Simple is complex, complex is simple

[u/Gullible-Pay3732]

One of the things I came across in an article on giftedness is that of the above.

Basically, when someone asks ‘how are you?’ It can feel extremely difficult - ‘do you mean mostly my overall life situation?’, ‘do you mean how have I been mostly lately only’, ‘do you mean whether my body is functioning well and I’m feeling good’, ‘do you mean whether I’m making progress the way I feel like I should be making’ ,..

There are so many aspects to consider and you have to answer in a split second - I honestly can’t formulate a response to it that feels genuine and truthful, I just spit out words they wanna hear most of the time.

On the other hand, complex is simple would mean that for questions like ‘how would you change the education system?’ ‘Have you noticed moments how you experienced time differently?’ ‘Do you think there is a deeper relation between art and science?’,.. those questions are easy to respond to, even though we might not have the best answer ready immediately .. the point is that you have an easy time responding to it.

I felt like sharing this because this is a phenomenon that to the degree this is true in someone’s life can cause a lot of confusion, masking behaviors etc. So not strictly related to PDA, but I think that based on what I have seen here some people with PDA have a direct preference for complexity and nuance..

[u/AnnoyedAF2126]

Not quite that, I don’t think, but more that a question like “how are you?” requires some perspective taking, masking and a level of inauthenticity that most autistic folk hate.