Just for a moment close your eyes and think about how a Linear Thinker would feel in a world were the vast majority of the population was ADD.


Take one of your positive or negative traits and write a short post about how you think a LINEAR THINKER would feel in a world where only 4-6 % of the population had ------- LDH -------- "LINEAR THINKER DISORDER"




Lets Play the Game Backwards

I think a non-ADDer in an ADD world would feel SOOO boring, socially inept...jealous of those of us able to quickly develop rapport with people.....he would scratch his head wondering why he can't be creative, kind, compassionate and flexible to the extent that we can....I imagine if I worked with a health care team of all ADD'ers...and one non-ADDer....I think the non ADDer would get ****ed off...frustrated that we're not doing things straight forward from point A to point B -- in dealing with our patients....Yes a staff meeting would appear disorganized to him...and that might frustrate him...He may get frustrated wondering where we as ADD'ers get all of our energy....our ability to come up with answers, enlightening answers from nowhere....!

BIGGGGGGGG BIGGGGGGGGG Grin
for Joan

Thank you for putting my thoughts in words

love it.....I cant come up with a better description...except, that I would add on one thing.....all those staff meetings, the jokes alone would alienate the poor non-ADDer right from the start...they would go way over his head....poor guy....

Originally posted by missing_cues
the jokes alone would alienate the poor non-ADDer right from the start...they would go way over his head....poor guy....

You mean like

Q: How Many ADD kids does it take to change a light bulb
A: Want to go bike riding

I'm still chuckling about that one

hey, wait a minte, wouldnt the jokes be about non-ADDers if the rest of the world was ADD? how would those jokes go then....

How many LTDers does it take to screw in a light bulb....
who cares....lets talk about something else....

OK, so I do realize that my joke was virtually the same as the ADDer joke....and then didnt realize that until I read the post afterwards...how ADD of me....I find ADD is often this meta-physical rollercoaster where things that we talk about often crossover with our actual ADD traits and it makes things really funny,.....thats another thing that I think people without ADD would have trouble with....I mean, half the meeting would be spent just having everyone sit there thinking about things....staring off into space maybe....maybe we would have mandatory daydreaming hour at all workplaces and people with LTD would be going insane for that one hour a day.....infact, maybe they would turn to drinking or drugs or something just to compensate....hahaha!...happy hour at the bars would coincide with free-thought hours at work....

MC

Missing: YOU ARE A FREAKING RIOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:) :)

I am in the library right now (where I'm supposed to be quiet)...and I'm hysterically laughing.....at your mandatory daydreaming hours??:) :D and non add'ers going insane...turning to drinking...!!!!:D

Grin this post is now starting to go where I thought it might.

Can you just imagine the total insanity if there was a group of us together for a brainstorming session

Now is the time to go back to the real world and go play in my truck. I probally wont be home for a couple of days but this will be an very interesting subject to think about while im out there.

Imagine a ADD world with a ADD trafic jam and a LTD cop in the middle of it trying to get us all to stop talking and get back in our cars. so we can get moving.

Just the amount of interrupting alone would drive the LTD person insane!!

are you kidding, there would have been a ADDer who would have solved the problem of traffic jams by now...probably in the middle of the traffic jam...(probably caused the traffic jam thinking about how to solve traffic jams)....but yes, the poor cop would be in a bind....cause there is no way he would get us all in our cars...of course, would we actually let linear thinkers become cops if ADDers were in the majority, I think these people would be pushed into jobs like accounting and very mundane things...leave the dangerous stuff to those who like risk and excitement...

Anyway, thanks joan...it feels good to make someone laugh sometimes...I think some of the best comedians ever ahve had ADD in some form (have you ever listened to/seen early robin williams stuff...? I dont actually know if he has it, but darn it, he's a pretty good fake if not....what one might call a reasonably hand-drawn facsimile of an ADDer....)....Anyway, I have had roommates try to get me to go to a comedy club and try some stuff out....but that would be too much....I dont have an actual routine...I have comedy in short bursts sometimes....for two to three minutes, I am hilarious, and then its gone....and then I just become annoying.....anyway...glad I could make someone laugh for a bit...

