I’m not that romantic image of an autistic person the media paints. I’m not a walking-talking mental calculator who can recite π to a 1000 places. I’m not “walking Wikipedia” as a classmate called me.

I might have a way with learning unnecessary things, but y’all know what? The NTs don’t care. A proper well-adjusted neurotypical adult is gonna win with me most of the time. Because while they can easily study the topic, I can’t exactly easily study being “normal”.

Autism is not that quirky thing like “Oh, I too might have autism because I like trains and hate people”. It’s an everyday struggle. A black pill I’m swallowing near every day, seeing how the deck was stacked against me from the start. Another job I feel stressed out at and on the verge of losing it. Sometimes I just can’t. Sometimes I wonder whether it’d be easier for me if I just did not have a diagnosis and just thought there is something wrong with my behavior and my parents…

  • MakanM
    71·
    4 years ago

    I’ll be upfront with you: you’re right, but in some ways, I think you’re wrong.

    There is no “superpower” from being neurodiverse, but I do recognize that there are benefits to my extreme case of OCD (with Aspergers).

    The problem is that capitalist society doesn’t accommodate us; instead, we’re constantly accommodating NTs.

    As shallow as this analysis may seem, I also want to emphasize that neurodiversity is neither good nor bad. It comes with its perks but also its weaknesses, from my experience anyways.

    The problem is that we’re held to a certain template and in some ways that template goes beyond even what an NT is required to go through.

    Anyways, I’m still learning about this stuff, but I kinda agreed and disagreed with where you were coming from.

    • CysiolandOP
      31·
      4 years ago

      There is no “superpower” from being neurodiverse, but I do recognize that there are benefits to my extreme case of OCD (with Aspergers).

      That’s what I meant by “I might have a way with learning unnecessary things, but y’all know what? The NTs don’t care”. I might have some “positive quirks” but the bad outweighs the good

      • MakanM
        41·
        4 years ago

        I don’t think the “bad outweighs the good.” I think we’re kept down.

        • CysiolandOP
          11·
          4 years ago

          We might be kept down by the shackles of capitalism, but there are some fairly objective things that also are pretty limiting, eg. sensory stuff.

            • CysiolandOP
              21·
              4 years ago

              Well, that’s what neurodiversity is about, that we all have different experiences.

              • MakanM
                11·
                4 years ago

                We have a diversity of perks as well. The problem is that we’re mostly accommodating NTs and nobody accommodates us in return.