Does anyone else experience extreme social anxiety to the point of feeling paranoid that everyone is laughing? I feel like I get treated so badly as soon as I step out the front door.
Does anyone else experience extreme social anxiety to the point of feeling paranoid that everyone is laughing? I feel like I get treated so badly as soon as I step out the front door.
Not as bad now I’m much older but as a young person it was pretty chronic. I still feel it sometimes but I don’t tend to be in too many social situations. I do know that I move and act differently to most people so I do understand that people maybe take a second glance but not laughing at me.
Right, but my question is, why are we so understanding of neurotypical attitudes in this respect? If someone has a clear , visible difference, i.e. they are a wheelchair user, they wouldn't tolerate being laughed at or stared at. Why should I accept being treated differently for a more subtle difference?
There are good people and stupid people and always will be. Look at them as stupid and simply feel sorry for them - stupidity is a kind of disability, after all!
'Stupidity' is nothing to do with learning disability or intelligence - it is chosen behaviour. You are thinking of 'stupidity' in terms of historic words like 'moron', 'imbecile', 'idiot;' - the modern meaning is a verb to describe reckless behaviour.
I’m afraid that isn’t accurate. The OED (for example) defines “stupidity” (a noun) as:
“The state, quality or fact of being stupid or foolish; lack or absence of intelligence, perceptiveness, or common sense. Also: stupid or foolish thinking or behaviour.”
I was also careful to note that “‘stupidity’ can (although doesn't necessarily) mean a lack of intelligence”.
It's nothing to do with learning disability - I am annoyed you wrote that. You are doing the same thing of which you are accusing me!
I didn’t equate learning disabilities with stupidity. Or claim that people with LDs lack intelligence. Neither did you, and I didn't accuse you of it, either.
But LDs do involve reduced intellectual ability. That can sometimes be confused with a lack of intelligence.
Many people with LDs suffer from bullying, including name-calling. I hate to think how often that includes being called “stupid”.
So the point of my response was just to flag how your reply could reasonably be perceived as involving those associations. And suggesting, by extension, that we should feel sorry for people with LDs.
I don’t want to be pitied for being autistic, and I suspect many people with LDs might feel the same. I certainly wouldn’t mind some empathy and compassion, but that’s not the same thing.
I’m absolutely sure, for whatever it may be worth, that wasn’t your intention. It’s perhaps best viewed as an indirect, but foreseeable, potential issue. I certainly didn’t mean to upset you, for which I apologise. Your earlier reply did feel quite shocking to me when I read it, and I hope this better explains why.
'Stupidity' is nothing to do with learning disability or intelligence - it is chosen behaviour. You are thinking of 'stupidity' in terms of historic words like 'moron', 'imbecile', 'idiot;' - the modern meaning is a verb to describe reckless behaviour.
I’m afraid that isn’t accurate. The OED (for example) defines “stupidity” (a noun) as:
“The state, quality or fact of being stupid or foolish; lack or absence of intelligence, perceptiveness, or common sense. Also: stupid or foolish thinking or behaviour.”
I was also careful to note that “‘stupidity’ can (although doesn't necessarily) mean a lack of intelligence”.
It's nothing to do with learning disability - I am annoyed you wrote that. You are doing the same thing of which you are accusing me!
I didn’t equate learning disabilities with stupidity. Or claim that people with LDs lack intelligence. Neither did you, and I didn't accuse you of it, either.
But LDs do involve reduced intellectual ability. That can sometimes be confused with a lack of intelligence.
Many people with LDs suffer from bullying, including name-calling. I hate to think how often that includes being called “stupid”.
So the point of my response was just to flag how your reply could reasonably be perceived as involving those associations. And suggesting, by extension, that we should feel sorry for people with LDs.
I don’t want to be pitied for being autistic, and I suspect many people with LDs might feel the same. I certainly wouldn’t mind some empathy and compassion, but that’s not the same thing.
I’m absolutely sure, for whatever it may be worth, that wasn’t your intention. It’s perhaps best viewed as an indirect, but foreseeable, potential issue. I certainly didn’t mean to upset you, for which I apologise. Your earlier reply did feel quite shocking to me when I read it, and I hope this better explains why.