MC

My wife and sister have said that I am one of the funniest people they know, althought they may be a little biased :)

I doubt there biased....my sister also thinks I'm rather funny.....but I think she means in a really strange way...Of course, whenever we get together these days I spend one evening making her laugh at my ADD life...I can tell she gets a huge kick out of it...(she laughs in a very understanding, caring way, not in a malicious way though)....

I have been told Im very funny also

But Im very sure they meant "funny looking"

Im sure you're not funny looking...unless that dog is you and it talks...and then, yeah, maybe it is that...but I doubt it...WE ADD people could take over the comedy business...going back to my earlier post...I was listening to an old Robin Williams record I bought at a yardsale...it has this track called "come inside my mind" and if you get a chance, lsiten to it because I swear it is the closest thing to what one might feel if they could experience five minutes of being ADD!!!! Anyway, I know that we are all funny people because that is what keeps us going most of the time...I mean socially, other than cooking, my only other strong point is that I often make people laugh...long and hard too...I dont know what it is...I just have this thing about me...of course, I never really realize how well its going until I have already overdone it and gone too far with a joke...(and that part is easy to tell). anyone else have this problem...?

Do you know how to make a wav file or an mps from that record track

if so it might be good for us all to hear it

what is the title of the album of that robin williams record

Found it on Kaza downloading as I type

will send a link to it for everybody tonight

did you listen to it? did you get what I am talking about?

yes i agree

This thread is the best one i've read ! I laughed soooooo Hard! I needed that! So much hits home and makes me realize there is a "we" here. Kinda lost my flow

New thought I think. I cant help wondering if the "normals" would read all the stuff on this site the same way we do? Do any of us?

Dose everyone have the same hard time staying on topic. Or do we just think we are going off topic but really there are connectives and were just not seeing them?

Wouldnt it be great to do some Mind power experiments?

I nkew if I hung in there long enough it would come back

I cant believe this thread ended? It looked like the kind you would want to continue in a true ADD kinda way.

There should be a "TRUE" add free for all thread with the "rule" that it must be a serious discussion. See where it goes - True add intellect - and probably the worst spelling on the planet / myne taking first for worst.

I feel like I want to rant for a while ... (typing is to slow I will go talk to my wife as she sleeps)...

I think someone without ADD in a world of ADD would feel some of the following...

They would feel like they had an incredible amount of mental "endurance"... which might make them feel much smarter than others.

They would feel like a very slow thinker, however, which might make them feel very stupid.

They would probably feel shy and underconfident, like everybody thought they were a worry-wart, for having impulse control that nobody else had.

They would probably feel dead emotionally compared to the extremes of emotion they saw around them.

They would probably feel like they had an imagination disorder.

They might feel like they had no sense of humour.

The more I think about it, the more I pity a non-ADDer in an ADDer world... :( :( :(

I remember that Robin Williams album. Listened to it pre-dx and loved it for reasons I couldn't explain. (Especially the frantic free-association tirade that ended, "Well, #$%! you! What do you want from me, anyway?" For a long time that was my secret mantra.)

This is a great thread. I think the linear thinkers would have to retreat to quiet organizational jobs. They could do accounting, tax prep, and re-alphabetizing of the CDs in the record store after we got done looking at them. :D They would be easy to spot, because of their anxious demeanor and their carefully ironed clothes. (We, the normies, would have made ironing obsolete immediately.) I'd expect them to seek each other out, so they could have a little relief from the chaotic world around them. Many would seek professional help, hoping to become more easy-going and capable of random thought. Since this isn't easy for a linear thinker to achieve, they might have to resort to anti-anxiety drugs to reduce their abnormal attention to detail.

The ADD workplace would be a great improvement, IMHO. I foresee free-wheeling free-association meetings where great ideas are tossed out at great speed. Designated linear thinkers (in-house or consultants) would get to implement the ideas that were deemed most amusing. The work day would become a far more flexible thing, allowing for late-night bursts of hyperfocus.

