[everdrive]

I really appreciate (and relate to) this discussion, but I wanted to point out that some folks out there don't mind people who are a little on the spectrum. You don't always have to pretend to be somebody else. Some people will like you the way you are, or, will tolerate and respect you even if they don't like you.

It seems like the authors never attempted an alternative: pushing back on people's assumptions and being themselves more often. People like and respect Spock and Sherlock Holmes. I get that those are extreme and fictional examples, but you don't have to be extroverted and "normal" to be liked. I'm not saying it'll be perfect, or always easy for you, but there are societal niches which don't mind that some people are weird. More importantly, they can tell that you're altruistic and well-intending, even if you you come off a little poorly socially.

[twofig]

I'm going to push back a bit on this. People like Spock and Sherlock only because they are incredibly capable. That is, it's entirely predicated on their instrumental value, not because of their personality. If they weren't as capable, people wouldn't hesitate to kick them to the curb and never interact with them.

[Nasrudith]

Not to mention they never have to deal with the "step one" of giving them a chance. Even if they would find them indispensable if actually hired due to being a 10x performer getting in the door is a challenge when they would rather pay attention to irrelevancies of posture than actual qualifications.

That sort of talent filtering for stupid reasons is very not new - going back at the very least sexist exclusion from fields and Jewish university quota caps (as in maximum number of Jewish scholars) - let alone cases where people with massive potential never had the resources for education.

[everdrive]

This got dark fast. I was just trying to say that autistic personalities weren't universally hated.

[everdrive]

Spock and Sherlock are fictional. I simply meant them as an example of autistic personalities reaching acceptance in popular culture.

Pick any other fictional character who is neurotypical and extroverted: the people who want to emulate them are almost certainly a pale comparison. But, those archetypes are popular in culture, and accepted.