rdfs:comment
| - One of the most striking symptoms, likely to shock and alienate any healthy individual attempting to do anything more than briefly communicate with them, is their acute avoidance of honesty; direct speech is often experienced as a type of insult to them, and many cannot comprehend the literal meaning of language. To an NT, a simple phrase such as 'I am fine' can be understood in an almost infinite number of ways. Possible meanings for the neurotypical would include, 'I wish to have a long conversation about my emotions now', 'I would like you to discuss the appearance of my face now', and, 'I would like you to tell me about all your emotions now.' The inability to understand the literal content of language, or the significance of the order in which one delivers it, is perhaps the core feat
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abstract
| - One of the most striking symptoms, likely to shock and alienate any healthy individual attempting to do anything more than briefly communicate with them, is their acute avoidance of honesty; direct speech is often experienced as a type of insult to them, and many cannot comprehend the literal meaning of language. To an NT, a simple phrase such as 'I am fine' can be understood in an almost infinite number of ways. Possible meanings for the neurotypical would include, 'I wish to have a long conversation about my emotions now', 'I would like you to discuss the appearance of my face now', and, 'I would like you to tell me about all your emotions now.' The inability to understand the literal content of language, or the significance of the order in which one delivers it, is perhaps the core feature of neurotypicality, a central problem around which the other defects revolve. Another highly visible symptom is that of their ritualistic activities, such as the rote utterance of phrases of little apparent meaning, particularly in social contexts. Typically, NTs involved in such “conversation” will exchange memorized stock phrases related to things such as the weather or the feelings of themselves and others, showing no interest whatsoever in the responses unless they violate the expected pattern, in which case the NTs will quite possibly consider the person who made the comment mentally deficient. Other common ritualistic activities include, but are not limited to, excessive use of body language, incoherent shouting and monkey-like vocalizations (particularly when inebriated in the presence of a pack of fellow NTs), trying to agree with as many people as possible in any social situation in complete diregard of either data or logic, and the obsessive-compulsive performing of strange gestures and uttering of nonsensical phrases, often as part of a religious practice. Generally, neurotypicality is combined with a generalised inability to attend seriously to the details of anything at all, or follow logic. NTs will often claim to prize logic and sequential thinking, but outcomes which challenge, for example, any of the rote phrases, or any of the expected responses, will often result in extreme emotional crisis.
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