I was never defending the definition, just giving my perspective. But, to take the argument further (because this is the internet, and it’s made for doing just that), expressions of neurodivergence are often just ways of thinking atypical to the norm. A lot of counter-culture is based around that idea, people thinking in ways that go against the grain.
The difference, of course, comes from choice. Do people choose to think differently? Then most likely they don’t fall under neurodivergence. Whereas if they just think differently naturally, that is more likely to be true neurodivergence.
The problem is this is mostly pop-psychology. It’s not necessarily strictly defined in those terms. As with most things, especially when it comes to digital representation on the internet, people will grasp on to labels and seek to find role models to slap those labels on to boost their self image.
That is just people without a condition trying to coop it for their own ends. It’s no different than when people say “I’m so OCD” when they like clean up a crumb. It’s not the most evil thing in the world but let’s not continue to perpetrate any kind of relation to counter culture or “other ways of thinking” and the actual condition people don’t choose and often struggle to deal with. Especially in a community dedicated to discussions around the latter.
Those people I see who falsely claim they are neurodivergent because it’s a popular thing now are so much more insulting and annoying than people who for instance say having ADHD must be like having super powers.
I was never defending the definition, just giving my perspective. But, to take the argument further (because this is the internet, and it’s made for doing just that), expressions of neurodivergence are often just ways of thinking atypical to the norm. A lot of counter-culture is based around that idea, people thinking in ways that go against the grain.
The difference, of course, comes from choice. Do people choose to think differently? Then most likely they don’t fall under neurodivergence. Whereas if they just think differently naturally, that is more likely to be true neurodivergence.
The problem is this is mostly pop-psychology. It’s not necessarily strictly defined in those terms. As with most things, especially when it comes to digital representation on the internet, people will grasp on to labels and seek to find role models to slap those labels on to boost their self image.
That is just people without a condition trying to coop it for their own ends. It’s no different than when people say “I’m so OCD” when they like clean up a crumb. It’s not the most evil thing in the world but let’s not continue to perpetrate any kind of relation to counter culture or “other ways of thinking” and the actual condition people don’t choose and often struggle to deal with. Especially in a community dedicated to discussions around the latter.
Those people I see who falsely claim they are neurodivergent because it’s a popular thing now are so much more insulting and annoying than people who for instance say having ADHD must be like having super powers.