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Well this is awkward...

And why thats okay

By Chelsea Anne FawcettPublished 3 years ago 2 min read
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Well this is awkward...
Photo by Cory Bouthillette on Unsplash

I have to say seeing people grapple with social awkwardness for the first time during this pandemic has been both thrilling and deeply painful.

As an neurodivergent person, part of me feels so vindicated, these “rules” that everyone has always been so adamant are entirely natural and instinctual it turns out are socially reinforced, ie I am not a freak or inhuman for having a hard time with them!!! It’s vindicating to see other people deal with what I have dealt with my whole life and it’s thrilling to watch EVERYONE struggle with something I am coping well with for once! Hooray!

On the other hand it’s brutal to see the deeply embedded ableism that characterizes people’s observations of themselves now that they don’t consider themselves “socially adept” anymore. For example, I saw a New Yorker Cartoon today where a woman who felt she had lost the ability to socialize during quarantine imagined herself as an ugly toad (literally inhuman) trying to blubber her way through interacting with other humans. To see someone characterize themselves as inhuman when they feel or act like me is heartbreaking. But at the same time I am as familiar with this way of thinking as I am with my own face.

Human beings are adaptable, and human connection is something that defines us. That being said, I hope something that comes out of this time of extended social isolation for most people is that rigid social rules and scripts are often just as much of a hindrance to connection as they are an aid. As you relearn “how to people” I hope that you realize there is so much more to us than the expectations and roles that we have envisioned for ourselves. And I hope you stop drawing yourself as a toad. It’s offensive.

EmbarrassmentHumanityTaboo
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About the Creator

Chelsea Anne Fawcett

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