The Tao of Autism

Wicked Men Prospering

2011-04-29T16:41:00.000-07:00

I was reading some on Bertrand Russell, since a few of the things he's said (primarily some of what he's said about mathematics) appealed to me. Then I came across this (rather common) fallacy:

In the part of this universe that we know there is great injustice, and often the good suffer, and often the wicked prosper, and one hardly knows which of those is the more annoying.
~Bertrand Russell

I think, for me, it is more annoying that this idea exists.

Let's take the view of life as a game. Any game will do, but because I happen to be thinking about it now, let's go with trading card games. Cheaters come about fairly often in these games, and there will be times when these cheaters win because of their cheating, and you might lose because you didn't cheat when you had the opportunity. This seems to prove Bertrand Russell's quote, but only if we don't look deeper.

Trading card games are about who can form superior strategy and tactics with a given set of rules. When a person cheats, they are effectively admitting that they cannot win within the set of rules. This means that they are admitting that you have superior strategy and tactics. When people bemoan how often cheaters win, they are themselves saying that they don't really care about who possesses superior strategy and tactics, only winning.

Similarly, people who complain about being a "good" person and seeing wicked men prosper are saying that they don't care about anything but physical comforts (since, after all, they point to the large number of physical comforts that these wicked men have as defining their prosperity). The problem with this is that anyone who understand the psychology of happiness knows that, no matter what the physical comfort is, it cannot bring happiness. In fact, physical comforts can actually cause depression.

The reason why the "good" person does not have happiness is because all he is focusing on is physical comforts. According to the psychology of happiness, you become happy when you stop caring about these things (something Taoists, Confucians, and really most any of the major religions have been saying for quite some time). The reason why the "good" person is not happy is that he has fallen prey to one of the most simple of faults: Envy. As we can see, this "good" person is not truly good, at least not in the way we normally define it. When you nod and agree with this "good" person, you are overlooking their envy, and betraying your own.

The wicked man does not have prosperity, nor does the man who complains that he does. Only those that do not look to others to measure their own happiness can find true prosperity.

Yin and Yang

2011-04-07T00:16:00.001-07:00

OK, this post was originally going to be about sex, Taoism, and abstinence, but I apparently need to address a misconception. One that's almost as bad, and much more common, than Tao/Dao = Way.

That misconception is what Yin and Yang are. ...Or, rather, that they actually are anything. I remember reading articles that claimed that Taoism is sexist because Yin is both female and evil.

...Except Yin isn't. What Yin is is the opposite and equal of Yang. That's it. Look at it this way: Yin is male and evil and Yang is female and good. Or, perhaps, Yin is female and good and Yang is male and evil. Let's try another one: Yin is up and Yang is down, or Yin is down and Yang is up.

Again, Yin is not female. It's the equal and opposite of Yang, and Yang is the equal and opposite of Yin. Whatever force Yin is used to represent, Yang is the opposite and equal force. If Yin is used to represent female, then Yang represents male. If, on the other hand, Yin is used to represent male, then Yan represents female.

So where did this misconception come from? It seems to me that it comes from an ease of use issue. Early Taoists started using Yin to represent female, and so it became a habit to make it easier for people to understand. This happened with the other concepts people mistake Yin and Yang for being.

Yin and Yang are the equal and opposite of each other, nothing more, nothing less.

The Fool On the Hill

2011-01-20T11:52:00.000-08:00

Last night, I watched a movie entitled Dinner for Schmucks. This post is not about that movie, though, but the song that was playing in the beginning.

This song struck me because of how well it described me. In fact, it didn't just describe me exceptionally well, it seemed to describe Chuang Tzu perfectly.

What must Hui Tzu have thought of Chuang Tzu, to be so dismissive of a post with such honor and respect as Prime Minister of Liang? It seems that people everywhere considered Chuang Tzu a fool. It does not matter, though. He recognizes the wisdom within him, so their thoughts on the matter prove themselves the fools.

I've talked about how lucky I was to be able to develop enough confidence in myself that I could dismiss the things people would say about me. A lot of autistics don't get around to developing this confidence before the dozens of people that insist that they're somehow wrong finally get to them. I learned long ago that I have a unique way of viewing the world, and I think that's largely due to the fact that I am autistic.

And yet, when I tell people my view of the world, they are dismissive of it. It's not how they see the world, and so it must be wrong. I've often said that, in the land of the blind, a one eyed woman would be locked up in a mental institution.

There are people out there that see the wisdom in the way I (and other autistics) see the world, but the vast majority do not. It is sad, but you must understand that that does not make you a fool. Wise men are often called fools. Obviously, that doesn't make them so.

