Thursday, 28 October 2010
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The Social Network: Mark Zuckerberg has Asperger's....
From the opening scenes of The Social Network, the movie about the creator and creation of Facebook, it's obvious to those of us immersed in the culture...founder Mark Zuckerberg has Asperger's syndrome.
Asperger's is the latest frontier of public and medical community awareness on the autism spectrum frontier. The syndrome only landed in the medical books in about 1981, though recognized and eponymously named by German psychiatrist Hans Asperger within about a year from when Leo Kanner gave the constellation now known as autism a name.
Often what keeps family members, teens and adults from recognizing and accepting the diagnosis is several things. First, the word autism. In reality the disorder encompasses a huge continuum of functioning. Secondly, the stigma of disAbility. While the intellectual capacity of Asperger's is average to often gifted--the individual communicates with words, so, what's the problem? A lot. Until autism and markedly in Asperger's, where people often may seem otherwise normal--sometimes.
Do not be misled by the assumption that children who did/do have some speech challenges early on or who as children or adults are OVERLY social do not fall into the Asperger's diagnosis. Such misbeliefs have kept many family/child/adult from receiving needed services. Remember, there is a constellation of symptoms across the entire spectrum. Society, as we are learning weekly, is packed with people who have Asperger's and who've never been diagnosed, and who are either having difficulty meeting the demands of a typical workplace-pace or, who have somehow managed to finesse an arsenal of coping skills....
Bless Temple Grandin. Her following paraphrased proclamation makes it into every interview and speech I've heard her deliver in her endearingly odd-inflected voice. If it weren't for Asperger's syndrome, she declares, we'd have no engineers, NASA scientists. And, Einstein plus Mozart and more, would today be diagnosed with the disorder.
As I am learning from someone to whom I am very intimately connected--causing me to really put legs onto the words from 14-years of the disAbility journey with my daughter--the key is to see disAbility as a difference....Not a deficit....
We have the intellectual, social...Asperger's difference of Mark Zuckerberg to thank for the social media phenomenon of Facebook.
As for The Social Network, the movie? Go see it. Entertaining, engaging, fascinating and exploding with layers of irony....A social network created by someone with a social...challenge....
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Have you seen The Social Network ? What do you think...does Mark Zuckerberg have Aspergers?
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- From: leisahammett
- About Me: Writer, speaker, disAbility arts/systemic advocate. Visit my site for more information: http://leisahammett.typepad.com
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Comments (42)
Can you explain why you think he has Asperger's?
@SicTransitGloria19@xanga - I blame the snide remarks in the movie, if he has really made them.
A difference... not a deficit. I like that and totally agree.
What degrees in psychology or psychiatry do you hold? What qualifications apart from 'being immersed in the culture' and a writer (of fiction?) gives you the right to diagnose anything in another human being? Do you not go to a doctor (medically-qualified) when you think you have something wrong or do you just go to someone who is 'immersed in the culture', let's say the receptionist at the doctor's office? Or perhaps you just send a video of yourself....
I wonder what the specialists in this field would make of your spurious 'diagnosis'?
You can't "diagnose" Mark Zuckerberg based on how he was cast and portrayed in a movie, especially when you take into consideration that the writers probably took a fair amount of artistic license. Also, near the end of the article you claim that there would be no engineers or NASA scientists, which is a little insulting, as you've effectively suggested that those of us who have chosen to study in those fields owe our success to a disorder that few of us actually have.
Zuckerberg may not, but the character certainly seems to in the movie. That would be pretty cool if he did, you'd never expect a guy who created the most successful network of all time to have Asperger's.
HA! I believe it! That douche bag is such a liar and a cheat and a thief.
@ItIsAllGravy@xanga - I expect it. Because he STOLE facebook. He didn't have any friends in real life so he stole the idea to make 500,000,000 invisible friends.
An intriguing thought, and perhaps a correct one. Doesn't Bill Gates have Asperger's as well?
@explosive@xanga - Wow...
Some people can't handle the truth!
