The Purpose of Growth
Embracing neurodiversity
Have you ever felt like everyone understands the rules except for you?
Me, too. And I’ve spent over a decade in therapy trying to figure it out.
The main reason I sought help from therapists, counselors, and coaches is because I have always felt different. Like everyone else got the ‘Manual to Human Life’ except for me. As a result, I have always felt like an outsider. I think feeling different also motivates rebellion. Growing up in the 80s, we called this non-conformity. If you’re younger than me, this means your interests fall outside the ‘normal crowd’.
As I discover more about my neurodivergence and Autism, I realize that neurodivergence is the antithesis of conformity.
This fits well with the ideas I outline in my podcast episodes 99 and 100. In short, the world is supposed to be diverse.
Neurodiversity is an excellent example of this. We need all types of people to solve all types of problems and to survive the changing biosphere. But it isn’t about the neurodiverse, but the ‘normal people’, or allistic people, that often insist we conform. The universe, and our future, are about accepting and tolerating the range of human ‘being-ness’.
Essentially, this is what has been called ‘The platinum rule’ which says:
Treat other people the way they want to be treated
Make room for people different from you. Don’t be an asshole.
This episode and the future direction of my podcast (which I have rebranded from Knowledge + Experience = Wisdom to The Neurodivergent Professor) is to be the person I needed when I was 15. I’m here for 1 me and the other people who need to hear what I have to say. I’m thankful to discover where I fit.
I see you. I hear you. I get you. And if I don’t, I want to and will.
My mission is to be additive to the body of the work that helps normalize diversity.
I think this is self-actualization, as described here. I’m old enough to have figured some stuff out (see all 157+ episodes of my podcast and Medium articles for more) and need to share it in case folks are looking for it — like I have been.
My growth now depends on giving back.
Much of my interest in diversity, in general, and neurodiversity specifically originated in my dissertation defense (see, that’s why I’m a Professor:)) One of my committee members asked me why diversity is important, and I could not provide a meaningful answer. I talk about this more in the episodes linked above.
My answer at the time was that biodiversity was good, but I didn’t know why. Now I get it.
Conformity = extinction. Diversity = evolution.
We (and all life) are designed to respond to environmental change by being different. If we were all the same (or nearly so) a single environmental event that kills one of us will kill most (if not all) of us.
Growth perpetuates life but requires resources. All living things get a fair share of communal resources to grow, reproduce, and die. The growth that helps individuals reproduce new life is good. Other forms of growth that consume too many of the limited communal resources are bad. Bad growth is limitless; the only biological example I can think of is cancer. Limitless growth is also one of the central tenets of capitalism, which has never made sense to me. Limitless growth disagrees with Darwin as I discuss in episode 156. It isn’t considered fitness in an evolutionary sense.
So normal growth requires resources, but it is necessary to perpetuate life. Growth that consumes more than one’s fair share of resources is bad. The only type of growth that doesn’t abide by these rules (again, that I can think of) is personal growth. Personal growth, in a self-actualization sense, is also a necessary part of life for those with enough privilege.
Personal growth is good! Especially when we begin to reinvest what we learn
I think part of our duty is to grow, to address our issues, so we can give more back. Commensurate with our privilege, or course. Of course, it’s your right NOT to, but . . . . then you’re an asshole.
I want humans to FLOURISH, and to assist others in flourishing. I seek to make humans better as obnoxious as that sounds. Personal growth. Self-improvement. I believe in these things.
I think everyone should get rich and famous and do everything they ever dreamed of so they can see that it’s not the answer — Jim Carrey
I think what humans need is to flourish. Not to eliminate suffering.
Suffering exists and is going to exist. It is part of being human. But we can learn to minimize suffering and maximize flourishing. We can learn to thrive rather than merely survive.
I want to honor our ancestors who got us here. Here is where we are. My ‘here’ is giving back to the future for me.
Suffer less.
Flourish more.
We all have different paths. Different traumas. But we all have trauma.
Healing is part of flourishing. Not healing maximizes suffering.
I think that the purpose of growth is to minimize suffering, maximize flourishing, and help everyone else do those things.
HOW to do this effectively is the direction of my podcast and writing.
Whether you identify as neurodivergent or not, please subscribe to The Neurodivergent Professor on YouTube, podcast, my website, or Medium.
You can also listen to this episode using these links:
Podcast audio:
https://www.buzzsprout.com/530563/14211270
YouTube video: