4 ms·

"autist" is generally regarded as derogatory, BTW.

psyc 5y ago
Whatever. My brother and I are both autists and its our favorite term, because it's funny. I gauge the general level of respect from the context.
- spacemanmatt 5y ago
  You're welcome to it, of course. Doesn't change the way it's received by most of us!
  - psyc 5y ago
    I retract the “whatever” part. I shouldn’t have been rude.
teddyh 5y ago
So, what is the latest term from the euphemism treadmill, then?
- psyc 5y ago
  We can’t decide between ‘autistic person’ and ‘person with autism’ but I gather the former is in the lead. Will get back to you after we sort it at the next AutistiCon.
  - faeriechangling 5y ago
    I think there's is a schism on that point between self-advocating Autistics and Parents of Autistics with more severe issues. The former is indeed in the lead however.
- spacemanmatt 5y ago
  Ok, I wasn't saying it's a tired euphemism. I was saying it's a mean slur used by bigots. I don't totally understand your challenge to provide the latest term, honestly. Are you trying to cast me as the language police?
  - teddyh 5y ago
    > I was saying it's a mean slur used by bigots. […] Are you trying to cast me as the language police? What, exactly, does the language police do differently from what you did?
    - spacemanmatt 5y ago
      I don't know what the language police would do. I'm just asking what it makes you, if you use the language of bigots unironically.
      - teddyh 5y ago
        We all use the language of bigots; viz. English.
        spacemanmatt 4y ago
        There isn't any non-bigoted English, eh? That's not the kind of argument that inspires me to continue honestly.
        teddyh 4y ago
        You almost got it. The point is that is no bigoted language, only bigoted people and bigoted intentions. Mere use of words and languages can not, by itself, be bigoted. You can reasonably infer intention and a person’s character by their word choices, but you can’t call a normal person using a word a bigot merely for using a word which also bigots use.
  - deleted 5y ago
    [deleted]
- kayamon 5y ago
  I prefer 'redditor'.
stuntkite 5y ago
I self apply and I also use sperg only on myself. Hell, I use the r word self applied if I'm with friends... if I'm with people that might be offended though I call myself "advanced" but I just imagine the finger quotes and tap them with my feet a little bit splay and quiet twice but I think frequently people miss the timing of the joke and slur. But if someone compares me to anyone from Big Bang Theory I go off on a rant until they are glazed over about how I'm not trying to diminish the atrocities of slavery or how wrong minstrel shows are but also this is for sure "nerd face" and then wait... just wait... for way later in the party and say bazinga. Just kidding with the bazinga thing. I'd never say that. It disgusts me.
- faeriechangling 5y ago
  I suspect "sperg" will get eaten by the euphemism treadmill long before "Autist" ever will be just because the concept of "Aspergers" is medically passe and it's namesake is a rather disagreeable fascist who was perfectly willing to send off any autistic he did not deem worthy off to get murdered by the Nazis amongst other issues and the ones he did deem worthy he considered to be psychopaths.
faeriechangling 5y ago
"Autist" has this sort of duality to it best demonstrated by wallstreetbets culture, where an "Autist" is somebody who will either lose all their money or get wealthy beyond compare. An object of mockery yet an object of admiration, an Elon Musk figure. Simply stigmatizing whatever words people decide to use in a mean way isn't a real solution to any problem. I resist sacrificing the word "Autist" to the god of the euphemism treadmill because it's the noun form of "Autistic" and is two syllables. If we stigmatize that word we won't address the actual stigma but we will be forced to resort to more pained and awkward language.
- spacemanmatt 5y ago
  It is the most common term I hear from people who "call out" autism disingenuously. It's not about the words or the stigma, it's about the assholes and not repeating their abuse by reusing their words.
  - faeriechangling 5y ago
    >It's not about the words... it's about... their words. Feels somewhat contradictory. In terms of abuse, stigmatizing the word "Autist" won't prevent abuse, it will enable it. Language that expresses negative feelings about a group of people will always exist, all one can do is have influence over the exact language that is used in that expression and the context in which people use certain language. Censorship doesn't stop abuse, it changes how abuse is expressed. In this situation, if we censor "autist", people will still probably continue to use the word, but use it in private more often, and it will become more of a pure slur. People who use the word "Autist" also use "Autistic" as in "Autistic screeching" as a slur/backhanded compliment (And autistic is truly uncensorable) with a very similar connotation, so by stigmatizing "Autist" and giving it a more severe connotation consequently, you are actually increasing peoples ability to more fluently express their distaste of autistics by making the word "Autist" more distinct from "Autistic". Increasing peoples ability to express their distaste for autism more easily is the opposite of what censorship ought to aim to do.
    - 5y ago

psyc 5y ago

Whatever. My brother and I are both autists and its our favorite term, because it's funny. I gauge the general level of respect from the context.