Don't let the words of foolish people affect you so. Do not blind yourself to the eyes in your head that see the world spinning around merely because of the words of others.

Where's the pride?

2011-01-16T03:02:00.000-08:00

I was reading a topic on WrongPlanet. It claimed that autism is a disability because autistics are completely incapable of finding love.

First of all, I'd like to point out that, from my way of thinking, autism, by itself, is not a disability.

More importantly, though, I feel that this post shows how autistics think of their autism. I've said before that I believe one source of pride in my autism is that I wasn't told for 20 years that everything I am is wrong. That applies to interpersonal interactions as well, though.

Friends, coworkers, family, and significant others (or lack thereof) can all affect how a person thinks of being autistic. In my experience, autistics get along very well with other autistics. If there are other autistics, or neurotypicals that don't dismiss autistics, around an autistic, then they won't consider themselves wrong. Naturally, a negative reaction to autistics will exacerbate the lack of a positive reaction.

For me, I had enough confidence in myself that the lack of many friends or significant others going through school was not an issue for me.

But you must let go of the past and peoples' ignorance. If you never had the chance before to interact with other autistics or autistic-accepting neurotypicals, then now is the chance to change that. There are autistics around you, and you will know them when you see them. Autistics are rare, but when you find one that you can connect with, it will be worth it.

Remember, though we are in the minority, we are not alone, and being part of a minority does not make us wrong.

The Golden Rule

2011-01-07T21:10:00.000-08:00

I've said before - many times - that I would never want to be neurotypical. There are obviously many autistics that don't want to be neurotypical, either. Of course, there are plenty of neurotypicals that would never want to be autistic, even knowing all I know. I've said before that I believe that one of the reasons I wouldn't want to be neurotypical, or even be able to emulate a neurotypical, is because of how I was raised.

But there's another reason. I am not you, whoever you are. You look at me and think, "If I was like that, I would want someone to come and make me more like how I am now." The problem with this is that you are not like that. That reasoning only works for you. Do not do unto me as you would have others do unto you. The reasoning behind "The Golden Rule" is flawed. For more on this, consider Bob the Masochist.

Every person you meet has different wants and different needs. I am not you; my needs do not match yours. You may love who you are and wish to be no one else. I mean no offense, but I don't wish to be you. I wish to be me. I have no want to be anything else. Do not try to "cure" me. There is nothing to be cured.

Always beware of what you believe others want. It may be what you want.

Wei wu wei and autistic pride

2011-01-03T17:17:00.000-08:00

I was reading an article about how autistic pride is based on laziness. See, the logic behind this is that the reason why autistics don't want to learn social skills is because it's hard.

Funny story: I'm not the most athletically adept person. Am I supposed to work on trying to become a professional basketball player?

When a neurotypical person isn't that good at mathematics, for example, we don't try and put the neurotypical in calculus classes. We teach them enough to get by (for some reason, we don't have them take Consumer Economics, which would probably be a lot more beneficial than Geometry) and then focus on their strengths. There's a reason why Time and Newsweek are considered snobbish when they write their articles at a tenth grade level: We don't try and push people to become masters of things they have very little ability with. For the record? I was reading at a college level the first time I was tested (in the 9th grade). It's not difficult to read at that level, but Time and Newsweek wouldn't be able to sell many magazines if they wrote at that level.

I have about enough social skills to get by in my everyday life. I can go to the store, talk to some close friends of mine, and things along those lines. I don't need to have extraordinary social skills. I will never be a salesperson or a customer service representative. I will likely never be a politician. I am fine with this. Instead, I focus my effort on my stengths, which is what every neurotypical is allowed to do. Autistics, on the other hand, are not allowed to focus on our strengths. We instead must fight the way we naturally are, putting so much effort in our social skills that, if redirected to our strengths, would allow us to be in the top of whatever field we choose.

Wei wu wei: Ideal inaction, action without effort. I could spend eight hours a day every day for the next several years slowly working my social skills to the average of a neurotypical. Instead, I decided to focus on other fields. If I had spend the past several years focusing on social skills, I wouldn't be able to play poker, write, bake, and all the other things I've been able to do. I wouldn't have any sort of useful skills other than my ability to make change. I'd be destined to working at a fast food chain as a cashier for the rest of my life. Instead, I can write, and bake, and play poker. I can contribute to society in a way other than asking if you'd like fries with your burger.

