I mean, there’s passion for something and there’s hyper-specific, extremely deep niches. I think it’s common to be into plants and nature and science and such, but to devote eight full volumes to ferns specifically is just… very specific.
Totally agree here. It’s not just a Lemmy thing though, it’s an internet culture thing at this point and it bothers me. People who happen to be really into some niche thing doesn’t automatically make you neurodivergent or autistic at all.
I’m not neurodivergent but I think its a great way to signal inclusivity despite much of it coming off as cringe “autism is a super power”. Bit of cringe is a small price to pay to protect more vulnerable.
The counterpoint here is that many neurodivergents managed to fit in way more and that they are actually a natural evolved important subgroup of a human society.
What you are saying is not wrong but at some point we did evolve mass production and consumerism catered to majorities making everyone else stand out more and eventually be considered disabled as modern society no longer needed their strengths and the misaligned creating new challenges,
This creates a feedback loop where people also avoid being seen doing non-typical behaviour and called others out for it.
The more our general knowledge grew the more unnecessary it appeared for anyone to specialise in subjects where books where already available and if they want to eat they ought to be working in the factory rather then have their head up in the clouds.
This is a good point, but the point still stands that not everyone in science is neurodivergent. There are plenty neurotypical people currently doing similar work to this because they developed an interest and an area of expertise.
EO Wilson didn’t have autism, and dude wrote a massive book IDing every known ant genus based on morphology. Some people just go hard
The social niche thing makes the most sense IMO. The autistic guy who prefers being alone was probably Jim the game warden who was more than happy to murder any trespassers and even the Lord listened to when it came to matters of the land. Rather than bob who knows a lot about nature and is about two steps away from having a meltdown at his job at McDonalds.
I don’t think you have to be autistic to have a passion for something and realise that the only way you’ll pass that knowledge on is via written text.
Before the printing press the only way to copy a book was by hand. Do you think the people doing it were odd or just pragmatic?
I mean, there’s passion for something and there’s hyper-specific, extremely deep niches. I think it’s common to be into plants and nature and science and such, but to devote eight full volumes to ferns specifically is just… very specific.
I feel like Lemmy so broadly applies autism that it’d be neurodivergent not to be autistic.
Totally agree here. It’s not just a Lemmy thing though, it’s an internet culture thing at this point and it bothers me. People who happen to be really into some niche thing doesn’t automatically make you neurodivergent or autistic at all.
It’s the new OCD.
Thank you. I get super OCD about people using these terms so loosely.
eh I have moderate to severe, clinically diagnosed OCD and I didn’t mind it getting bandied about thusly.
I’m not neurodivergent but I think its a great way to signal inclusivity despite much of it coming off as cringe “autism is a super power”. Bit of cringe is a small price to pay to protect more vulnerable.
The counterpoint here is that many neurodivergents managed to fit in way more and that they are actually a natural evolved important subgroup of a human society.
What you are saying is not wrong but at some point we did evolve mass production and consumerism catered to majorities making everyone else stand out more and eventually be considered disabled as modern society no longer needed their strengths and the misaligned creating new challenges,
This creates a feedback loop where people also avoid being seen doing non-typical behaviour and called others out for it.
The more our general knowledge grew the more unnecessary it appeared for anyone to specialise in subjects where books where already available and if they want to eat they ought to be working in the factory rather then have their head up in the clouds.
This is a good point, but the point still stands that not everyone in science is neurodivergent. There are plenty neurotypical people currently doing similar work to this because they developed an interest and an area of expertise.
EO Wilson didn’t have autism, and dude wrote a massive book IDing every known ant genus based on morphology. Some people just go hard
The social niche thing makes the most sense IMO. The autistic guy who prefers being alone was probably Jim the game warden who was more than happy to murder any trespassers and even the Lord listened to when it came to matters of the land. Rather than bob who knows a lot about nature and is about two steps away from having a meltdown at his job at McDonalds.
I mean they definitely were special, one way or another