Asexual doubt is a matter of confidence: confidence in oneself in the face of the future, a community, new relationships, and whatever else arises as a challenge, be it psychic/mental anxiety/disorder/confusion, or social or resistance to intimate physicality. (You, for example, have great confidence in yourself as a complete being, and you have worked out and incorporated your asexuality to a sure steadfast, correct?)
When we begin to deal with these challenges doubt plays an important role by raising red flags. The more red flags that arise concerning a particular subject or experience, the more attention is needed in said area.
As a condition, the youthfulness of the asexual community offers little to no depth of consciousness; and when there is historical perspective it's usually in the form of pathologized arbitration or medicalization of a this our awesome, asexual, human condition. I, for one, am one of the unlucky people who have internalized the school of thought that pathologizes asexuality. I repeatedly approach my asexuality as though it is a culmination of experiences floating somewhere out in space, disregarding it as a way of being, who I am and how I experience life and love.
As a former default-heterosexual, I found doubt very helpful. Every time there is doubt it means I am still holding onto something and do not understand why I feel the way I do about something. Ughh, I am being vague again... I think what I am trying to say, in simpler terms is. I may have been, and may continue to be, a false positive heterosexual. All my relation-ships from my earliest memories through my teen years until now (I am 20) were internally asexual but experienced externally (if that makes sense) as sexual and polarized. I still cling to some of my heterosexual tendencies and patterns of thought even since 3 years ago when I "found" the asexual community (yay, I'm Saved!) and have become invested in attempting to reconnect with my true, unadulterated, self the "honest I". I think that is what doubt leads to: It leads to us really attempting to figure out our sexuality, to reassure ourselves that we are not just wagon-jumpers willing to delude ourselves into alter-normative safe havens to curdle our introspective natures.
And yes, asexuality is that awesome. I want so badly to properly claim my asexuality!
Another commenter said:
Personally, I've also felt like my asexuality has become a major part of my life, but I've also seen aces say that they don't particularly care about it or think about it daily. In my experience, though, most heterosexuals don't tend to ponder their orientation in the same way many LGBTQIAA+ folks do. While I don't think the media has a complete monopoly over our self-image, I think that if asexuality gains more visibility and recognition, the doubting and overanalysis may decrease somewhat as acceptance grows.I totally agree that doubt will increase. Both asexual introverts and introverted asexuals may find the community less a safe space to explore their lack of sexuality as general public social consciousness of asexuality increases. RED FLAGS OF DOUBT GALORE!!!
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