Despite the fact that they would be on the fringes of society, never quite fitting in, they would still be important to us, organizing boring details that nonetheless needed to be organized (a thankless job that would have become even more thankless).

Oh, oh, oh! How could I forget school??? Now there's something that would change dramatically. With us in charge, there would be a lot more innovation in teaching methods, making things more interesting AND more easy for many children to grasp. Even those who were BL (Born Linear) would benefit from a more creative, freewheeling approach to learning. And, dare I hope, there would be fewer stupid rules about "how we do things..." ;)

Krisp said...in part speaking of normies -

"resort to anti-anxiety drugs to reduce their abnormal attention to detail. "


Abnormal attention to details - I feel like im surrounded by people that are always giving ridiculouse amounts of attention to little things, "details" that realy make no differance to the big picture!

It frustrates me no end

We're it seems, all Idea people here and "thinkers" WE do not have a condition or syndrome or dysorder - we have a state of mind!

I want to come back to this as I have a great thought and piont to make but I am actually at work right now and should be working.... Im the Boss here so its ok this time but I also have to meet deadlines that I hate having to chronicly make excusses for being late on!!!!!

Wheres my dex?

From Krisp again -

"Oh, oh, oh! How could I forget school??? Now there's something that would change dramatically. With us in charge, there would be a lot more innovation in teaching methods, making things more interesting AND more easy for many children to grasp. Even those who were BL (Born Linear) would benefit from a more creative, freewheeling approach to learning. And, dare I hope, there would be fewer stupid rules about "how we do things..."

What more could be said?

I agree totaly ! _ now I realy have to go back to work.... And Im turning off my email - so I dont get distracted again -

We actually have this situation in my house. 3 adhd people (me, eldest daughter and son) and poor LTD nearly 3yr old daughter.

The look on her face when she is stood in the hall (coat on pre-school bag in hand) waiting while i tear round the place like an idiot trying to find my keys, coat, shoes, form for school trip, etc.

When she wants to talk to one of us in the evening she actually climbs up onto our knee and gently cups our chin in her hands, so we actually look at her and pay attention to what she is saying.

She asks to play with her play dough on a monday morning, after we drop the elder two at school, (cant imagine why she likes to do the same thing on the same day every single week) and within five minutes of being sat making "cakes", i am bored and my mind starts to wander. Without even thinking about it, i will start to get up to go do whatever popped in my head, she will catch hold of my sleeve and say "just little longer play, wiff me". Scary thought that, my not yet 3yr old daughter has a longer concentration span than me.

You know your in trouble when you have to bend down and whisper "Wheres the car" to your 2yr old in the multi-story car park.

My little girl actually enjoys organising people, she loves being able to find things we have lost and reminding us what we should be doing, rather than what we are doing, so if there was the same ratio in the outside world as well, it could end up in a minority rule sitiuation.

Missing Cues,

I know a lady who is a linear thinker, but she is not boring at all, who manages comedians, and manages a comedy club. It is exactly as Joan described; a complete mess for her sometimes; I feel very bad for her at times! Most of the comedians she works with are very obviously AD/HD and it is part of her job description to help them organize their routines and make sure they show up for their stand-ups on time and then some. She calls them, affectionately and respectfully, her kids because of this. Try stand up, you could start off by keeping a tape recorder with you and record yourself by turning it on before you have conversations with people, and catch the funny stuff. It seem like AD/HD is part of the show biz in comedy, one of the best sources of inspiration.

But all the fuss of getting a recorder - a good one thats not too big but big enough that you can use without a microscope. And where would you get it? Business depot - electronic suppermarket - and will it need batteries - whats if you cant get one befor lunch? Where will you eat and will you go alone - and should you get spare batteries in case you forget to turn it off - Speaking of witch will yopu remeber to turn it on - or can you get voice activated ? H

How can those ADD type commedians rememer all those lines? - a true ADD comedien will have a different routine every time! Would they not. One thing is for sure - were genuine !

If I cant find a voice recognition / auto format / spell check / grammar correct / easy to install software pakage soon Im going to give upo on all this forum stuff... I got way too much too much to say and way too short of a life to say it.

