Subject: Autistic ‘black and white’ thinking.
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Subject: Autistic ‘black and white’ thinking.
It's framed as a deficit often seen in autism, but... is it that simple?
Autistic people are traditionally criticized for our inflexibility, or cognitive rigidity.
But I think this isn’t the whole picture.
To start with what we know, here are ten things we autistic people generally have in common (refs at the end of the thread):
️ #Autism #Neurodivergent #ActuallyAutistic #AuDHD #Neurodiversity
@KatyElphinstone This entire thread is so thoughtful and beautifully written — with references, even! Thank you.
️ Lots resonates here, but my very favorite phrasing was “uncertainty is explicitly modeled rather than socially smoothed over.” 
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I think our bones are right.
In fact, I think embracing a reasoning style based on data, patterns, and probability could be a huge bonus for everyone.
As – objectively speaking – it could pave the road for authenticity, equity, and justice to replace former murkiness, power plays, and empty promises.
End of 🧵
References below
@KatyElphinstone I am glad to hear I am not the only autistic person who thinks this way. I thought that all autistic people did, until recently I picked up a book of Greta Thunberg speeches, and I was confused when the second speech said, "I have Asperger's syndrome, and to me, almost everything is black or white." I thought back to when I was living with my parents, and they would get annoyed at me for saying things like, "I think its important to acknowledge that while that's effectively true in this case, it isn't technically the truth, and would lead to the wrong decision in some cases." Like, what could be more grey lol.
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4: Are we right not to ‘just trust’?
Many neurotypical social systems run on:
- Emotional smoothing
- Implicit trust
- Status-based reassurance
- Norm enforcement through vibe rather than dataIf you’ve repeatedly experienced (and many autistic people have; refs at the end):
- Broken promises
- Social insecurity and unpredictability
- Rule inconsistencies and injusticesThen vague reassurance doesn’t reduce uncertainty – it increases it!
️@KatyElphinstone That may be why traditional advertisement doesn't work on us - we simply don't trust it.
Speaking for myself, no matter how promising an advertisement looks, I'll ignore it simply because it's advertisement. It's not a trustworthy source of information. Broken promises is all I'll ever expect from advertisement.
(That framing would also indicate what type of advertisement does work: anything from a trustworthy source, for example product information or recommendations contained in articles or blog posts from authors we consider reliable.)
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4: Are we right not to ‘just trust’?
Many neurotypical social systems run on:
- Emotional smoothing
- Implicit trust
- Status-based reassurance
- Norm enforcement through vibe rather than dataIf you’ve repeatedly experienced (and many autistic people have; refs at the end):
- Broken promises
- Social insecurity and unpredictability
- Rule inconsistencies and injusticesThen vague reassurance doesn’t reduce uncertainty – it increases it!
️- emotional smoothing by whom?
- implicit trust in what?
- norm enforcement through what kind of vibe?The hiding and staying at an „aloof“ distance that was interpreted as a characteristic of autistics is indeed a consequence of having been bitten not once, but over and over and over. Just like in that meme that says „I used to be a people person, but people ruined that for me“.
It’s punishment that does that.
Punishment for all the things you listed above, because they question hierarchy. They point out errors. And mistakes aren’t seen as necessary steps on the way, but as something that decreases your value, as bad, as something to be avoided because it weakens your status.
We live in a culture that’s based on competition rather than cooperation. And the ones on top are males. It’s about hierarchy all the way down, and most people strive to become more powerful rather than more respectful.
Our autistic out-of-the-box thinking is challenging. Those who are into hierarchy take any challenge as an attack, even personally, rather than an opportunity. They tend to interpret everything as an attack, even simple questions, because of their fear of failure, of losing status, and power.
So, the way I see it, you’re right and I agree with everything you said - but you don’t say the quiet part out loud:
- That emotional smoothing has a direction. It has to be done by those who have something to lose. By those afraid of escalation and punishment. Those further down in the hierarchy.
- those higher up want implicit trust in their authority, which is based on power. On status. Because if it were based on expertise, they’d actually encourage others to think for themselves and guide them through challenges so both sides have a chance to learn from them.
