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Did being autistic make you more tolerant?

Cece

Hi.

Long before AS was a thing known to me, I have always been different, didn't quite fit in, always felt like something just wasn't right or natural to me in life.. this was an underlying feeling that I have always had in life which was really somehow lifted (or rather validated) when I learnt of AS.

But I think that this different feeling contributed to my lack of bias towards a certain group of people. I.e., I have always understood people are different and was ok with that, managed to live life without too much intolerance to cloud it.

Can't help but wonder if being different is the only way for people to be tolerant towards other difference ( colour, race, religion, sexual identity or orientation etc)

That is of course not to say that all autistic people are unbiased or that all NTs are biased... I just think feeling different helps a person understand that others can be different too!

What are your thoughts?

Thanks.

Parents

  • I do think being different can make people more tolerant, although it doesn't always. It depends on empathy too.

    I also think people can be tolerant about one type of difference, but not about another. There are people who are very tolerant about race or gender, but very intolerant about religion, for example, and I find lots of people (in general) see intolerance for different political views as a virtue.

    I think autism is one of a number of "differences" I have that have made me more open-minded and tolerant.

    I do sometimes see autistic people displaying very intolerant attitudes to neurotypicals!

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  • I do think being different can make people more tolerant, although it doesn't always. It depends on empathy too.

    I also think people can be tolerant about one type of difference, but not about another. There are people who are very tolerant about race or gender, but very intolerant about religion, for example, and I find lots of people (in general) see intolerance for different political views as a virtue.

    I think autism is one of a number of "differences" I have that have made me more open-minded and tolerant.

    I do sometimes see autistic people displaying very intolerant attitudes to neurotypicals!

Children
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