I do think we all develope a great sense of humor to cover up so many of our "silly things".

Reseach and development "think tanks" Should only hire ADHD people - then get the "linears" test all the ideas... That came frome no where - sorry.....

You're right; what a hassle. I didn't think about it

I havent read this thread for a while

It was a good chuckle again

I found a ADD site last year, that I thought was hilarious.I was laughing so hard, my kids came in to see what was going on. I got such a big kick out of it, that I couldn't wait to have others read it. When I showed it to friends, I was waiting for them to laugh out loud as they read it....but none of them did! NONE!
I couldn't believe it! Then I realized this stuff was only funny to those of us who recognize themselves in it. Those poor linear thinkers didn't even get it , much less think it was funny.

We ought to set up a time for all of us to meet in the chat room. imagine what that would be like. Sounds like a fun time to me. And I dare any linear thinker to keep up with us!

Try getting together with 4 or 5 ADDers and a couple of Liner's .

They are so lost its ridiculous

Originally posted by Garry Lawton
Try getting together with 4 or 5 ADDers and a couple of Liner's .

They are so lost its ridiculous

Oh, you meen the band plus the sound man and manager?
-songwriter

garry,

can I get the link for the robin williams routine?

Originally posted by erinj
garry,

can I get the link for the robin williams routine?



I ll have to find it then Ill pm you where to get it

Garry and Missing, Every ADDer says they're funny or find everything funny...IS THAT WHY IM ALWAYS LAUGHING?? my mom thinks im a 'hoot', my brother can't get over how I laugh at everythign, and my dad is just silently amused to himself. I have always wondered why Im such a nut in a family or normals. Humor is probably the best thing that comes with ADD, I LOVE to laugh!

This thread is alot of fun!


I think an ADD world would no longer have time as an exact thing. Appts would be made as in 'Lets shoot for about somewhere around 1:00 or 2:00, okay?' or 'We'll try to get started about 7:30ish'. Time would be aimed for but not set in stone. Maybe we'd go back to telling time by sun dials or seasons.
I also got a kick out of reading the post with the person who has the Linear Thinking 3 yr old! LOL! I have one of those too but he is 11 now. Boy do I remember! I have been a frustration to him because he is a kid who LOVES to be on a schedule. He loves marking days off of calenders (I never know what day it is), lists (I make 'em and then lose 'em), routine (Huh? Whats that?) and all his socks lined up in his drawer (is this MY kids?) :)

Seriously though I have to work really hard to be sensitive to his need for things to be predictable and in order. He got this from his dad so I kind of have his dad translate for me when I don't understand my son.

I have 2 other kids who are much more like me. I have to translate for my h when he doesn't get it with them.

And what if all politicians were adders?

Imagine a group of creative, caring, lively, brilliant adders, all members of the only existing Party, The Impulsitives...trying to get the budget balanced?

By the time everyone found their way to congress each day,

Remembered where they were supposed to go when they got there,

Remembered why & how it was that they were supposed to be there in the first place,

Left their seat to tell the guy across the room they'd finally recalled the second half of the thought they were thinking last month,

Listened patiently, except for all the times they butted in, as 5 other people did the exact same thing to them,

Figured out they needed to figure out once again who was supposed to be in charge,

Remembered that each of them had tried that job, quit, and refused to have anything to do with such a heinous position ever again......

OH.........Huhhhh.......Budget??????????

(The Impulsitives clear the room, trampling each other in the process because there is something they just have to take care of immediately, and if they do not hurry they will forget it when they get there, wherever that is)

Hey wait a second.......those LT people haven't balanced the stinkin' budget either......

What in the world is THEIR problem!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

LOL, good stuff :)

I wonder what type of drugs ADD doctors would try on the LTs to make them act more normal.. :)

oh yeah, now THAT would be a hoot. i would LOVE to be a fly on the wall during one of those doc appointments!

