As someone who has spent decades immersed in words—either reading, writing, editing, publishing—you may know me as a thoughtful observer of human nature. But there’s a part of my inner world you might not have seen, one that has shaped everything I create. I’m neurodivergent.
For some, that word might conjure images of extreme disability or seem like a trendy label, but for me, it’s a key to understanding why I’ve always experienced the world so differently. In this post, I want to offer a glimpse into what being neurodivergent really means—not in terms of diagnosis, but in how it shapes perception, creativity, ethics, and connection.
(Short on time? A brief version of this post is available on my Substack.)
Feeling Like an Alien: The Early Signs of Neurodivergence
While growing up, I often felt like I had been mistakenly dropped into the wrong universe. It was as if I were an alien observing a nonsensical human world, populated by people who didn’t see things that were obvious to me and couldn’t understand when I tried to share my perception. They thought I was weird! The natural world I could understand and feel part of, but the human beings in this world operated in ways that were strange to me. When I later discovered that I had ADHD and autism, I learned that this sense of alienation is a common experience among neurodivergent people. We live in a world designed for neurotypicals, who communicate and perceive life in ways that often feel superficial to us. Our lives are filled with passion, intensity, and depth, which can be difficult to convey to those who don’t share our perspective.
Neurodivergent Traits: Ethics and Creativity
One of the most profound aspects of being neurodivergent is our strong ethical compass and sense of justice. Imagine a world where everyone held themselves to high ethical standards—what a remarkable place that would be! It often feels like the real problem lies not with us, but with the neurotypical world that has created so much chaos and suffering. From wars to prejudice, the cruelty and ignorance that pervade society are baffling to me. Our neurodivergent brains, with their insatiable curiosity and desire for truth, seem to be at odds with a world that often values conformity over creativity and violence over compassion and wisdom.
A neurodivergent brain is a treasure trove of inspiration and curiosity. We dive deep into subjects that fascinate us, leading to new insights and creative breakthroughs. Neurodivergent brains tend to be incredibly creative. We think in many directions, while neurotypical brains seem to think in straight lines. As an art teacher, I’ve tried to teach children to see the world in a more nuanced way, with partial success, but for us neurodivergents, it’s innate. We see a spectrum of colors where others see just one. For example; we might see the countless variations of green in a forest or on a lawn where others only see one colour. This ability to see beyond the surface is a gift, not a flaw.
A World in Need of Change
The human world, as it stands, is still foreign to me. I struggle to understand how people can harbor hatred, cruelty, and ignorance. The neurodivergent’s strong sense of justice and commitment to truth could lead to a society where everyone, including neurotypicals, could thrive. Yet the current narrative suggests that we need fixing, that there’s something wrong with us. I disagree. We simply need a world that embraces our differences and values the unique perspectives we bring. But first we need to dispel the current misconceptions about autistic people.
Though we share similar traits, we are all different in how we express them and in how much support we need in order to navigate the neurotypical world. We are not all the non-verbal autistic rocking in the corner with their hands over their ears. Our greatest minds, such as Einstein, are clearly gifted autistics. It is their neurodivergence that allows their minds to make connections and patterns that neurotypical people do not see. The world needs that kind of vision to be celebrated, not declared a disorder just because of our hyper sensitivity to stimulus and differences in communication style.
Pathological Labels
ADHD and autism are not new, and neither are other forms of neurodivergence, but the Western world is presently obsessed with pathologizing everything, and so people who don’t think about things very deeply believe there’s suddenly an epidemic of ‘disorders’ called ADHD and Autism. Different is seen as broken, as something in need of fixing. What I’ve considered all my life was simply me with all my individual quirks and needs, now has a label, and the label comes with the word ‘disorder’ and its mate ‘disabled’.
I see videos on Tiktok with young people vehemently declaring that if you have ADHD you are disabled, and to say you aren’t is doing a disservice to those who need support. This approach is I believe, dangerous. Labels we apply to ourselves affect our sense of self. Though adopting such labels for ourselves can free us to seek the support some with ADHD and autism need, they can also chain us to a life of limitation, where our identification with such labels leads us to minimise our strengths, hobble our potential, and keep us unnecessarily reliant on others. At no time in my life have I thought of myself as either disordered or disabled.
Broken? Let’s Fix it.
The general assumption that comes with this insistence on pathologizing non-conformity is that since there is something wrong (disordered), there must be some way we can fix it. This thinking is why doctors dole out medications to ‘fix’ your ADHD. I am not against medication for those who need it for specific purposes, like education in a system built for neurotypicals, one that is often boring and frustrating for neurodivergent folk. But people should know that there are ways of living and working that suit neurodivergent people even with all their distractions. I live such a life.
People hoping to find a cure seek causes beyond that of a healthy variation in the human gene pool which cause ‘symptoms’ in certain circumstances. (I prefer to think of them as challenges or difficulties, not as symptoms – a word associated with disease.) But such a ‘cure’, if there ever was one, would likely only be a straightjacket designed to remove what our society sees as problematic behaviours. Anything touted as a ‘cure’ could easily run the risk of removing the brilliant creative spark that comes with many forms of neurodivergence. Our society would be lesser for it, and I would not want to give up a single aspect of my ADHD or autism, even those traits that have caused me difficulties.
Just Different
How we see ourselves is important. I choose to see myself as different, not in need of fixing, but rather someone who has to live her life her own way in order to thrive. But thrive I can, and thrive I have. I’m glad I didn’t grow up thinking of myself as disabled. Though some of the things that others might call disabilities are very real in my life, they are only a problem if I ignore my needs and push myself into situations that do not nurture my wellbeing. I love the life I have created. It suits me very well, and I’ve never wanted to live my life any other way.
‘ADHD isn’t a disease, disorder, or defect. It’s an inherited trait that served our hunter-gatherer ancestors well for hundreds of thousands of years—and continues to benefit many people today. Now, groundbreaking research is finally proving what I’ve long called the “hunters in a farmer’s world” theory.
… researchers found that ADHD traits have deep evolutionary roots, stretching back tens of thousands of years. These aren’t random mutations or modern maladaptations; they’re carefully preserved genetic variations that our ancestors carried forward because they conferred survival advantages.
This research validates what evolutionary scientists call the “mismatch theory”—the idea that traits evolved for one environment can become problematic when circumstances change dramatically. People with ADHD aren’t broken; our environment is mismatched to our evolutionary heritage.‘ ADHD: Hunter in a Farmer’s World, Thom Hartmann, https://www.hunterinafarmersworld.com/p/the-science-finally-catches-up-new
A Vision of Possibilities
It’s time we stopped seeing ADHD and other forms of neurodivergence as problems and started providing education, workplaces and life choices that encourage neurodivergent people to thrive and give their best to the world. And if they aren’t provided for us, then once we’re adults, we must create them for ourselves. That’s what my generation did. We are the artists, the authors, the scientists, the mystics and philosophers among us. We are those who dropped out in the sixties and seventies. We are not the greedy, and we do not seek the limelight.
Perhaps one day, the world will recognize the value of neurodivergent minds and the potential for a wiser and more compassionate society. Imagine a world where neurodivergent people are revered as great thinkers and contemplatives, and who are sought out to guide those with political power, creating a kinder, more just world. It’s not neurodivergent people who need fixing. We need a world that embraces our differences—a more sane, kinder world. Neurotypicals would also find it a more pleasant world in which to live.
Expanding our collective imagination
If you’ve followed my work as an author or editor, you’ve already encountered the influence of my neurodivergent mind—even if you didn’t know it. My passion for depth, my attention to language, my drive to explore the unseen layers of human experience—these are all shaped by how I process the world.
Understanding neurodivergence isn’t just about awareness or advocacy—it’s about expanding our collective imagination. It’s about recognizing that different ways of thinking offer different kinds of wisdom.
None of us are truly ‘normal’ anyway. The word is simply another label, a construct with no true single identifiable point. Accepting neurodivergence means accepting the differences in everyone without judgment. Is the world anywhere near such a leap? Someone has to dream and seed the idea first, but all will benefit when acceptance of our differences becomes the pervading understanding of the human race.
Just a glimpse
I hope this glimpse into my world encourages you to explore these perspectives with curiosity, not judgment. Who knows? You might find they resonate more than you expected.
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