Sage

✦ Mystics — a Sage reading

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Maren AltmanWestern

What this covers

This segment explores the speaker’s perspective on neurotypical social dynamics, positing that group interactions are largely sustained by collective hypocrisy and cognitive dissonance. The speaker argues that while constant moral scrutiny is impractical, the prevalence of ignoring questionable behaviors to maintain social smoothness is alarming and characterizes these interactions as "socially hedged." This dynamic creates friction for autistic individuals, who are often perceived as cruel when their neutral observations disrupt this dissonant equilibrium, although the speaker explicitly rejects any notion of autistic superiority in this context.

    The outline

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      Neurotypical Social Dynamics and Cognitive Dissonance

      The speaker argues that neurotypical social interactions, particularly in groups, are fundamentally underpinned by hypocrisy and cognitive dissonance, where individuals often ignore morally questionable behaviors to maintain social smoothness. While acknowledging that constant moral interrogation is unsustainable, the speaker finds the high rate of cognitive dissonance in neurotypical culture alarming and describes interactions as socially hedged. The text concludes by noting that this dynamic causes autistic individuals to be perceived as cruel when they make neutral observations that disrupt this dissonant balance, while explicitly rejecting any claim of autistic superiority.

      • Neurotypical group relationships often run on themes of hypocrisy and ignoring morally questionable actions.
      • The speaker distinguishes this from social justice avoidance, describing it as a general social smoothing or hedging of interactions.
      • The speaker views the capacity for high-level cognitive dissonance in neurotypical society as alarming.
      • Autistic individuals may be accused of cruelty when their neutral observations disrupt the neurotypical cognitive dissonant balance.
      • The speaker acknowledges that autistic people have their own problems and does not intend to promote autistic superiority.

    How it ties together

    • Neurotypical Social Dynamics
      • Foundational Hypocrisy
        • Interactions underpinned by cognitive dissonance
        • Individuals ignore morally questionable behaviors to maintain social smoothness
      • Assessment of Social Norms
        • Acknowledgment that constant moral interrogation is unsustainable
        • Characterization of neurotypical culture as having a high rate of cognitive dissonance
        • Description of interactions as "socially hedged"
    • Impact on Autistic Individuals
      • Perceived Cruelty
        • Neutral observations disrupt the dissonant balance
        • Resulting perception of autistic individuals as cruel
      • Clarification of Stance
        • Explicit rejection of claims regarding autistic superiority
    Topics
    • Neurotypicalism
    • Cognitive dissonance
    • Hypocrisy
    • Autism
    • Social dynamics
    • Moral accountability
    • Social hedging
    Names
    • Neurotypicals
    • Autistic people