Temple Grandin

[Viridian]

One of the most well-known people with high-functioning autism today, Temple Grandin is an American doctor of animal science who helped develop more humane methods of killing livestock, as well as supporting neurodiversity and countering the stigma towards autism. She's written several books on the subject, like Animals Make Us Human and Thinking in Pictures. Recently, a biopic was made, with her help, about her life as a non-neurotypical person.

Also, she's the inventor behing the "hug machine".

Do you suppose she might be an INTJ? She seems quite firm, and also very focused on practical results... From this interview:

The other function of the book was to include some of my experiences in implementing practical animal welfare systems that work. For example, I devised auditing systems for meat plants. You can manage things that you measure, if you don’t measure what is going on then how do you know if your practices are getting worse or if your practices are getting better? But if you verify, with simple measurements, like how many animals fell down during handling, then you can measure if you are getting better or at least staying the same.

Does this create a disconnection from animals?
Yes, a disconnection from animals, but it is also a disconnection from doing practical things like building a house or baking a cake. By doing physical things there is a practical problem-solving element and you figure out how to do things. I have been to Washington on various things and it is such an unreality, everything becomes politicking and they have forgotten how to do things out in the field.

One thing that I have always done in my work, including my work with autism, is to bridge the gap between the scientific world and the practical world. For example, I was talking with a vice president of a large pig farm and he didn’t even know that scientific research on animal behaviour existed so I showed him how to look this information up on some databases, right on his computer in his office.

I just keep trying to do practical things and I do feel a big responsibility to put out information that is accurate and that will help people make good practical changes for animals on the ground and in the field.

She also seems like an Enneatype Five - analysis as a means of dealing with a complex world. I imagine a large number of people on the autistic spectrum are Fives.

What do you think?

 

[chihuahuasrluv]

Whatever type she is she is awesome and inspiring.

 

[Nicodemus]

She, like anyone without autism, could take a test and get a result. I think, however, that the cognitive functions describe her thinking process even less aptly than they describe anyone else's. It would be interesting to talk about her character, her way of thinking, but by putting her into a type box, more would be hidden than revealed.

I recommend 'Thinking in Pictures' to anyone who is interested in the mind.

 

[The Ü™]

Yeah, despite all of the "concreteness" she describes, I think that within the context of type, she is more abstract. And she displays NT body language.

 

[Viridian]

She, like anyone without autism, could take a test and get a result. I think, however, that the cognitive functions describe her thinking process even less aptly than they describe anyone else's. It would be interesting to talk about her character, her way of thinking, but by putting her into a type box, more would be hidden than revealed.

I did try to consider that... I chose to try my best anyway for a couple of reasons:

1) She is a high-functioning autist, so she can explain her thought patterns and objectives in a way a neurotypical person can grasp;

2) While I agree that her unique way of processing information can muddle some of the concepts we use, I still see a pretty defined Te process over a Ti one, so I figured I could try my hand at typing her.

I'm going with IxTJ, at least. But I understand your reasoning, Nic.