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I realize now that I indeed was able to be an independent thinker well before there was ever an NPC meme. I would frequently see myself not just going along and saying I liked the latest popular music or other trends. I would not necessarily be outspoken, but if asked I would certainly not be afraid to say I did not like [insert current popular thing]. This was not me just being a contrarian, but rather that my autism kept me from sensing the same social pressures.
Perhaps I it was not that I could not sense that it was "popular" to like certain things or that the herd was going in that direction. But rather that my autism would not allow me to just say something that I knew was not true.