From Descartes to the Double Empathy Problem: For centuries, Western psychology has assumed a normative model of social cognition, defining communication and empathy through neurotypical standards. This framework has pathologized neurodivergent relational modes, positioning autistic communication styles as deficits rather than valid, alternative ways of engaging with the world. But where did this bias originate?Continue reading “From Descartes to the Double Empathy Problem: How Dualism Shaped the Pathologization of Neurodivergence”
Tag Archives: neurodivergent
The Loneliness Epidemic and Descartes’ Legacy: How Mind-Body Dualism Shaped Our Emotional Disconnection
The Loneliness Epidemic and Descartes’ Legacy: How Mind-Body Dualism Shaped Our Emotional Disconnection Introduction The modern loneliness epidemic is often attributed to technological advancements, social media, or shifts in family structures. However, its roots go much deeper—stretching back to a philosophical shift that redefined how we perceive ourselves and others. René Descartes’ mind-body dualism, whichContinue reading “The Loneliness Epidemic and Descartes’ Legacy: How Mind-Body Dualism Shaped Our Emotional Disconnection”
Memes
Today I don’t have the energy to write down my thoughts, they are moving too quickly and there are too many of them. Here are some related memes instead:
How Functional Conflict Perspective (FCP) and the Social Model of Disability Intersect
The social model of disability challenges the idea that disability is an inherent personal deficit. Instead, it argues that disability is created by society’s failure to accommodate diverse needs. This model contrasts with the medical model, which frames disability as an individual problem to be “fixed” or “treated.” Key Principles of the Social Model ofContinue reading “How Functional Conflict Perspective (FCP) and the Social Model of Disability Intersect”
Restorative Systems Movement (RSM): A Unified Framework for Systemic Healing, Climate Justice, and Social Transformation
Restorative Systems Movement (RSM): A Unified Framework for Systemic Healing, Climate Justice, and Social Transformation The Restorative Systems Movement (RSM) integrates all my frameworks—Functional Conflict Perspective (FCP), Disability-Inclusive Governance (DIGERA), Restorative Eco-Activism, Spiral City Models, and Trauma-Informed Systems Change—into a single activist movement. This movement envisions a world where systemic transformation is rooted in healing,Continue reading “Restorative Systems Movement (RSM): A Unified Framework for Systemic Healing, Climate Justice, and Social Transformation”
Autism, Theory of Mind, and the Evolutionary Disruption of Hierarchy
Autism, Theory of Mind, and the Evolutionary Disruption of Hierarchy For centuries, hierarchy has been the dominant mode of human organization, shaping everything from governance to social roles. Hierarchical structures rely on predictable social cognition, power centralization, and Theory of Mind (ToM)—the ability to attribute mental states to others in order to anticipate and manipulateContinue reading “Autism, Theory of Mind, and the Evolutionary Disruption of Hierarchy”
Nervous System Fragmentation in Unstable Emotional Environments: The Autistic Double Burden
In childhood, consistent emotional attunement from caregivers is essential for developing a cohesive, regulated nervous system. When a child grows up in an emotionally unpredictable or unsafe environment, their nervous system adapts in self-protective ways, leading to fragmentation—a process where the child’s physiological states (fight, flight, freeze, fawn) become disconnected rather than integrated. How FragmentationContinue reading “Nervous System Fragmentation in Unstable Emotional Environments: The Autistic Double Burden”
Autism as an Evolutionary and Cultural Mechanism: A Functional-Conflict Perspective
Isha Sarah Snow pandemicnova@gmail.comFebruary 12, 2025 Abstract Autism, often framed as a disorder in Western psychiatric models, may instead be an evolutionarily adaptive mechanism that serves both individual and cultural functions. Applying Edward Hagen’s evolutionary model of mental illness as a response to adversity (Hagen, 2011), along with Brown’s assertion that self-destructive behaviors function asContinue reading “Autism as an Evolutionary and Cultural Mechanism: A Functional-Conflict Perspective”
How Lateral Organizational Frameworks Optimize Productivity and Workplace Culture by Supporting Affirmative Action in Hiring Veterans and the Disabled
Written by Kaven Winters, Karisma Vega, Sarah Flowers, Trevor Melton, Isabella RichLower Columbia CollegeBUS144/Management of Human Relations Tim Allwine, Instructor, Business ManagementNovember 26, 2023 Affirmative Action in Hiring Veterans/Disabled Table of Contents Cover pageTitle pageTable of ContentsExecutive SummaryThesis StatementMain BodyRebuttalConclusionReferencesAppendix Executive Summary The different ways that brains process information results in two distinct communication styles.Continue reading “How Lateral Organizational Frameworks Optimize Productivity and Workplace Culture by Supporting Affirmative Action in Hiring Veterans and the Disabled”
Spirolateral 