[kayodelycaon]

“Neurotypical” has to do with ability to function at a fundamental level. If neurotypical person is interested in something, they are likely to be fine doing that thing. But they can also chose not to do it.

Someone with ADHD has trouble controlling attention. To be a disorder, this needs to be severe enough to limit you.

There is a significant overlap in behavior with neurotypical and neurodivergent people. What separates them is what is driving that behavior.

[b7r6]

I probably have some wiggle room on the details, but the combination of my skills, experience, and the macro economy make me roughly a "knowledge worker". I'm interested as hell in all kinds of things, but if I "choose" not to do the "knowledge worker" thing I'm looking at a tough situation pretty quickly.

I'm sure you mean well by your comment but I'd be more interested in what you think about the broader theme of "knowledge work as a path to high achievement denominated in society's rewards" than whether or not I personally have a bunch of agency about wanting rewards.

[kayodelycaon]

I can take a stab at that. :)

If we take the caveman argument at face value, the moment humanity started farming, we diverged for what we were evolved for.

In that time, the labor required for survival declined and more people had time to focus on more than mere survival. This was the start of societies and a class of people who ruled farmers.

Looking at it this way, knowledge work has existed in one form or another for millennia. Anyone who wrote books would qualify. Many of these people worked in organizations far more powerful that the laboring classes.

The Industrial Revolution accelerated this and today, we’re looking at ultimate result of that development.

For myself, I’m happy to participate in society’s benefits. I find knowledge work satisfying.

Besides, in a hunter/gatherer society, I’d have been a shaman, the original knowledge worker. ;)