The NDP have a fundraising campaign where they wish to Dismantle white supremacist and neo-nazi groups in Canada. While that is a feel-good campaign that might bring them money, I think Canadian political parties and elected members of Canadian parliaments should look closer to home if they wish to solve this problem.
While I didn't know for the first 55 years of my life, I'm Autistic.
Throughout my career I deliberately set aside time for volunteer work and learning. I was actually confused why other people didn't do that, as I was told about "human nature". Apparently that meant I thought everyone was like me, only most people were "lazy". 🤔
Nop. I was wrong. With lifelong learning, you have to be fine with older ideas being corrected.
You repeatedly mention that you are Autistic in your comments and posts. I am not sure what the connection is to the conversation we are having. I say this with respect, not judgment.
We are all continuously learning. Though we do not all learn the same things, nor do we all have the ability, interest or luxury to set aside time for it. Many of us simply wish to be entertained and enjoy the pleasures of life. Humanity is extraordinarily diverse, and so are our circumstances.
I would put it to you that if you find someone who shares your interests and your practice of lifelong learning, that person is the exception not the norm. That is not laziness. That is the full spectrum of what it means to be human.
I applaud your commitment to learning. because I do also, learning is a pleasure . I also hope you allot time for life's other pleasures
And yes older ideas will in time be refined, corrected, replaced. As will our new ones, in the years to come.
If there is one thing I have come to understand, it is that we humans are deeply prone to looking at our present moment as if it is the defining and correct one. We reach back into history to understand the future, but we rarely stop to recognize that our present will itself become history.
Future generations will look back at us the same way we look back at those who came before. With a mixture of admiration, bewilderment and disbelief.
"You repeatedly mention that you are Autistic in your comments and posts. I am not sure what the connection is to the conversation we are having."
Google's quick AI response might help with a smaller response to this specific section:
"Special interests are a core diagnostic criterion for autism, specifically categorized under "restricted and repetitive behaviours and interests" (RRBIs) in the DSM-5. During assessments, clinicians evaluate the intensity, focus, and duration of these interests to determine if they are unusually intense or narrow."
Everyone isn't a little bit Autistic, just like not everyone is a little bit Lesbian/gay/bi, or a little bit taller than 6 feet, etc. :-)
Autism isn't a line that goes from 0 (none) up to 11 (beyond the maximum -- from Spinal Tap), but more like the AM radio part of the electromagnetic spectrum, while a different neurotype like ADHD might be like the part of the spectrum used by WiFI, and other people emit visible light. Not every human emits in that specific range of the spectrum of humanity.
The intensity of my interests aren't a personal choice, any more than my sexual orientation, gender, natural skin colour or height (I am 6'4'') is a personal choice.
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The existence of different neurotypes is part of the diversity of humanity. That diversity cannot be understood or captured when thinking only in terms of individuals. Without my being able to think at a different level, I don't think I would ever have understood concepts like "racism", where a focus on individuals makes people believe this is about individual-to-individual bigotry. That individual level is like seeing some snowflakes on the surface of an iceberg, but not being able to see any of the iceberg itself (either above or below the surface of the water).
I have noticed that people where a society declares them "different", and placed them lower on some social hierarchy because it, tend to be (but are not always) better equipped to understand the full spectrum of diversity than people who have never had a reason to notice.
Curious, you are generous in sharing your knowledge , opinions and your personal details, as I said , our circumstances are all unique but I believe that truth is universal , what do you think of that, does my circumstance matter?
You are well informed, how do you manage to have time educate yourself so well ?
While I didn't know for the first 55 years of my life, I'm Autistic.
Throughout my career I deliberately set aside time for volunteer work and learning. I was actually confused why other people didn't do that, as I was told about "human nature". Apparently that meant I thought everyone was like me, only most people were "lazy". 🤔
Nop. I was wrong. With lifelong learning, you have to be fine with older ideas being corrected.
✔️
You repeatedly mention that you are Autistic in your comments and posts. I am not sure what the connection is to the conversation we are having. I say this with respect, not judgment.
We are all continuously learning. Though we do not all learn the same things, nor do we all have the ability, interest or luxury to set aside time for it. Many of us simply wish to be entertained and enjoy the pleasures of life. Humanity is extraordinarily diverse, and so are our circumstances.
I would put it to you that if you find someone who shares your interests and your practice of lifelong learning, that person is the exception not the norm. That is not laziness. That is the full spectrum of what it means to be human.
I applaud your commitment to learning. because I do also, learning is a pleasure . I also hope you allot time for life's other pleasures
And yes older ideas will in time be refined, corrected, replaced. As will our new ones, in the years to come.
If there is one thing I have come to understand, it is that we humans are deeply prone to looking at our present moment as if it is the defining and correct one. We reach back into history to understand the future, but we rarely stop to recognize that our present will itself become history.
Future generations will look back at us the same way we look back at those who came before. With a mixture of admiration, bewilderment and disbelief.
"You repeatedly mention that you are Autistic in your comments and posts. I am not sure what the connection is to the conversation we are having."
Google's quick AI response might help with a smaller response to this specific section:
"Special interests are a core diagnostic criterion for autism, specifically categorized under "restricted and repetitive behaviours and interests" (RRBIs) in the DSM-5. During assessments, clinicians evaluate the intensity, focus, and duration of these interests to determine if they are unusually intense or narrow."
Everyone isn't a little bit Autistic, just like not everyone is a little bit Lesbian/gay/bi, or a little bit taller than 6 feet, etc. :-)
Autism isn't a line that goes from 0 (none) up to 11 (beyond the maximum -- from Spinal Tap), but more like the AM radio part of the electromagnetic spectrum, while a different neurotype like ADHD might be like the part of the spectrum used by WiFI, and other people emit visible light. Not every human emits in that specific range of the spectrum of humanity.
The intensity of my interests aren't a personal choice, any more than my sexual orientation, gender, natural skin colour or height (I am 6'4'') is a personal choice.
---------
The existence of different neurotypes is part of the diversity of humanity. That diversity cannot be understood or captured when thinking only in terms of individuals. Without my being able to think at a different level, I don't think I would ever have understood concepts like "racism", where a focus on individuals makes people believe this is about individual-to-individual bigotry. That individual level is like seeing some snowflakes on the surface of an iceberg, but not being able to see any of the iceberg itself (either above or below the surface of the water).
I have noticed that people where a society declares them "different", and placed them lower on some social hierarchy because it, tend to be (but are not always) better equipped to understand the full spectrum of diversity than people who have never had a reason to notice.
Curious, you are generous in sharing your knowledge , opinions and your personal details, as I said , our circumstances are all unique but I believe that truth is universal , what do you think of that, does my circumstance matter?