Idk, dude. I’ve met people I swear are autistic but social but they’re overly rigid about social norms and being polite. I don’t buy it (what you’re saying). Anyone can be interested in anything.
Yeah, but I’m responding to a comment that says that neurotypical people aren’t curious or passionate about the things they’re interested in, and I think that’s too narrow of a way to define “interest.”
I’d reject that way of thinking because that principle could be weaponized to accuse some neurodivergent people of not caring about people by misreading why they might not be great with social cues or things like that.
That’d be a problem if people were using blanket statements, but that’s not how the comment is worded.
If someone said, “Autistic people tend to have strong, specific interests,” nobody would be getting insulted. We’d be like, “Yeah, that tracks.” Even if somebody autistic lacked that particular trait, the phrase “tend to” allows for exceptions to the statement - it’d be understood that not every autistic individual fits that description, but many often do.
Which is why it’s interesting that when an autistic person flips that exact same sentiment around to show what “normal” people look like from their perspective, neurotypicals are taken aback.
When the interest at issue is human relationships and social norms, I think it flips the other way around.
Better to characterize things by what type of interests tend to appeal to which.
Idk, dude. I’ve met people I swear are autistic but social but they’re overly rigid about social norms and being polite. I don’t buy it (what you’re saying). Anyone can be interested in anything.
Yeah, but I’m responding to a comment that says that neurotypical people aren’t curious or passionate about the things they’re interested in, and I think that’s too narrow of a way to define “interest.”
I’d reject that way of thinking because that principle could be weaponized to accuse some neurodivergent people of not caring about people by misreading why they might not be great with social cues or things like that.
That’d be a problem if people were using blanket statements, but that’s not how the comment is worded.
If someone said, “Autistic people tend to have strong, specific interests,” nobody would be getting insulted. We’d be like, “Yeah, that tracks.” Even if somebody autistic lacked that particular trait, the phrase “tend to” allows for exceptions to the statement - it’d be understood that not every autistic individual fits that description, but many often do.
Which is why it’s interesting that when an autistic person flips that exact same sentiment around to show what “normal” people look like from their perspective, neurotypicals are taken aback.