"I sometimes think I might be autistic because I like to know - I need to know - my beginnings and my ends. I don't have to be in control of it, but I need to know what's going on"
About this Quote
The real engine is the rhythm of compulsion: "I like to know - I need to know -". Those dashes mimic a mind tightening its grip mid-sentence, upgrading preference into necessity. He frames the craving for structure in cinematic terms: "my beginnings and my ends". It's not just about schedules; it's about narrative. As someone who rose through a reality-TV machine (a format built on editing, suspense, and withheld information), Aiken knows what it feels like to have your story controlled by other people while you're asked to perform sincerity on cue. Wanting to know "what's going on" reads like a survival skill learned under bright lights.
The most revealing clause is the corrective: "I don't have to be in control of it". He anticipates the stereotype that needing information equals wanting power. Instead, he separates control from comprehension - a subtle plea to be met with clarity rather than judgment. The subtext is less "label me" than "stop surprising me for sport". It's an argument for transparency as care, delivered in the plainspoken register of someone used to turning nerves into a melody the audience can hold.
Quote Details
| Topic | Mental Health |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Aiken, Clay. (2026, January 17). I sometimes think I might be autistic because I like to know - I need to know - my beginnings and my ends. I don't have to be in control of it, but I need to know what's going on. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/i-sometimes-think-i-might-be-autistic-because-i-60189/
Chicago Style
Aiken, Clay. "I sometimes think I might be autistic because I like to know - I need to know - my beginnings and my ends. I don't have to be in control of it, but I need to know what's going on." FixQuotes. January 17, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/i-sometimes-think-i-might-be-autistic-because-i-60189/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"I sometimes think I might be autistic because I like to know - I need to know - my beginnings and my ends. I don't have to be in control of it, but I need to know what's going on." FixQuotes, 17 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/i-sometimes-think-i-might-be-autistic-because-i-60189/. Accessed 19 Feb. 2026.





