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I don't think it's a sneering to point out that if most people who talk about something lack the direct experience of having it, they may not represent it well.

I don't think it's a sneering to point out that if most people who talk about something lack the direct experience of having it, they may not represent it well. Personal experience gives folk's different perspectives. Autism certainly seems to. And whether the struggles she enumerates are common or not, if suffering is normal and near universal as you suggest, I think it's good to ask, does it have to be so? Are there things we can do to make the world better? I think not talking about something is unlikely to change anything.

brigandish 5y ago
> But as the myths are so firmly embedded into popular (mis)understanding, I don’t have the luxury to skip over them, so it is just a sad reality that I have to waste even more of my time to bring many of you up to speed. As the quote shows, the article is full of sneering, it’s just a sad fact that I have to waste my time pointing it out to you. Apologies for that but I think directing her words towards you exposes the sneer without any doubt.
- WesternWind 5y ago
  To be clear, this is a book extract, not something she wrote for the guardian, but for someone who picked up her book to read. She says many of you. Why are you including yourself in the many, if you already knew what she has to say? Why are you so upset by a comedian writing about her experiences that you have to engage with it at all? I just don't see a sneer. I just took a bit and reread the while thing. What I read is frustration, not superiority. I don't think she's looking down on folks who haven't had her struggles. I think she wants people to understand them, perhaps so they can be more understanding to autistic folks in their lives. But I don't think I'll convince you to see it my way, so I'll drop this.
  - brigandish 5y ago
    > But I don't think I'll convince you to see it my way, so I'll drop this. You managed to have your say, which was just as snide as hers, so now I'll have mine. > To be clear, this is a book extract, not something she wrote for the guardian, but for someone who picked up her book to read. If this has a relevance, I fail to see it. > She says many of you. Why are you including yourself in the many, if you already knew what she has to say? That makes no sense. a) I did not include myself in the many. b) I also made no indication that I had. You can always quote me if you wish but as I only wrote two sentences, one of which was a parody of her words, I think that's going to be difficult for you. c) I didn't know what she has to say, I made reference to the sneering, the delivery, not the content. > Why are you so upset I'm not upset, at least, not by her words. > by a comedian I'm yet to see her tell a funny joke but each to their own. > writing about her experiences that you have to engage with it at all? I was engaging with you. Are you telling me how to spend my time, on a forum, and implying that I shouldn't have my say, while having your say, on a forum? What are you on about? > I just don't see a sneer. It’s just a sad fact that I have to waste my time pointing it out to you, repeatedly. <- Is that not a sneer? I can tell you that it is. > I just took a bit and reread the while thing. What I read is frustration, not superiority. I'd feel better if you'd taken the time to read my comment properly and not infer things from it that were only the product of your imagination. > I don't think she's looking down on folks who haven't had her struggles. I think she wants people to understand them, perhaps so they can be more understanding to autistic folks in their lives. Like her "jokes", her attempts to provoke understanding look like the complete opposite of what I'd expect. I mean, it's just so draining for her to have to spend time explaining herself, in her own words, in her own book. How does she do it? Such a hero. > But I don't think I'll convince you to see it my way, so I'll drop this. Please do.
    - todorus 5y ago
      I don't think this comment section is supposed to be a competition. Neither do I think the article was a sneer towards others, but a way to ask for empathy for a certain situation. It wasn't about you, and you don't need to make it about you.
      - brigandish 5y ago
        I didn't make it about me at any point - is there an underline function I can use to make that clear for those who like to read into things that were never written? Or perhaps you can quote where I made it about me, here's the link to my comment https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=30885603 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=30885603 And this is the comment in its entirety, just pick it out for me: > > But as the myths are so firmly embedded into popular (mis)understanding, I don’t have the luxury to skip over them, so it is just a sad reality that I have to waste even more of my time to bring many of you up to speed. > As the quote shows, the article is full of sneering, it’s just a sad fact that I have to waste my time pointing it out to you. > Apologies for that but I think directing her words towards you exposes the sneer without any doubt. Good luck.

brigandish 5y ago

> But as the myths are so firmly embedded into popular (mis)understanding, I don’t have the luxury to skip over them, so it is just a sad reality that I have to waste even more of my time to bring many of you up to speed. As the quote shows, the article is full of sneering, it’s just a sad fact that I have to waste my time pointing it out to you. Apologies for that but I think directing her words towards you exposes the sneer without any doubt.

WesternWind 5y ago
To be clear, this is a book extract, not something she wrote for the guardian, but for someone who picked up her book to read. She says many of you. Why are you including yourself in the many, if you already knew what she has to say? Why are you so upset by a comedian writing about her experiences that you have to engage with it at all? I just don't see a sneer. I just took a bit and reread the while thing. What I read is frustration, not superiority. I don't think she's looking down on folks who haven't had her struggles. I think she wants people to understand them, perhaps so they can be more understanding to autistic folks in their lives. But I don't think I'll convince you to see it my way, so I'll drop this.
- brigandish 5y ago
  > But I don't think I'll convince you to see it my way, so I'll drop this. You managed to have your say, which was just as snide as hers, so now I'll have mine. > To be clear, this is a book extract, not something she wrote for the guardian, but for someone who picked up her book to read. If this has a relevance, I fail to see it. > She says many of you. Why are you including yourself in the many, if you already knew what she has to say? That makes no sense. a) I did not include myself in the many. b) I also made no indication that I had. You can always quote me if you wish but as I only wrote two sentences, one of which was a parody of her words, I think that's going to be difficult for you. c) I didn't know what she has to say, I made reference to the sneering, the delivery, not the content. > Why are you so upset I'm not upset, at least, not by her words. > by a comedian I'm yet to see her tell a funny joke but each to their own. > writing about her experiences that you have to engage with it at all? I was engaging with you. Are you telling me how to spend my time, on a forum, and implying that I shouldn't have my say, while having your say, on a forum? What are you on about? > I just don't see a sneer. It’s just a sad fact that I have to waste my time pointing it out to you, repeatedly. <- Is that not a sneer? I can tell you that it is. > I just took a bit and reread the while thing. What I read is frustration, not superiority. I'd feel better if you'd taken the time to read my comment properly and not infer things from it that were only the product of your imagination. > I don't think she's looking down on folks who haven't had her struggles. I think she wants people to understand them, perhaps so they can be more understanding to autistic folks in their lives. Like her "jokes", her attempts to provoke understanding look like the complete opposite of what I'd expect. I mean, it's just so draining for her to have to spend time explaining herself, in her own words, in her own book. How does she do it? Such a hero. > But I don't think I'll convince you to see it my way, so I'll drop this. Please do.
  - todorus 5y ago
    I don't think this comment section is supposed to be a competition. Neither do I think the article was a sneer towards others, but a way to ask for empathy for a certain situation. It wasn't about you, and you don't need to make it about you.
    - brigandish 5y ago
      I didn't make it about me at any point - is there an underline function I can use to make that clear for those who like to read into things that were never written? Or perhaps you can quote where I made it about me, here's the link to my comment https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=30885603 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=30885603 And this is the comment in its entirety, just pick it out for me: > > But as the myths are so firmly embedded into popular (mis)understanding, I don’t have the luxury to skip over them, so it is just a sad reality that I have to waste even more of my time to bring many of you up to speed. > As the quote shows, the article is full of sneering, it’s just a sad fact that I have to waste my time pointing it out to you. > Apologies for that but I think directing her words towards you exposes the sneer without any doubt. Good luck.