This week I’ll skip right to the punchline.
The ability to see beyond the mainstream and to understand the continuum of whatever feature it is in the world is a special gift.
This is enhanced awareness. I wonder if being neurodiverse or atypical or having a sensitive or different nervous system, sort of gives us this ability.
In an evolutionary context, I can see how this ability would have been selected for. Hypervigilance enabled some of us to ‘scout’ out our environments and look for threats, which was protective of the village. I think neurodivergence is an artifact of that.
In this way, we can look at neurodivergence, ASD, OCD, and other forms of neurodiversity as superpowers rather than disorders. There is a lot of chatter for and against this perspective, but I guess I’m more of an optimist.
I have always been different. A non-conformist. Outside the mainstream. I think many neurodivergent people are similar. In an evolutionary sense, we need all of us to participate so we have as many options as possible to adapt.
I have shared my thoughts about expressing our genotypes, flying our freak flags, and not trying to conform. Two episodes, The Uniqueness Imperative and The Evolution Paradox go into great detail about why it is our human responsibility to ‘be ourselves’ rather than conform to the mainstream.
Why are neurodivergent people outside the mainstream?
It’s complicated. But it’s also just like anything else. Why do some people have blue eyes? Or blonde hair? Or olive skin? Why are some people more nurturing than others? How come my brother is better at math?
Biology perpetuates diversity (see the linked episodes above). To try and force everyone into normalcy goes against that basic natural law. We must express our differences — in every way — to enhance human evolution. And even to prevent extinction.
I think neurodivergent people look at the world differently. Instead of listening to whatever music is on the radio, we get super excited about all the music and want to explore. A lot of ND folks are super curious about their special interests and end up liking things far outside the mainstream simply because we are more likely to discover the rare elements. Seek and ye shall find. Otherwise, just listen to Garth Brooks and Pink Floyd.
ND people also experience pushback against our special interests. We are often ridiculed and even bullied for our strange (read, unusual or atypical) interests. Though this can be painful for ND people, it is also critical to our biological nature.
Modern humans are influencing natural selection.
Unfortunately, things like music, books, and religion select for sameness, normalcy, and mainstream. The more mass appeal something has, the more people will buy it. At least that seems to be the logic. So we end up with an unnatural amount of similarity.
In other words, unlike natural selection which chooses what is fit, unnatural or non-natural selection forces things to be more similar. Humans are the only species I know of that can do this. We are essentially going against nature.
Nature wants diversity because it enhances evolutionary success. Humans seem to be undoing that system by reducing diversity in favor of conformity. The more similar we are, the lower the probability that we will be able to survive environmental change.
Neurodivergent people are naturally different.
The only problem we have is the fear of abandonment. When society pushes us toward conformity, many of us surrender. And it is easy to see why. Being abandoned is unsafe. It is painful to be ridiculed and bullied. Hiding who we are makes it easier for ND people to get through the day.
Being ND isn’t easy. But in the context of human evolution, we are important. There is nothing wrong with conformity. The problem is going against our nature. When we conform because we need to feel safe there is a problem. When we don’t feel free to express our differences and ‘fly our freak flags’ there is a problem. When a species loses its diversity there is a problem.
I like people who are different. I think it is a shame that people are fearful of taking off their masks and being their authentic selves. I also think it is sad to think the world is missing out on whatever these folks have to offer. More importantly, I fear human arrogance and insistence upon conformity will lead to our species’ extinction.
So maybe this will help us understand that being different is a special gift. Maybe these words, and the growing support of other weirdos and freaks, will enable us to show the world who we are. Maybe one day we won’t need to wear masks because our brothers and sisters welcome our quirks and appreciate the differences we bring to the world.
Isn’t this why we write?
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Episode 165 streaming audio:
https://www.buzzsprout.com/530563/14538589
Episode 165 YouTube: