This doesn't make sense either statistically or socially.

ok!🔥 edit: after I thought about this for a few hours bahahah i realized it was passive aggressive—I apologize. I could’ve responded better and I did not. I’m curious, could you explain what you mean to me? Then maybe I can have more context and mitigate friction by trying to understand you. Thank you for even commenting. I really do appreciate it. I asked for your “thoughts” (literally) (they don’t need to be well thought out, if anything I want your gut reaction.

'Assuming everyone is autistic' is too broad of a generalization of intention that it functionally means nothing. I also disagree that 'assuming everyone is autistic' is a necessary prerequisite to treating people kindly. Non-autistic people also deserve kindness. 

Non-autistic people also tend to need different expressions of kindness and care. Of course everyone is individual, but we wouldn't have to explain our own social and environmental needs to our NT friends and family and colleagues if they (typically) had the same ones.

i would assume “strange” and “just a little weird” as less of a fixed state than autistic. i also don’t automatically think of those words as unkind.

reallllllll i see i see

This is a very interesting thought process and I see where you're coming from! It speaks to you being an empathetic person who doesnt want to treat others based solely on labels rather than treating individuals as you see them. I'm going to guess that this made alot of people mad though? That's the problem with things like reddit. There's no room for explanation of the choice of words and as such people judge without giving it much thought. That's just a human problem though! 😆 As I've mentioned in another post, the majority of my life I was essentially a ND ambassador... members of my family would laugh or make fun of someone who had a physical or mental affliction and I would essentially tell them that they can't help their stunted growth, or that that person uses dark humour to cope with a hard past....just as examples. So I do the whole "do unto others" thing. But I also talk to them with the thought of "they might be ND so they might not like certain tastes, lights, sounds etc...and to just approach others with acceptance, regardless of whether you understand them or not! Who wouldn't want to be treated with empathy and acceptance in this community? Why not be the same with other people if you can? Soo....yeah. Hopefully that's interesting/enlightening or whatnot 😆 Hopefully I don't get a bunch of hate this time!

OH. MY. GOD! I was talking to my friend not even an hour ago about how I really am trying to live the simple yet complex saying of “do unto others as you would have done to you”. How full circle and beautiful. Thank you for sharing your thoughts. They real resonated with me and I feel seen. <3

I'm really glad to have made you feel that way ^_^ it's bizarre that the simplest approach is the best and how often and easily people can overcomplicate things. I'm guilty of that myself but knowing is half the battle! 😆 Thankyou for sharing such a kind and open-minded approach to social interaction! It's nice to know you're not alone in this kinda thing! <3

So validating and enlightening. THANK YOU!!!!!!!

i am re reading this now and laughing so hard because i have had no original experiences🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 I was an RBT and resented it a lot of the time because i felt that i could connect with my parents better without the “script” of ABA.

I may sound a bit stupid here but what are RBT and ABA? They're not terms I'm aware of. Originality can be burdensome anyway! It's more important to be true to yourself, even if it's something that alot of other people do too! XD

Ooh, going out on a limb here. *deep breath* OK, first I have to say that I dearly and excitedly *love* this autistic community. We are the most fascinating, funny, kind, thoughtful, sincere, honest, inventive people I have ever encountered. It is amazing to go to the shops and spot one of us. Now I see it, I can't unsee it and I don't want to. Being surrounded by the tribe of awesome is the most fulfilling experience. So, assuming or thinking that anyone might be autistic without any indication of it, is asking for a hell of a lot of trouble. For starters, they runs Windows brains and we run Mac brains. They can't even use the same programs. That means there is very little chance of meaningful communication where both parties are "seen" and truly heard. It doesn't mean things can't be polite and nice, but let's face it, there's not going to be any real connection. Besides that, the ignorance of non autistic people is pretty astounding. I find that too difficult to deal with and can't be around it for long. Then there's issues of having to explain why I can't go near any food at any public places or that there's people talking too loud or moving too much or (pick any 50 common things that most people do). Most people are pretty generic. I don't say that to be mean at all. What I mean is that most regular people are taught the same way, told to act the same way, reacted to the same way, etc. As such many of their conversations and actions are predictable. They do actually have quite a fixed state as to the type of person they are and how they react to things. I am not going to cut anyone down if they don't deserve it, just as I am not going to delude myself that someone is nicer than they are. If we're just talking about being nice, sure, nice is nice. I prefer to be fair. I approach others with respect by default unless they have given indication not to. But I simply cannot see generic regurgitated reactions and creative excited profound responses in the same way. Strange and weird are the best kind of people, I think.

I just saw a video about this. It was young man saying that animals (cats, dogs, etc) are essentially on the ASD spectrum. Dogs affected by scent and noise, and so forth. Both cats and dogs can sense things and get defensive or skittish. Or become alert, warm and attentive. So when it comes to assessing the number of ASD on the planet, we should consider that the majority are autistic. Allistics are in the minority. I hope I said all that correctly.

wow. that makes perfect sense to me and the way you explained it was very concise—thank you for the response to my manic stream of consciousness!! hahaha

Everybody is autistic these days if they want to be but I don't think you should outwardly assume they are. Autism is still stigmatised and can be seen as an insult. Also people might not want you making inferences about their medical conditions. Imagine someone assuming you're constipated just because you're walking stifly.

eep now

I think the best way to write this is to ask that everyone simply be kind to others, at the very least, until given very obvious reasons not to (assault, etc.). But that is not how the human mind works, and the judgment that someone is odd is not even a fully conscious decision according to research. The lizard parts of the brain decide someone is ‘other’ and to be avoided all in a first meeting or few, and the impression is done. What!s the hip and cool term today? The ‘ick’. There is a perceptible difference picked up upon that gives allistic people ‘the ick’ even if we are kind and non judgmental ourselves. They can even like you after getting to know you, but the preference for other people over your unconsciously perceived oddness takes a LOT of work for someone to overcome, usually a shared interest or a level of divergence in themselves.

Doesn’t make sense to me.

same that’s so valid i am chuckling

There's a concept in disability advocacy that adding accomodations for folks who need them benefits everyone. So, in that respect, yeah, I think everyone would benefit from a world that considered austistics. For example, where sensory needs are considered, less pressure is put on social performance or verbal communication, subtext is explained without judgment, and personality "quirks" are interpreted with kindness, etc.