Flipping the script, a thought exercise
Apr. 12th, 2021 03:04 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
greenstormLet's be real.
Neurotypical folks are maladaptive aliens.
They are rarely interested enough in something to look it up and don't seem to enjoy thinking, only being forced into it by circumstance. They take no joy in knowledge for its own sake. They're threatened by real, deep emotions and can't stand to observe them. Often they're threatened by clear statements of facts, even when those facts are gently presented. They don't know what to do when people go off-script socially and can feel very awkward when they're in an unforeseen situation.
When they're on-script they're often overconfident in social situations, assuming they know what other folks are feeling without a shred of evidence or justification (when you do studies on them they can't detect flirting most of the time, but they sure think they can). They really like sameness in folks around them to the point that sameness with a single group can be the heart of their identity, and they fixate on and reject small deviations from their norms to the point of obsession. Social bonds need to be reinforced frequently through set routines or they disintegrate.
They also don't seem to have a great grasp of what's going on outside themselves: they often don't notice or respond to changes to sounds, lighting, or smells in their environment.
It's likely the prevalence of neurotypicals is a feedback loop of adaptation to a modern society primarily run by neurotypicals, where uniformity of appearance and behaviour are frequently seen as prerequisites for human needs such as food, shelter, safety, and justice. In such a society strong emotions and physical or emotional awareness of the environment can disrupt the restricted and repetitive daytime behaviours this society demands for extended periods of time. Intense interests can distract from both these prescribed behaviours and from the elaborately scripted social interaction required during any meeting.
Neurotypical society is a harsh one: failure to meet its need for extensive repetitive daily activities, restrictions in appearance, and limited emotional expression can result in ostracization and withholding of resources, often in turn leading to early death. This is a cruel society that kills its outliers and punishes diversity.
Neurotypical folks are maladaptive aliens.
They are rarely interested enough in something to look it up and don't seem to enjoy thinking, only being forced into it by circumstance. They take no joy in knowledge for its own sake. They're threatened by real, deep emotions and can't stand to observe them. Often they're threatened by clear statements of facts, even when those facts are gently presented. They don't know what to do when people go off-script socially and can feel very awkward when they're in an unforeseen situation.
When they're on-script they're often overconfident in social situations, assuming they know what other folks are feeling without a shred of evidence or justification (when you do studies on them they can't detect flirting most of the time, but they sure think they can). They really like sameness in folks around them to the point that sameness with a single group can be the heart of their identity, and they fixate on and reject small deviations from their norms to the point of obsession. Social bonds need to be reinforced frequently through set routines or they disintegrate.
They also don't seem to have a great grasp of what's going on outside themselves: they often don't notice or respond to changes to sounds, lighting, or smells in their environment.
It's likely the prevalence of neurotypicals is a feedback loop of adaptation to a modern society primarily run by neurotypicals, where uniformity of appearance and behaviour are frequently seen as prerequisites for human needs such as food, shelter, safety, and justice. In such a society strong emotions and physical or emotional awareness of the environment can disrupt the restricted and repetitive daytime behaviours this society demands for extended periods of time. Intense interests can distract from both these prescribed behaviours and from the elaborately scripted social interaction required during any meeting.
Neurotypical society is a harsh one: failure to meet its need for extensive repetitive daily activities, restrictions in appearance, and limited emotional expression can result in ostracization and withholding of resources, often in turn leading to early death. This is a cruel society that kills its outliers and punishes diversity.
