Regarding ADHD and Dyslexia and all that.
It’s a complex issue.
I think that any “handicap” can create learned helplessness.
Overcoming this requires learning to assume 1000% responsibility for outcomes, whether it’s fair or not fair.
Learning coping mechanisms doesn’t make life easier.
If you were born without hands, but everyone treated you as if you had hands, but you couldn’t do the same things that others did with hands, it’d be frustrating as hell. You might get depressed and just not try. Learned helplessness.
But say you just accept the fact that you don’t have hands, and find ways to do things that others do with hands.
Maybe it’s a lot different. Maybe it’s more effort. But it allows you to participate and get things done.
Being cognitively “atypical” or whatever has pros and cons. It can be difficult working with people who expect you to operate as they do. When you don’t operate the same, you’re either special or stupid.
It’s hard to relate to these cognitive differences. Hard to have patience with them. “Just pay attention!” Seems so easy. “Why do you keep making the same mistakes over and over again!” The brain is just wired differently.
For all the con’s, there are pro’s. Divergent thinking is easy when the brain jumps all over, or switches things up with counter intuition.
I think being atypical is completely great if you find unique ways to contribute to the world that align with how you operate.
It’s not great if you try to fit in, and operate as everyone else. Basic ways of operating are difficult. Which may lead to repeated failure. Which degrades self esteem and self worth.
But at the end of the day, you just take 1000% responsibility. Life is not fair. I’d rather have ADHD than be born without limbs.
Life is difficult. Full stop. Get over it. Figure out a way to overcome. You can only do your best and keep learning from experience and refine and repeat. Failure is expected. Embrace it, learn from it, and be better.
William Dare 