Although the drug question still remains, I think the 1st appointment could look something like this:

Doc: "Good day, what brings you here?"
Liner: "Well, I found this thing on the internet about LTD and I think I might have it."
Doc: "I see, *looks at the motionless body of his client* and you feel this is a problem?"
Liner: "It would certainly explain all the problems I've been having since my childhood. I always felt like I didn't belong. You see, the others can sit there and work on the most exciting stuff for hours on end, or just let their minds wonder off from one interessting thing to another.
It's like,... you know,... for me life is a walk in the park on a sunday afternoon, while the whole world lifes on a race track. Always full speed, Stop and GO. *makes race car noises* And I can never follow them. *gestures driving a tricycle*
But it's not that I am stupid or something, I learn real quick, but for me things just must be in something,.. like an "order" so I can do them *sighs*, but everyone else just kinda seems to KNOW how to jump from one thing to another and when to do what. I feel so inept with being so slow."
Doc: "I understand. Do you consume any sedatives? Like, Coffee or black tea?"
Liner: "Occasionaly, but it makes me feel itchy."
Doc: "Hmhm, I see. Well, sounds a lot like you could be right and you may have LTD. We are going to make some tests with you, so we can see how fast you respond to different stimulus at the same time. That's nothing to worry about. You will be in a room where you can do several everyday things, like cooking, reading etc and we check how many of those you can do at the same time, while we're asking you questions.
But first, lets start with this one here."
*grabs under his table and takes out a box of the Taboo board game*

i've been accused, once a very long time ago-in a chat room that i was a linear thinker..i then asked everyone i knew that was close to me if i was and i recieved a resounding NO.
but how would i EVEN know?

Let me just add this... The number of people with A.D.D. grows constantly. It is becoming more recognized and more researched. I don't feel that A.D.D. will ever stop. It will grow larger and larger, until people with A.D.D. inherit the earth. I thought about this last night, and I thought that maybe A.D.D. was really a form of evolution of the human brain. Thats kind of out there I guess...its just a theory.

LOL ... ADDers ...

LOL... banned trolls..

Just, couldn't resist :)

Yeah......

I JUST GOT YOUR HYSTERICAL LAST COMMENT. ROTFLMAO!!!!!!!!!

And by the way, the doc visit wasn't bad either.

Heres one we havent discussed in a while

I'm ConfusedClearness a linear thinker on this forum for people with Linear Disorder.

Some things that bother me in this ADD world:

Why should everything be at the last minute? Why is adrenaline so important? I feel inept when I don't get more focused and effective at the last minute like it seems everyone I know do.

Sometimes I feel people use me because I'm really good at everyday organizing and maintenance, but it feels like I have a great asset as well. Sometimes I wish soociety would value it more though.

I used to wish I could go more with the distractness-flow, but I've realised that's simply not me. I really don't want to pretend anymore. I've felt like such a fake when I tried to pretend I was like everyone else. I don't get distracted that easily. So what?! Is it a crime?

I feel I need to rest a lot. People are so intense in this society. All their feelings and impulses! I feel kind of proud though that I can hide my feelings much better than people usually can, and sometimes it's good not to be impulsive if you think about it.

:D Big Grin

In a society with a non-linear thinking style as being predominant, it's likely that one would describe oneself in terms of disadvantages, as one is externalizing what one has internalized from external pressures... i.e. one isn't criticized for being focused, but perhaps because one is rigid and inflexible. Not that that is always the case, as I know it is possible to look at one trait from various angles (such as creativity, which can be a multi-edged weapon).

LTD could be a reality... I'm sure that there are little "sub-cultures" in certain professions that attract non-linear types that may make non-non-linear types (a.k.a. linear types) seem far less ubiquitous. But no, I don't exist in one. I have met less linear/static types though, and some exhibiting the signs of LD and/or ADD (perhaps we simply get along better... less stammering of the words "that's irrelevant").

I was just going to make a reference to religion, but that is against the forum guidelines. There's an interesting religion that looks like it was started by ADDers.... planned (ok... I know... but no one would come if they weren't planned at all, even ADDers) events have no set schedule (and this fact is explicitly announced). I guess this is what I think of when I think of a world populated by ADDers predominantly (though it's a bit exaggerated).