Article addresses an issue with progressive politics and ASD

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https://www.sbstatesman.com/2019/11/20/ ... -chambers/

Specifically, there is a point where they come to discuss the clash between Autism/other conditions that affect socialization and the prevalent concept of microaggressions in university settings.

As someone with Autism and OCD (and related social anxiety) I've often considered this clash and have no idea how to bring it up in a respectful way. I have social blunders all the time as well as obsessive compulsive anxieties that could and do (I believe) get mistaken for microaggressions.

What's strange is how many progressive students on campus pay lip service to mental health and "neurodivergence" with no consideration of what the actual problems we run into are (and are frequently the first to judge, especially if they perceive "microaggressions".)

At the same time, I don't deny the concept of racial and sexual microaggressions. I merely think that there is the contradictory tendency among young progressives to implore us to let people with mental health conditions and perhaps Autism nowadays "tell our stories".... and also not "gaslight" minority groups if we attempt to correct mistaken impressions that they have of us. If I explain about having ASD or OCD, am I "self-advocating" or "crying white tears"? There doesn't seem to be deep thought or acknowledgment of the contradictions that university progressives frequently uphold.

I do agree, especially with regards to "virtue signalling", and it really gets on my nerves because I've had people who do make faulty judgments and assumptions and make fun of me and all that then go on to lecture my class about "neurodiversity" and "neurotypical people oppressing neurodiverse people". I don't completely buy this "neurotypical vs neurodiverse" dichotomy, but it was really ironic that they were the ones lecturing us all on that. lol

I agree with Fnord about virtue signaling.

I’m old enough to remember the world pre Facebook / Twitter it was probably better for it as much as I love the internet itself.

Virtue Signaling is simply a form of “look at me how nice I am because I say or do something”.

It’s a NT popularity contest basically.

It’s got nothing to do with truth or the real nature of people sadly.

Autistic people will be judged at face value for their behaviors unfortunately.

The world is a busy place and many don’t have the time or motivation to look into the reasons for things, which is why our media is so full of propaganda junk which unfortunate works, as many believe it without question because few have time to really check things.

As far as Uni life is concerned. Further education in priority order is now a business first, source of Indoctrination second and education & gateway to a career last.

In US and UK Prob many other countries as well this has been the case for a few years now.

Junk Professors teaching subjects for which there are few jobs for, while charging extortionate course fees that leave students with a life time of debt and regret is unfortunately all too common knowledge.

"Microaggressions" is a bogus concept, and anyone accusing you of such is deserving of Macroaggressions.

No, I'm advocating anger towards those trying to weaponize the desire to be a decent person as a method of control.

I get that there are those who are truly prejudiced who show it in small ways initially, which may lead marginalized groups to be wary of people's behavior. I do think that with conditions like ASD or any form of anxiety, there can be confounding factors which complicate social interactions and lead to erroneous conclusions about what was happening in a given interaction. (And if we try to explain that it wasn't a simple "microaggression" we get shut down.)

"Virtue signalling" is both a tool of communication and a tool for self-validation/affirmation. There are many similar things between humans.

Example: Certain Christians, generally fundamentalist Christians, will "virtue signal" to each other with affirmations such as "Praise the Lord!" or "Amen." when talking with another person they may not even know. That both signals to the other person "I'm Christian" and also self-validates the person speaking the affirmation. In other words, it makes them feel good.

Liberal virtue signalling in this respect is no different than fundamentalist Christian virtue signalling as a tool of both communication and self-validation/affirmation.

Also, it's no surprise that "Progressives" may not really support autistics as a group because certain characteristic behaviors of autistics clash with Political Correctness. It seems impossible for a "Progressive" to support politically correct viewpoints exclusively but also support autistic people that may speak their mind in socially uncomfortable ways and ways that are "politically incorrect". Shaming myself or being shamed by others for thinking or saying things that are politically incorrect and being expected to be politically correct isn't any different in my opinion as an autistic person than being shamed for not masking and instead being expected to mask. No.

"Virtue Signalling" is used like a shibboleth for just about every special-interest group that wants to appear "Virtuous".  Political candidates do it; preachers do it; charities do it; both progressives and conservative do it -- it's all about telling the world that "I'm the nicest person you will ever know and the greatest hope you will ever have!" ...








... just before they screw you over.

There is also Vice-Signalling on the Right. See what a mean Motherf***er I am, I want to drown puppies and kittens... I do it because the world is a tough place and life is not fair and I am not afraid to make the tough choices,