spacemanmatt 5y ago
You're welcome to it, of course. Doesn't change the way it's received by most of us!
- psyc 5y ago
  I retract the “whatever” part. I shouldn’t have been rude.

teddyh 5y ago

So, what is the latest term from the euphemism treadmill, then?

psyc 5y ago
We can’t decide between ‘autistic person’ and ‘person with autism’ but I gather the former is in the lead. Will get back to you after we sort it at the next AutistiCon.
- faeriechangling 5y ago
  I think there's is a schism on that point between self-advocating Autistics and Parents of Autistics with more severe issues. The former is indeed in the lead however.
spacemanmatt 5y ago
Ok, I wasn't saying it's a tired euphemism. I was saying it's a mean slur used by bigots. I don't totally understand your challenge to provide the latest term, honestly. Are you trying to cast me as the language police?
- teddyh 5y ago
  > I was saying it's a mean slur used by bigots. […] Are you trying to cast me as the language police? What, exactly, does the language police do differently from what you did?
  - spacemanmatt 5y ago
    I don't know what the language police would do. I'm just asking what it makes you, if you use the language of bigots unironically.
    - teddyh 5y ago
      We all use the language of bigots; viz. English.
      - spacemanmatt 4y ago
        There isn't any non-bigoted English, eh? That's not the kind of argument that inspires me to continue honestly.
        teddyh 4y ago
        You almost got it. The point is that is no bigoted language, only bigoted people and bigoted intentions. Mere use of words and languages can not, by itself, be bigoted. You can reasonably infer intention and a person’s character by their word choices, but you can’t call a normal person using a word a bigot merely for using a word which also bigots use.
- deleted 5y ago
  [deleted]
kayamon 5y ago
I prefer 'redditor'.

stuntkite 5y ago

I self apply and I also use sperg only on myself. Hell, I use the r word self applied if I'm with friends... if I'm with people that might be offended though I call myself "advanced" but I just imagine the finger quotes and tap them with my feet a little bit splay and quiet twice but I think frequently people miss the timing of the joke and slur. But if someone compares me to anyone from Big Bang Theory I go off on a rant until they are glazed over about how I'm not trying to diminish the atrocities of slavery or how wrong minstrel shows are but also this is for sure "nerd face" and then wait... just wait... for way later in the party and say bazinga. Just kidding with the bazinga thing. I'd never say that. It disgusts me.

faeriechangling 5y ago
I suspect "sperg" will get eaten by the euphemism treadmill long before "Autist" ever will be just because the concept of "Aspergers" is medically passe and it's namesake is a rather disagreeable fascist who was perfectly willing to send off any autistic he did not deem worthy off to get murdered by the Nazis amongst other issues and the ones he did deem worthy he considered to be psychopaths.

faeriechangling 5y ago

"Autist" has this sort of duality to it best demonstrated by wallstreetbets culture, where an "Autist" is somebody who will either lose all their money or get wealthy beyond compare. An object of mockery yet an object of admiration, an Elon Musk figure. Simply stigmatizing whatever words people decide to use in a mean way isn't a real solution to any problem. I resist sacrificing the word "Autist" to the god of the euphemism treadmill because it's the noun form of "Autistic" and is two syllables. If we stigmatize that word we won't address the actual stigma but we will be forced to resort to more pained and awkward language.

spacemanmatt 5y ago
It is the most common term I hear from people who "call out" autism disingenuously. It's not about the words or the stigma, it's about the assholes and not repeating their abuse by reusing their words.
- faeriechangling 5y ago
  >It's not about the words... it's about... their words. Feels somewhat contradictory. In terms of abuse, stigmatizing the word "Autist" won't prevent abuse, it will enable it. Language that expresses negative feelings about a group of people will always exist, all one can do is have influence over the exact language that is used in that expression and the context in which people use certain language. Censorship doesn't stop abuse, it changes how abuse is expressed. In this situation, if we censor "autist", people will still probably continue to use the word, but use it in private more often, and it will become more of a pure slur. People who use the word "Autist" also use "Autistic" as in "Autistic screeching" as a slur/backhanded compliment (And autistic is truly uncensorable) with a very similar connotation, so by stigmatizing "Autist" and giving it a more severe connotation consequently, you are actually increasing peoples ability to more fluently express their distaste of autistics by making the word "Autist" more distinct from "Autistic". Increasing peoples ability to express their distaste for autism more easily is the opposite of what censorship ought to aim to do.
  - 5y ago