- and it’s norm enforcement through bribery for compliance on the pleasant side, and fear, intimidation and pain on the aversive side. Those are the basic control tools of patriarchy. This is why we see all that violence emerge once some power and hierarchy is challenged, rather than everyone take a step back and find a solution in a cooperative way that’s good for everyone. And we can see that in private as well as global scenarios. In ableism, racism, sexism… you name it.
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- emotional smoothing by whom?
- implicit trust in what?
- norm enforcement through what kind of vibe?The hiding and staying at an „aloof“ distance that was interpreted as a characteristic of autistics is indeed a consequence of having been bitten not once, but over and over and over. Just like in that meme that says „I used to be a people person, but people ruined that for me“.
It’s punishment that does that.
Punishment for all the things you listed above, because they question hierarchy. They point out errors. And mistakes aren’t seen as necessary steps on the way, but as something that decreases your value, as bad, as something to be avoided because it weakens your status.
We live in a culture that’s based on competition rather than cooperation. And the ones on top are males. It’s about hierarchy all the way down, and most people strive to become more powerful rather than more respectful.
Our autistic out-of-the-box thinking is challenging. Those who are into hierarchy take any challenge as an attack, even personally, rather than an opportunity. They tend to interpret everything as an attack, even simple questions, because of their fear of failure, of losing status, and power.
So, the way I see it, you’re right and I agree with everything you said - but you don’t say the quiet part out loud:
- That emotional smoothing has a direction. It has to be done by those who have something to lose. By those afraid of escalation and punishment. Those further down in the hierarchy.
- those higher up want implicit trust in their authority, which is based on power. On status. Because if it were based on expertise, they’d actually encourage others to think for themselves and guide them through challenges so both sides have a chance to learn from them.
- and it’s norm enforcement through bribery for compliance on the pleasant side, and fear, intimidation and pain on the aversive side. Those are the basic control tools of patriarchy. This is why we see all that violence emerge once some power and hierarchy is challenged, rather than everyone take a step back and find a solution in a cooperative way that’s good for everyone. And we can see that in private as well as global scenarios. In ableism, racism, sexism… you name it.
Exactly this. Nicely put indeed.
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- emotional smoothing by whom?
- implicit trust in what?
- norm enforcement through what kind of vibe?The hiding and staying at an „aloof“ distance that was interpreted as a characteristic of autistics is indeed a consequence of having been bitten not once, but over and over and over. Just like in that meme that says „I used to be a people person, but people ruined that for me“.
It’s punishment that does that.
Punishment for all the things you listed above, because they question hierarchy. They point out errors. And mistakes aren’t seen as necessary steps on the way, but as something that decreases your value, as bad, as something to be avoided because it weakens your status.
We live in a culture that’s based on competition rather than cooperation. And the ones on top are males. It’s about hierarchy all the way down, and most people strive to become more powerful rather than more respectful.
Our autistic out-of-the-box thinking is challenging. Those who are into hierarchy take any challenge as an attack, even personally, rather than an opportunity. They tend to interpret everything as an attack, even simple questions, because of their fear of failure, of losing status, and power.
So, the way I see it, you’re right and I agree with everything you said - but you don’t say the quiet part out loud:
- That emotional smoothing has a direction. It has to be done by those who have something to lose. By those afraid of escalation and punishment. Those further down in the hierarchy.
- those higher up want implicit trust in their authority, which is based on power. On status. Because if it were based on expertise, they’d actually encourage others to think for themselves and guide them through challenges so both sides have a chance to learn from them.
- and it’s norm enforcement through bribery for compliance on the pleasant side, and fear, intimidation and pain on the aversive side. Those are the basic control tools of patriarchy. This is why we see all that violence emerge once some power and hierarchy is challenged, rather than everyone take a step back and find a solution in a cooperative way that’s good for everyone. And we can see that in private as well as global scenarios. In ableism, racism, sexism… you name it.
In other words: I believe it’s not because all our differences have to be inherently difficult. They don’t punish us because theyre allistics.
