Post by @KatyElphinstone@mas.to

2026-11-03 19:31 UTC

When autistic people struggle to understand others, it's seen as our deficit. When others struggle to understand us, that's seen as our deficit too. But... communication goes both ways! 🤔 (Slide credit to Chris Bonnello, at AutisticNotWeird) #Autism #ActuallyAutistic #DoubleEmpathy #Neurodiversity

Replies (1)

@pkw@snac.d34d.net 2026-11-03 22:32

So many of these things are things I learned to cope with already but called it different things. This is the "car salesperson" scenario. I will meet people half way (or more!) everytime. I have learned that people will (consciously or not) take advantage of that. So i meet halfway and then proceed to keep meeting halfway until I am basically at where THE OTHER starts from. The canonical example of this (for me) is a car salesperson so that's why i call it that. (or maybe that's where I came up with it.) Anyways. NOW when i interact, I first have to judge whether they are "a car salesman". If not then I proceed to act in good faith and move across the room (figuratively) to meet them. If they are (a car salesperson) then I start holding my cards to my chest. This has caused people to get mad at me, because basically they see me as a mirror acting like them. I am not perfect so I do try to be kind about it.

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