I put effort in my strengths, because it's much more beneficial, as a time:benefit ratio, than focusing on improving my social skills. I'm not a people person, and I have no issue with that. I'm not constantly making myself miserable to meet an impossible goal. Ideal inaction in action. Just like the person that has difficulty reading above a 9th grade level, I don't try and become a master of social skills.

Autistics are not special. We have strengths and weaknesses. What's special is how we are treated. Instead of being allowed to focus on our strengths, we are pushed to focus on our weaknesses. Why can't we be allowed to practice wei wu wei along with the neurotypicals?

Edit: As far as the argument that humans are social creatures and social skills are therefore important: Language is important, too. It's a social function (that's why incredibly smart octopi have absolutely no language, but chickens have a rudimentary language). And we still have people in their twenties and thirties who still think that "alot" is a word. There's not much issue with that. We're not forcing those people to take specialized classes for eight hours a day every day so they know to put a space between the "a" and the "lot."

The Old Boy and Autistic Pride

2010-12-31T18:06:00.000-08:00

I had been meaning to write this since the 25th, but ended up posting about compassion instead. Why have I been meaning to write it since Christmas? Because it's about the significance of a Christmas gift that was given to me by my younger sister.

It was a frame, and inside the frame were objects that she felt represented me. There were poker cards and chips, as well as a couple pictures... and a Pokemon card and arcade tokens. To understand the significance of this, you must understand the legend behind the name of Lao Tzu.

You see, Lao Tzu is not actually a name. It's more along the lines of a title. Now, there has been debate in the past about what exactly it means (there are those that believe it means "Old Master" rather than the legend), but the legend is that it means "The Old Boy." Whether it actually means this or not, a sort of playful attitude towards life has been an important part of Taoism from the start.

The arcade tokens and Pokemon card were meant to signify that this is something that I still have. This playful attitude so often fades or even disappears as a person leaves their childhood behind. And I don't claim to have kept it all, but I'm glad I held onto as much as I did. My life hasn't been the easiest (I might go into detail in the future, but the difficulties in my life are beyond the scope of this post), but I still have much more than most people do. I retained considerably more than people who have gone through even one of these hardships.

What do I attribute this to? Being autistic. Some of these hardships seem to affect people because of the way society views them. Others affect people because of the importance they place on themselves. For the first: How society views anything has very little effect on me. For the second: As I've said, my mind is a very logical one, and I've been able to set aside the effect of self-importance on those hardships.

Most certainly, a strong spiritual nature (first when I thought I was Christian and later Taoism) has helped, but I doubt I could have retained that spiritual nature if not for my autistic mind.

As I've said before, these hardships have affected me, but not to the point that they seem to affect others. If not for me being autistic, I would never have been able retain my view on the world.

Compassion

2010-12-26T14:02:00.000-08:00

I follow Tao Are You on Twitter, and I noticed an interesting post.

I feel, though, that in replying to his post on twitter, I did the thought a disservice. 140 characters isn't really enough to talk about compassion, especially with how poorly built language is to discuss such a topic. We replied to each other a bit on Twitter, but I feel that, to get my point across, I needed to say more on the subject.

Compassion is always within us, and always at the forefront. I take a step forward, and compassion is already there. I take a step backwards, and compassion is waiting for me. However, in our day to day lives, we often hide our own compassion from ourselves, to the point that we require action to bring it out.

Ideally, however, such a barrier needs not be there at all. Compassion should not require any action to bring forth. If we need to reach for compassion, then there is something wrong. Rather, the compassion should be reaching for us. Not just some of the time, but all of the time.

All that is required of you is to allow the compassion that is always with you to express itself.

From the Tao Te Ching to autism

2010-12-23T17:41:00.000-08:00

There was a post on WrongPlanet about how autistics can accept who we are. This was my response:

Even if you do not hold to Taoism, you can still take wisdom in these words. Much as the Golden Rule still holds for those who are not Christian, these sayings can help you as you go about your life:

There is no greater offense than harboring desires.
There is no greater disaster than discontent.
There is no greater misfortune than wanting more.

Hence, if you are content
You will always have enough.

Others are social. I am not. I don't care to be, so it does not bother me.

Others are rich. I am not. I don't care to be, so it does not bother me.

Others have careers. I do not. I don't care to have one, so it does not bother me.

An interesting thing happened to me the other day: My sister was visiting and she pointed out that the people around her managed to get so interested in a particular thing, such as painting or dancing... and she wished that she was capable of becoming so interested in something. It's extraordinary that people talk about autistics having such trouble going through life, and yet she envies that particular trait. In fact, I have had many people come and tell me that they envy me for a particular autistic trait I have.

