It’s better to learn from people who have had to work hard to achieve their skills, rather than the naturally talented.”
When men are the majority, they make the rules; when they’re a minority they get special treatment.”
I had observed that neurotypicals criticized autistic people for lacking empathy—towards them—but seldom made any effort to improve their own empathy towards autistic people.
“People don’t always mention their motivations. They don’t always know them. That’s why I have a job.”
“If you’re intellectually capable, it’s advisable to become an expert on your own body and treatments,” I said. “Medical practitioners observe you far less frequently than you observe yourself. Also, they care less. With children and people with diminished cognitive function, we may need to take that role on their behalf.”
I had learned, reluctantly and over many years, that rational argument seldom overcame irrational resistance.
None of us is expert in all situations. It is a sign of intelligence to recognize our limitations and of maturity to seek help when required. The school had zero problem with him being coached in the physical aspects of the cross-country run but apparently would have thought him deficient if he had sought help with the psychological component.
In the adult world, an uneven distribution of abilities is more valuable than mediocrity at everything. It is irrelevant to me whether or not my doctor is adept at hitting a ball with a stick—or finding her way to work without looking at street signs—but I would like her to be as proficient as possible in the practice of medicine. Conversely, at school, being other than unobtrusively average in every area (with the exception of sports) is a distinct disadvantage.
I consider tribalism one of the worst aspects of human behavior. A major contributor to confirmation bias, lack of innovation in public policy, war …”
The process for problem-solving is first to explain and explore the situation and objectives. We can ask questions and share information, but we can’t propose solutions. Then we require an incubation period for subconscious problem-solving, during which we undertake some mundane activity. As we have only one day total, I recommend we allow three to four hours. Then we co-operate on finding solutions.”
“We’re not going to let anything smaller than that stand in our way. If we have problems—with technology, with resources, with each other—we solve them, we get past them, and we’re never afraid to ask for help to do that, because what we’re creating matters so much more.”
I was facing a complex problem with too much information to process and not enough to support an evidence-based decision. I had learned that this was to be expected in all situations involving human interaction.