grundoon skews towards the emotional. ) But I'm afraid the truth will disappoint you.

Though you may be onto a little something. Identical twins tend to be a little more retarded in developing social skills ( since they don't need to create a peer-age playmate by going up to a non-family member. ) Also, I've spent maybe a little too much time among Sci-Fi/Comics/Anime geeks. And geeks tend towards that even when they would never pass any diagnostic criteria required for Aspergers.

Come to think of it, I've sometimes suspected the same of you. But in the absence of visual cues the lack of affective comprehension in others can't be detected.

Heck, the entire Internet had to create emoticons 'cause EVERYONE online has been turned into an Aspie :)

"For example, I have long wanted a normal family--wife, kids, the whole shebang. It doesn't matter how much society changes, I'm never going to have that. Prepubescent girls cannot get pregnant, so the chance of ever having a biological child with my lover would be nil. That's not a prejudice. It's a fact."

The same can be said for the unfortunate victims who suffer from homosexuality. Isn't it a shame that they can't be cured of their affliction? ;p

"And that's the problem with the kind of super-idealistic philosophies that so many MAPs adopt. They don't seem to comprehend that real life is always messy and can never live up to any ideals they set."

I'd say the same of the one-size-fits-all idealists who promote the idea of a social contract.

The concept of individual rights better incorporates the fact that individuals are too complex to be managed by the majority restricting their choices. If you think folks sometimes fail to live up to their OWN ideals, they really don't live up to the ideals of holier-than-thou Utilitarians who believe that a "greater good" worth sacrificing Rights for can be found in a messy world.

That "greater good" is an abstract that will never be realized. And the lack of empathy in dismissing those sacrificed to realize it has been linked to Sociopathy by experts.

Dante