Knowing others is to be clever.
Knowing yourself is to be enlightened.
Overcoming others requires force.
Overcoming yourself requires strength.

I know who I am, so I do not reach for things that I cannot grasp. I build my strength, so I might overcome those troubles I wish to overcome.

Therefore, the True Person benefits yet expects no reward,
does the work and moves on.
There is no desire to be considered better than others.

Again: Do not look to others for your own fulfillment. Do not worry what others have. Do you think your cat cares for a career because you or others have one? Does it wish to live to be 100 simply because you might?

It seeks only food, water, and a place to sleep. And the occasional petting.

Both favor and disgrace bring fear.
Great trouble comes from having a body.

What is meant by:
"Both favor and disgrace bring fear"?
Favor leads to a fear of losing it and
disgrace leads to a fear of greater trouble.

What is meant by:
"Great trouble comes from having a body"?
The reason you have trouble is that
you are self-conscious.
No trouble can befall a self-free person.

Therefore, surrender your self-interest.
Love others as much as you love yourself.
Then you can be entrusted with all things under heaven.

I think one of the reasons why we have such trouble is because of experiences in our past. We remember the disgrace, and we fear we are at our limit. Let go of past mistakes, however, and move forward. Make those mistakes again, and don't worry about how people will react to them. If they ridicule you, fine. Do not feel you need their friendship. If they accept you in spite of them, that is fine, too. If they love you for them, then do not worry about trying to please them further.

It is your desires that lead you to ruin. Desires for things you see others have, and desires for things you feel you need. Let go of those desires and you will be at peace with yourself and with others.

Why I am Taoist

2010-12-17T15:56:00.000-08:00

So I suppose if I'm going to have topics exclusively about Taoism, I might as well address this one, which has been asked of me a couple of times by people I know that read this blog.

I have met people who can give a dozen reasons why they follow whatever religion they follow. Some relate some past experience, others point to evidence from history or current events. Others say that a particular aspect of that belief appealed to them.

The most extraordinary reasons I've heard tend to come from atheists. It is unfortunate that a belief that is so wonderful (atheism is a wonderful belief, if you read some of the literature dedicated to it) should have people among them that claim that belief solely out of rebellion and stubborness.

So why am I a Taoist? Well, I had an interesting experience that made me become intersted in Taoism, that is for sure. And once I began studying it, I found the beliefs of Taoism appealing to me, certainly. And I cannot deny that certain current events and historical events cause me to see Taoism within them. None of those, however, is why I am a Taoist. In fact, I don't think it's appropriate to call me a Taoist.

I am Taoist.

Taoism is who I am. I could be nothing else. It is as much a part of me as the fact that I am autistic.

What is Taoism?

2010-12-11T18:12:00.000-08:00

It is inevitable that any blog that talks about Taoism must deal with this question at some point.

Is Taoism a religion? Is it a philosophy? Is it something else?

Here is my problem with the arguments against Taoism as a religion. My problem comes when people misunderstand what a religion is and what the Tao is. Most of the arguments I've heard about Taoism not being a religion stem from people clearly raised in a Christian culture. They site the lack of a deity (although this brings me back to the issue with a misunderstanding of the Tao), the lack of a creation story, and things of that nature.

First of all, I will point out that religions are not solely monotheistic or polytheistic. There are a multitude of different theisms that can be present in a religion, and there are certainly religions that can exist with the lack of a god. The Tao is an example of a pantheistic god (though some sects have included incarnations of the Tao and various other god figures), which does not have a true personality or will. It simply... is.

Second comes the issue of a misinterpretation of religion. As I've said before, religions can exist in the absence of a god. As one of my professors explained, a religion is most accurately defined (putting aside cultural bias) as a set of beliefs about how we can best live and the purpose of existence. Taoism has both of these things.

An interesting point is that many schools of Atheistic thought have them as well. If you are an Atheist and have a problem with Atheism being defined as a religion, perhaps you should consider what your motives are for being an Atheist.

So, then, is Taoism a religion and not a philosophy? Well, here is my issue with that: What is a philosophy? A religion, by definition, must ALSO be a philosophy. One of the interesting aspects of Taoism is that you can be, for example, a Christian and still apply Taoist principles to your life (in fact, anyone who has studied Tai Chi Chuan has been introduced to many Taoist principles). But so, too, can a Taoist apply Christian principles to their life.

Moreover, many sects of various religions can be considered to be a combination of a religion and a philosophy that contemplates how that particular religion should define itself. For example, I was raised a Methodist, which is Christianity with a Wesleyan philosophy of Christianity.

