Neurodiversity and social change
your dreams will be reduced down to breathing, and you will be grateful
The thing about not-being-a-person is: They will say those people and the price of being a person is to nod and agree that yes, those people aren’t people at all. They will have no idea who they are talking to. You yourself will start to forget, too. They will say a million small things that sow the seeds for violence done against you, and you will smile and let them. You will do math, constantly. How much do I want to be a person today? How much do I want this project to succeed? How much honesty can I afford? How much dishonesty will kill me? What is the cost of coming out? Is there a way to delay, soften, transmute? How long can I survive as half a person? Ever since the world ended ... I don't go out as much. People that I once befriended, just don't bother to stay in touch. Things that used to seem so splendid, don't really matter today. It's just as well the world ended -- it wasn't working anyway. Your dreams will be reduced down to breathing. [Read More]
Julia Bascom on 03/5/12 | 2 Comments | Read More
My teenage daughter, who likes to plan ahead, has decided to pick out my next new car. She insists that a GMC Terrain would be just right for me because it has plenty of space like an SUV, but it ge...[Read More]
Gwen McKay on 06/30/10 | No Comments | Read More
Tattoos, like other forms of art within our society, are a way of making connections with others and statements about personal identity. When gang members go straight, they often have one or more ...[Read More]
Gwen McKay on 06/23/10 | No Comments | Read More
Monks, Mystics, and Mindfulness
Before the modern era, an autistic child born into a family of peasants would have been put to work on the farm, where there was no need to develop fluent speech or to understand complex patterns of s...[Read More]
Gwen McKay on 06/16/10 | 2 Comments | Read More
Theory of mind, which is a social reasoning process that involves drawing conclusions about the thoughts underlying others' acts, includes the tendency of many people to attribute intent and purpose t...[Read More]
Gwen McKay on 06/9/10 | 7 Comments | Read More
Today's college students scored 40 percent lower on a measure of empathy than students a generation ago, according to a review study that was presented last week at the annual meeting of the Associat...[Read More]
Gwen McKay on 06/2/10 | 1 Comment | Read More
The French Parliament has passed a resolution condemning the wearing of veils, as reported by feminist blogger Aimee Sea in an article pointing out the tremendous irony in the idea that women must be ...[Read More]
Gwen McKay on 05/26/10 | 2 Comments | Read More
As the free sharing of information and creative endeavors on the Internet moves the economy away from a focus on consumerism, we can expect that the careers of the future will differ in many ways from...[Read More]
Gwen McKay on 05/19/10 | 1 Comment | Read More
As economist Tyler Cowen discusses in his book Create Your Own Economy, today's digital media are causing society to develop in what he characterizes as a more autistic direction. Instead of passive...[Read More]
Gwen McKay on 05/17/10 | No Comments | Read More
On top of my bookshelf I keep a Prosperity Tree, which is by far the most ridiculous gimmicky item I own. It's about the same height and width as my open hand and has pale blue silk flowers, a white...[Read More]
Gwen McKay on 05/12/10 | No Comments | Read More
Strong Women and Social Change
Theory of mind, as Andrew Lehman explains, can be understood as a modern cognitive style that contrasts with the tendency of ancient matrifocal societies—and autistics—to engage in primary process...[Read More]
Gwen McKay on 05/6/10 | No Comments | Read More
Many books and articles have been published on the topic of what makes a marriage or relationship succeed. At the top of my list I'd put willingness to give the other person the benefit of the doubt...[Read More]
Gwen McKay on 04/28/10 | No Comments | Read More
Abortion, Violence Against Women, and Autism
Modern society is changing in many ways that increase the autistic population. Andrew Lehman touched on one of them in a November post discussing the practices of sex-selective abortion and fema...[Read More]
Gwen McKay on 04/21/10 | 3 Comments | Read More
How far would you be willing to go for a more attractive and socially pleasing look? Would you choose to sacrifice part of your cognitive functioning, leaving your brain less able to process verba...[Read More]
Gwen McKay on 03/1/10 | No Comments | Read More
Before the housing bubble burst, my husband and I were among those who built a house in an expensive subdivision, on the theory that it was just as good an investment as the stock market and—yay!—...[Read More]
Gwen McKay on 01/11/10 | No Comments | Read More
As a child, I loved to wander through quiet woods and to pick wildflowers in meadows, following paths that I pretended would lead me into fairy tale adventures in a long-ago world. I imagined myse...[Read More]
Gwen McKay on 12/28/09 | No Comments | Read More
Autism has been here all along.
Considered as an evolutionary condition with far-reaching social implications, its full presence and impact remain hidden in plain sight, unrecognized and uncredited.
Part neurological mystery, part social construct, and part secret society unbeknownst even to its own members, autism does not lend itself to explanation by those who hold it apart from society, from themselves, or from consciousness itself. Definitions are revised, overhauled, and abandoned all while efforts to explore and examine this condition on its own terms are only now gaining momentum.
Shift Journal aims to showcase and encourage such efforts. Entertaining the notion of autistic as a legitimate way to be in the world, from the crossroads of theory, society, and personal experience, Shift welcomes relevant contributions from all comers.
Mark Stairwalt
Editor and Publisher
---
Shift Journal founder Andrew Lehman's groundbreaking cross-disciplinary work Evolution, Autism, and Social Change draws from evolutionary biology, neuro-psychology and related fields to outline an evolutionary process complementary to natural selection that may explain some forms of autism as well as -- and perhaps more importantly -- long-term shifts in large-scale social structure. Download or purchase Evolution, Autism, and Social Change here.
---
In a world which relentlessly demands practical advice for day-to-day, Shift Journal remains focused on promoting reflection and discovery. Readers however who are seeking useful information and how-to guidance assembled by a down-to-earth, conscientious and scientifically literate crew who once sought such information themselves and found it difficult to come by may find The Thinking Person's Guide to Autism to be just what they are looking for:
---
---
New or established writers wishing to contribute original or previously published posts may use the submissions page or contact us directly.
---
Error: Twitter did not respond. Please wait a few minutes and refresh this page.
Autism and Empathy Thinking Person’s Guide to Autism Neurodivergent Sexuality Just Stimming Autistic Passing Project