Conversation

I’m ambivalent about shape rotator/wordcel meme but one of the interesting effects it’s had is sort of return the favor of quasi-medicalizing neurotypicality as its own kind of compromised cognitive condition. So now everybody can claim everybody else is mentally ill.
Quote Tweet
The fact that tech journalists believe high functioning mild autism is something to “solve” is the root problem with tech journalism, and is, quite frankly, a horrifying position for your narrative-shaping critics to hold, which is why many in tech consider themselves at war. twitter.com/zackkanter/sta…
Show this thread
Image
5
75
A friend who knew the late David Graeber (pbuh) once described the him as the opposite pole from aspie… someone who is pathologically connection-oriented and kinda can’t think except in an intersubjective way in mutual entanglement with others.
2
45
I started labeling such people codies by analogy with aspie. As in codependent. If I were inclined to boost slurs, I’d be pushing “codie” as a slur that covers the entire spectrum of “humanist” types, from journalists to social workers to activists…
3
23
But something really bothers me about this mutually assured destruction by neurotype medicalization (MAD-NT) dynamic of the culture wars. It’s seriously negative-sum, which is why I’ve been kinda cold to the rotator/wordcel meme. Everybody seeing each other as medically ill.
1
35
Codie is a relatively soft slur, compared to anything with a -cel slur… that’s kinda a nuclear slur past which no conversation or attempt at mutual understanding is possible. But it’s still enough to kill recognizing mutual humanity.
2
20
But to Zack’s point, yeah… I think most people who are tech-critical (and self-select into professions that encourage it, like activism, academia, and journalism) have unconscious hostile medicalization and dehumanization behaviors going on that shouldn’t get a free pass.
1
30
Criticize intentions and outcomes as much as you like. Hold people accountable. But ad hominem by medicalization is nasty, stupid and unethical. If your reason for disliking something someone is doing is they seem subhuman mentally ill to you, it’s not serious critique
1
33
If you can only see the negative of a pair of traits in people you dislike (for eg social awkwardness/math talent in techies) and only the positive of a pair of traits in people you like (for eg social fluency/tech illiteracy) it’s a very deep kind of double standard.
1
27
If you can’t get past this double standard and simply see neural variety as opposed to normalized and pathologized subsets, and treat it as different cognitive languages, you’re kinda not a serious thinker, and you *will* see the same double standard used against you.
1
24
At some level it is sheer mental laziness. As dumb as assuming native speakers of another language who don’t speak yours are stupid. Which is a thing people actually do. All countries routinely portray linguistic others as bumbling fools.
Replying to
The French are caricatures in American movies, and Americans are caricatures in American movies. And this is within the same larger cultural zone without big racial or religious divides. It only gets worse as you add more distance variables.
1
13
Replying to
Whenever I went to another country, I considered it a matter of both courtesy and practicality to learn a few phrases of the language. That seems only fair. I don't expect proficiency. Just don't give me that blank stare.