The main advantage Taoism (though this also applies to Confucianism and Buddhism) has, as a philosophy, is that its greatest thinkers have not claimed a direct line to the Tao. Rather, they present arguments for why a certain action or view in a particular situation is beneficial. The laws do not come from a god figure, but rather from turning the issue over and considering the best path.

So what is Taoism? Is it religion? Is it philosophy?

Taoism is highly individualized. The way you go about applying Taoist principles to your life will, without a doubt, be different from the way I apply Taoist principles to my life. I am a religious non-denominational Taoist, but that doesn't mean that I think you must have Taoism as your religion in order to be Taoist.

Edit: Allow me to restate the point I had here. Taoism is not limited by restrictions or limitations of people and definitions because the Tao is not restricted or limited by people and definitions. Instead of arguing about whether Taoism is a religion or a philosophy or whatever, perhaps it would be best to simply apply the wisdom of it to your life (or not, as your choice may be).

Rage

2010-12-01T00:12:00.000-08:00

I have been known to let myself fall into anger in my time, but I see it so much in the autistic community, and I had an experience with it recently, so I feel I should write something about it.

Many autistics seem to be full of rage, they rage at Autism Speaks, they rage at Jim Carrey, they rage at FAAAS, but mostly, they just rage. I'd like to make two points about rage. The first is from an episode of How I Met Your Mother, a show of which I am a major fan. This episode (and others like it) is why.

Ted goes to confront Stella, the woman that left him at the altar:

(Second Edit: I am keeping the video up in case I can get it working again, but until then, you can download the clip.)

It's this wisdom that drew me to the show, and this wisdom that keeps me watching, day after day.

Every autistic reading this knows that we can do so much. We can change so many lives, if those with lives we could change would just let us. And yet we are dismissed and ostracized. But why should this make us angry? Whatever we must endure because of this discrimination, these people will suffer so much more. Even if we couldn't change their lives, the discrimination alone is so much worse for them than anything that they could do to us. Weep for them, they know not the lives they could have had.

The other point I'd like to make is anger as an excuse. My sister and I were visiting our mother recently, and she had been reading a book, Nickel and Dimed. She bemoaned her lot in life and her inability to get by. I did not handle the situation as well I could have (I upset her greatly), but I pointed out (with very little tact, so I am not unclear on that point) that I had worked for less than she makes normally, with higher rent, and I had managed to save quite a bit of money. An interesting point to make is that the reason she was visiting my mother is that she was storing boxes of stuff at my mother's apartment, things that she did not need and sometimes went unused for long periods.

I wrote earlier about the perfect job for autistics. We may not be able to make it by in a normal job environment, but that does not mean we cannot make money or contribute meaningfully to society.

That job I mentioned earlier ended rather abruptly. I did not catch on to one of those unwritten, unspoken rules (the kind that are illegal but exist anyway). And yet, still, I shouldn't be angry at them. I should not have been in that job in the first place. It was something for a neurotypical. I am destined for something else, and I will do what I am meant to do.

You should not be angry at them for their discrimination. Instead, realize that you should work towards something else, something you are meant to do.

Let go of your anger, and you may see where you truly belong.

Conformity

2010-10-26T21:47:00.000-07:00

I was in a rather interesting discussion with a friend of mine online. I ended up looking for a quote in the Tao Te Ching. I didn't find the quote I was looking for, but I did find one that made me think of autism.

People of the Tao
conform to the Tao.
People of Virtue
conform to Virtue.
People who lose the way
conform to the loss.
Those who conform to the Tao
are welcomed into the Tao.
Those who conform to Virtue
are welcomed into Virtue.
Those who conform to the loss
are welcomed into the loss.

We live a particular life, and we become certain that that particular way of living is the only way that a person could possibly live and be happy - even if we aren't happy ourselves.

One of the reasons why there are neurotypicals fighting for a "cure" is because they're neurotypical. They're obsessed with social ritual and being around people and all the things that go with being a neurotypical. They can't possibly imagine that there are people that could live a life other than theirs and be happy. Moreover, they think that theirs is the only way to make friends.

I have met a number of people that are autistic, or at least have autistic traits. I certainly like being around them much more than those that are neurotypical. Many people say that it is difficult for autistics to connect with people normally, but that is not true. It is difficult for autistics to connect with neurotypicals normally. With autistics, we do just fine. The same is true for neurotypicals, though. Neurotypicals have trouble connecting with autistics. Is there something wrong with neurotypicals because they cannot connect to autistics?

I am a certain way, and that's the way I am. Not you. I doubt I could be happy being you. You may be able to be happy being you, I do not know. I do know, however, that your path is different than mine. