As someone with #Autism, I find the term #NeuroDivergent to be simplistically judgemental.
What is being deviated from? A trait or whole nature of autistic and non-autistic people?
And what of divergence along other dimensions? How about extroverts as divergent as they cannot tolerate time alone very well.
Sep 7, 2026, 4:28 PMMy own personal observation (and I'll make generalizations that might trigger some): I think neurotypicals are more powerfully governed by pack-dynamics, similar to a pack of dogs, or wolves. They feel emotionally secure when they feel they are conforming with a group, such that they gain protection from "the tribe". They have an understandable need for emotional safety.
What confuses autistics is that this need for emotional safety usually trumps honesty, or ideals. Facts are only very selectively divulged by neurotypicals, conforming to a narrative of some sort, which eventuates in some personally gainful advantage (and it's less so about "the truth" as some sort of higher ideal). They - neurotypicals - have a fluidity in conforming to group expectations so as to fit into the group. A flexibility in changing roles, and reading the room. Even if the dynamics call for lowered morality. Conformance is more important than morality, I've observed. This conformance has its rewards: more money, more opportunities, more access to mates, more biological success - propagation of their genes. They are understandably doing exactly what their genes would have them do. Genes care nothing about morality at the end of the day; only biological success.
Autistics have one set of ideals that they more inflexibly cling to. Honesty is the best policy for an Autistic, owing to reduced theory of mind, and reduced flexibility when it comes to switching roles, and reading the room.
In contrast, honesty *isn't* the best policy, when it's biological success that neurotypicals are actually optimizing for.
@d1 @NicelyManifest @autistics
I think at a population level, though, there are benefits to having some people who don't go with the flow so easily. Some eggs outside of any given basket. If diversity weren't an evolutionary advantage, we'd all reproduce by parthenogenisis.
Sep 9, 2026, 3:09 PM@marymessall @NicelyManifest @autistics Yes, I also believe it is an evolutionary advantage, for the group as a whole, to have the diverse individuals in it.
My best guess as to what valuable, and even indispensable contribution Autistics contribute is this: they aren't beholden to status/emotional approval from mentors, as some sort of motivating reward (Asperger originally observed this, as noted in the book "Neurotribes").
The narcissists of the world can lead their flying monkeys (an even possibly entire populations by extension), to ruin - possibly large numbers of them, by dangling motivations of status and money in front of neurotypicals, like a carrot on a stick.
Just look at what's happening in the AI world, for example (sorry for the X link, but it's a potent, recent example):
https://x.com/hilbertspaess/status/2097476196791709843
It's through such emotional and status-motivated - not really rationally-motivated - puppet strings, that narcissists can gain so much leverage over everyone, like a skilled puppeteer.
IMHO, The Autistic are a necessary evolutionary hedge against this. They aren't as beholden to these emotional puppet strings - this carrot and stick motivation for status - that neurotypicals are. Autistics offer a possible course correction (albeit, an emotionally uncomfortable/painful one to hear), where the neurotypicals can't really do it themselves - the status/money is too attractive, as opposed to "doing the right thing"