Its because this culture has shaped affective priorities and thinking in a way that is deeply, deeply toxic. And we’re not automatically completely free from that just because of our different neurotype.
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@KatyElphinstone if you have audhd this is true except you're also chained to a gremlin
@sinvega @KatyElphinstone I prefer the term squirrel, but yes.
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@KatyElphinstone Great thread!
Thank you
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@KatyElphinstone If I may sum up:
(1) Neurotypicals are the ones who are rigid, not #autistics! They have a hardwired set of assumptions and mental reflexes that facilitate efficient interaction with common environments (especially social environments) but can fail very badly outside their native domain. What I call the #EnvironmentalYoke.
(2) Autistics appear to pay a heavy price for our disconnect from the hardwired social interactions at which neurotypicals are so facile, but it is a FIXED price, paid up front. In return we get a potentially unlimited income stream of principled insights into how the world — the WHOLE world, not just the socially relevant part — REALLY works.
(3) Given (1) and (2), no wonder evolution keeps inflicting our kind on a bewildered neurotypical social world that sees nothing in us but weirdness and inefficiency.
(4) Your references appear to be a gold mine of resources for giving detail and concreteness to the very general concept of an #EnvironmentalYoke.
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@KatyElphinstone I am glad to hear I am not the only autistic person who thinks this way. I thought that all autistic people did, until recently I picked up a book of Greta Thunberg speeches, and I was confused when the second speech said, "I have Asperger's syndrome, and to me, almost everything is black or white." I thought back to when I was living with my parents, and they would get annoyed at me for saying things like, "I think its important to acknowledge that while that's effectively true in this case, it isn't technically the truth, and would lead to the wrong decision in some cases." Like, what could be more grey lol.
I've also wondered about Greta Thunberg saying that.
I think what she maybe means is that there's clarity on things, for her. Which would make what she's saying pretty similar to what's laid out here. She's probably been accused many times of being "black and white" because of it.
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@KatyElphinstone I am glad to hear I am not the only autistic person who thinks this way. I thought that all autistic people did, until recently I picked up a book of Greta Thunberg speeches, and I was confused when the second speech said, "I have Asperger's syndrome, and to me, almost everything is black or white." I thought back to when I was living with my parents, and they would get annoyed at me for saying things like, "I think its important to acknowledge that while that's effectively true in this case, it isn't technically the truth, and would lead to the wrong decision in some cases." Like, what could be more grey lol.
Hehe absolutely!!
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@KatyElphinstone That may be why traditional advertisement doesn't work on us - we simply don't trust it.
Speaking for myself, no matter how promising an advertisement looks, I'll ignore it simply because it's advertisement. It's not a trustworthy source of information. Broken promises is all I'll ever expect from advertisement.
(That framing would also indicate what type of advertisement does work: anything from a trustworthy source, for example product information or recommendations contained in articles or blog posts from authors we consider reliable.)
Yes. That would also fit in with the kinds of advertising that does work on autistic people; advertising that's based on statistics and on providing data about the product.
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In other words: I believe it’s not because all our differences have to be inherently difficult. They don’t punish us because theyre allistics.
Its because this culture has shaped affective priorities and thinking in a way that is deeply, deeply toxic. And we’re not automatically completely free from that just because of our different neurotype.
It's sadly true that none of us are free of it. And I agree it is incredibly toxic. It - the power structure - needs a good strong light shone on it.
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@KatyElphinstone I love this whole list, and feel very seen just reading it. Number 5 is an often overlooked fact, and I run into it sometimes. Empty assurances bug me, especially from a stranger or a meme. I feel like people deploy those when they're uncomfortable with another's suffering and don't know what else to say. So they crank out a platitude and get their dopamine rush, feeling like a good person, but don't actually help in any way.
edit - I meant 4, not 5.
I actually start panicking when people start reassuring me. I think that must be a trauma reaction
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@KatyElphinstone I am of the unshakeable conviction that we may be different, but neither better nor worse. Put us in the right place and we'll flourish, put us in the wrong one and we won't. Just like anybody else.
