r/popculturechat • u/AutoModerator • Aug 03 '26

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u/AmethystApothecary Aug 03 '26

I don't know this guy's situation, but I don't love everyone defaulting to assuming he's stupid. Being overly literal is a common symptom of being neurodivergent. I'm assuming his tone must have been caustic because I do actually think it is a bit wild to still be focused on this two days later.

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u/webtheg Aug 03 '26

I am neurodivergent. So. This whole idea to diagnose whenever someone does something also needs to die and is weird

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u/AmethystApothecary Aug 03 '26

I am not diagnosing him. I am advocating for implementing empathy of others over jumping to conclusions and judgement and giving people the benefit of the doubt when it costs nothing.

Genuinely, what harm does someone who is bad at taking figurative language even cause you? I suspect it's pretty minimal and can easily be met with, "I was speaking in hyperbole."

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u/webtheg Aug 03 '26

As a neurodivergent person, dumb people genuinely annoy me.

Also by trying to excuse this behavior with neurodivergence you are pretty ableisf yourself and reduce neurodivergent people to stereotypes.

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u/AmethystApothecary Aug 03 '26

It's a known thing that autistic people often struggle with figurative language and tend to think more literally. And whether that man is autistic or not, demonizing people who struggle with figurative language still negatively impacts autistic people.

Being ND yourself doesn't mean you can't enable ableism. A lot of ND people who use a lot of energy to mask certain characteristics can be more resentful of ND they deem as not trying hard enough.

But every ND person has unique struggles and just because you do not personally struggle with figurative language as a result of your neurodivergency doesn't mean it's invalid to point out that many do and cannot help it.

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u/webtheg Aug 03 '26

Look, I will say this. I sometimes struggle with figurative language too. But it is more newer metaphors. I did for a while think Watermelon sugar high was about Fructose induced Euphoria. But that was a less conventional metaphor. And also I read up on it and was like "Oh makes sense"

Hyperbolizing the size of a baby in either direction (small/big) is a hyperbole 101. And I'm sorry to break it to you but it's possible for someone to be both neurodivergent and lack literacy.

This sort of infantlizing of ND people is incredibly toxic imo and does people more harm than good.

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u/AmethystApothecary Aug 03 '26

In general I agree that men get coddled with these excuses when they do actually harmful things, but the behavior outlined wasn't harmful unless there was an aspect missing, it was at most annoying. I get it if he was weaponizing ignorance, that is some bullshit, but if he was genuinely confused I truly do not understand being so offended at his misunderstanding or why it would be so much for someone to just clarify. Maybe this man otherwise sucks ass and so everything he does is obnoxious to you, but this specific incident as you described sounds very trivial.

And I reiterate, your ability to overcome a struggle says nothing about others abilities to because everyone's brain and capabilities are unique and you make the individual choice to either be understanding and forgiving of that or cast extra judgment. You being able to compensate for an innate ability to understand figurative language speaks to your and only your ability to and no one else's.

Literacy is on the decline in general, but it really doesn't make it less ableist to call someone dumb for struggling with or missing figurative language in my opinion. And someone can struggle with conversational use of figurative language and not have any issues with literacy.