Saw a TikTok last night that was explaining how neurodivergent people have interest-driven nervous systems while neurotypical people have importance-driven nervous systems and then proceeded to have an hour-long puzzle pieces clicking into place crisis because WHAT THE FUCK IS AN IMPORTANCE-DRIVE NERVOUS SYSTEM?
I thought we were all on the same page that society’s made up and some of us were just better at doing the fake stuff than others but literally NO.
Society tells neurotypical people “these are the things that have to get done” and not only are they like “sounds real” THEIR BRAIN GIVES THEM DOPAMINE?! SO THEY KEEP DOING IT!?
And then someone will be, like, “hey, want some novel fun facts?” and they won’t because it has nothing to do with the society tasks.
So it doesn’t give them dopamine?! AND THAT IS CONSIDERED ‘TYPICAL?’
Obviously, like, NT people have *some* interest driven dopamine because otherwise they wouldn’t have hobbies or consume art or create their own businesses.
And TikToks are a minute or less and you can’t break down everything, so I wouldn’t think one the be all end all of anything, but it was the first time I heard a flatly stated counterbalance to the idea of interest-based and it did give me a big brain moment. 😛
—melony ppenosyne
Flommist Melony Ppenosyne is a writer and weird artist type. In the last year alone, she’s traveled to Virginia as a competing poet, co-written a play on mental illness that is presently being produced, and crafted a published essay checking the privilege and scope of art galleries. Copyright © 2021 Melony Ppenosyne.
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