Brains That Fire a Little Bit Differently

These days, the idea of "neurodiversity" has become quite a buzzword.

Whether that constitutes actual advances in psychology or simply pandering to those who choose to be victims of their own lives I'm not going to comment on but what I do like about this idea is that it increasingly considers the psychology of individuals rather than simply the psychology as a population.

Society often gives a lot of lip service to the idea that we're all individuals, and values rugged individualism very highly, and yet we have systems that are all set up to push us all into neat little boxes that are uniform.

To be honest, I believe this is done not because there's much truth to it but because it is convenient for business and industry. Prior to the industrial revolution, people were not slaves to clocks; the work got done but people worked more according to natural schedules.

In recent years, more studies have been done on chronotypes and individual sleep and optimum attention cycles. For example, I do most of my really good creative work between 8:00 in the morning, and early afternoon. Outside those hours, my concentration tends to be poorer... even if I haven't been working, earlier in the day — it isn't related directly to sleep, but to how I feel, internally.

Although it's not generally something I talk about, by most measures I am slightly on the Autism Spectrum. Combined with ADHD, it does substantially influence how I work... and when.

Ironically, I often end up writing most of my blog posts late at night. It's not so much because I want to, but because it often turns out to be the only "free" time I have.

You might be asking "why?" and that's where we get back to clocks, schedules and a world that was built to accomodate the "average" person, rather than individuals.

Now, I'm not claiming that I deserve some kind of special treatment on account of my innder sense of time, merely pointing out that working according to a mainstream schedule has never felt natural nor comfortable to me.

It's actually how life unfolds for remarkably many people. We end up not being at our best because we are required to function on a schedule that doesn't utilize us when we're actually at our best.

Another way my autistic tendencies manifest is that I have a really difficult time getting started on projects and tasks that need to be done... but if I can force myself to work through the first 30-45 minutes, then I become hyperfocused and can keep working relentlessly at the same thing for hours, and typically much longer than most people who identify as "neurotypical."

It has been my experience that many people feel a bit nervous and uneasy around someone who's supposedly "autistic," perhaps based on the misconception that it makes us all odd, socially awkward and "Rain Man." Which is far from reality!

Most people I've met who are mildly autistic you wouldn't even notice unless you spent a lot of time around them!

Most of my "struggles" in the world have related to fitting into schedules and modes of operation that don't feel natural to me. I can do it, of course... it just wouldn't be how I would choose to approach the world... if I had a choice.

All in all, it's just a bit of a reminder how little we actually get to control our own destinies!

Thanks for stopping by, and have a wonderful Friday!

How about YOU? Do you ever feel out of step with the ways of the world? Is it possible — or do you know — that you are not neurotypical? Leave a comment if you feel so inclined — share your experiences — be part of the conversation!

(All text and images by the author, unless otherwise credited. This is ORIGINAL CONTENT, created expressly for this platform — Not posted elsewhere!)

Created at 2025.09.26 00:18 PDT
x996/2230