Absolutely. I'm with you on this. It takes all sorts.
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@KatyElphinstone I am glad to hear I am not the only autistic person who thinks this way. I thought that all autistic people did, until recently I picked up a book of Greta Thunberg speeches, and I was confused when the second speech said, "I have Asperger's syndrome, and to me, almost everything is black or white." I thought back to when I was living with my parents, and they would get annoyed at me for saying things like, "I think its important to acknowledge that while that's effectively true in this case, it isn't technically the truth, and would lead to the wrong decision in some cases." Like, what could be more grey lol.
@jessica @KatyElphinstone You know what does produce black-and-white thinking?
Abuse.
"You/they did a bad thing. Therefore you/they are a bad person, and therefore everything you/they think or do is bad." Or the inverse with goodness.
And going back to the truism that there are no Autistics without trauma ... could this be the reason for the stereotype?
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I actually start panicking when people start reassuring me. I think that must be a trauma reaction
️@KatyElphinstone when I was in labor with my second child, the midwife reassured me in the most autistic friendly way. My first labor started about 10 hours after my water broke, and ended with an emergency c-section. So when my water broke well into the second birth, and I was scared, she calmly informed me of several important ways this time was different, and that definitely helped.
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4: Are we right not to ‘just trust’?
Many neurotypical social systems run on:
- Emotional smoothing
- Implicit trust
- Status-based reassurance
- Norm enforcement through vibe rather than dataIf you’ve repeatedly experienced (and many autistic people have; refs at the end):
- Broken promises
- Social insecurity and unpredictability
- Rule inconsistencies and injusticesThen vague reassurance doesn’t reduce uncertainty – it increases it!
️@KatyElphinstone You're not kidding.
I've learned the hard way that "don't worry about it, it'll be fine" means that a clusterfuck is on its way, and it's bound for my lap. -
I think our bones are right.
In fact, I think embracing a reasoning style based on data, patterns, and probability could be a huge bonus for everyone.
As – objectively speaking – it could pave the road for authenticity, equity, and justice to replace former murkiness, power plays, and empty promises.
End of 🧵
References below
@KatyElphinstone sure. But a great way to trick people into thinking it's not black and white (which isn't a bad thing) is to tell them even when most unreasonable that their point is valid from their perspective.
Because it actually is. Their opinions and theories may seem incoherent and nonsensical from one's own perspective, but since their brains have produced those results they must make sense to them.
Humility helps also. To every theory there are theoretically infinite alternative theories that may also be true. So thinking one's own perspective is the only one valid is not very smart. Instead adopting a "I think it's like this or that" while also maintaining that that can never be the last truth (since it cannot) is a very good way to make people actually listen without alienating them.
It's just like there are no lies, just misunderstandings. If someone seems to not tell the truth, we just don't understand what they're saying. It's like a code that needs to be deciphered in order to understand what they actually mean, even if it seems that they are deliberately deceiving: They do it for a reason. Find out that reason and one can tell what's actually behind those words.
Psychological analysis is a great way to get to know people.
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3: Conceptual vs social uncertainty.
Many autistic people seem to tolerate:
- Conceptual ambiguity
- Abstract uncertainty
- Complex models
- Open-ended questionsBut we do struggle with:
- Unstated social rules
- Hidden expectations
- Implicit hierarchy shifts
- Unpredictable human behaviorSo the discomfort isn’t with uncertainty per se. It’s with unmodeled variables.
Which ties in with discomfort with social reassurance, e.g. with trusting “everything will be fine.”
️@KatyElphinstone dunno if you know that proverb, someone once told me: "In the end, everything's alright. If it isn't alright yet, it isn't the end yet."
My reaction was "In the end, we're all dead."
Which is true, but a little demotivating to a lot of people. Just as plenty people seem to feel horrified when I explain the myth of Sisyphos and the philosophy of Absurdism to them, which feels very comforting to me. You just roll the stone up the hill every day while maintaining a smile and some day you don't.
Probably should mention that I was never diagnosed with autism, but a lot of these points seem quite fitting.
