Compliance Makes Us Vulnerable
Neurodivergent people are often expected to show unquestioning obedience
Like many of us, as a kid I was expected to be quiet and do what I was told. I’ve never been very good at that, mind you, but the message was made abundantly clear: You are a good person if you put your head down, work hard, and don’t make trouble.
Pfft.
As I said, obedience was never my strong suit, and that has certainly not changed in adulthood.
Regardless, it was expected and demanded. I was taught that “good” kids do what they’re told and are shown kindness. “Bad” kids who don’t listen are punished and shown cruelty.
Compliance became a survival skill, which caused me significant difficulty in adolescence and early adulthood.
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to Neurodiversity MB to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.