"Do not be misled by the assumption that children who did/do have some
speech challenges early on or who as children or adults are OVERLY
social do not fall into the Asperger's diagnosis. Such misbeliefs have
kept many family/child/adult from receiving needed services." - I can relate!
This article over at Psychology Today references your blog!
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/is-your-brain-culture/201011/the-social-network-aspergers-and-your-brain
"...or, who have somehow managed to finesse an arsenal of coping skills...."
This strikes a chord with me, I sometimes feel as if I have to deal with situations that look easy for others through use of 'raw processing power'. I really felt for "Zuckerberg" in this film, his character was really well acted, and resonated with the bewilderment that I often feel, "looking at the architecture".
He does not have Aspergers; what is the deal with all people who are successful and young as being part of the aspergers culture. The actor was having a bit of fun there is no way Mark Zuckerberg or any of the founders of facebook have it. Just because someone has a interest in IT or Buisness does not mean it is the case. What is next Richard Branson had AS or what about Hitler. Is it not funny that only well of or academically smart people have AS what about Bush he could have had it.
As a psychologist - yes the way Mark was "portrayed" in the movie definatley showed traits of Aspergers. As a aunt and sister in law to 2 gorgeous apies males, I could see a lot of them in the way Mark was portrayed.
I have never seen the "real" Mark so I can not comment on the actual person, and I read on IMDB that Mark didn't have anything to do with the movie (but he did the book) which makes it even harder to say yes or no.
I agree with those who said "the actor" certainly had asberger traits ...I have 2 autistic kids ...both are insanely brilliant to the point where it blows me away ...I have never seen Mark IRL so I wouldn't have any idea about that but it wouldn't surprise me at all ...Aspie's are generally brilliant ...seeing the world in pictures gives them a learning advantage ....it can be troublesome in ones youth but really ...its not a disability ...its a superability.
How do you know he has Asperger's? He may just be introverted and awkward, as many people including myself are, without Asperger's.
Eisenberg's portrayal of Zuckerberg included some Asperger behaviors such as rocking in his seat in the middle of conversation and shunning being touched by others, as they celebrated the 1,000,000th member for example. Also, Mark's own blogging about the ex-girlfriend shows a tendancy to lack empathy, although he did express empathy for Eduardo's situation which would not be typical. Anyway my 14 yr old nephew has Asperger's and an obsessive interest in comp sci, so we are not worried about his prospects! The ultimate irony is that someone with a disorder inhibiting development of social skills has totally deconstructed successful social interaction and translated it into software code.
I've never met the man, Mark Z., but from what I've seen him say and how he acts in interviews it does lead me, a doctor, to believe that he might fall into this group. The movie really tries to force the point of how different he is with others. I would be shocked if he hasn't been told about Aspergers. The real catch is that it doesn't matter how much money you have there is no fixing his odd social skills as well as having no empathy for others.
Yes, the movie character does seem to have Asperger's. But remember that the movie is not a documentary. A lot of the things that happened in the movie did not happen in real life -- they are fiction. So be careful not to diagnose the actual man based on the character.
Haivng a child with Asperger...the first thing I said was he HAS to have Asperger...atleast as portrayed by Jesse Eisenberg! Great movie! Very entertaining and interesting!!
I noticed this too from the first scene. I'm going with thumbs up on Aspie.
I just recently rented this on DVD and I thought it was a facinating movie. I have a son with Asperger's and have done lots of research trying to understand it and my son. It would seem that the way Zuckerberg is portrayed that he would definitley have Asperger's. However, I understand that he had absolutley nothing to do with the making of this movie, so if he actually does or doesn't have it IRL, this movie isn't the way to tell. Regardless, Jesse Eisenberg does an amazing job playing an Asperger's-type character; the mile-a-minute speech, seemingly not paying attention (but actually is!), even down to the confusion on his face when people are outraged at his behavior. He gets Asperger's down pat.
And I like hkfaber's comment "its not a disability, its a superability." That it is!
That was the first thing I said while watching the movie. He must have Asperger's if the character portrayal was realistic.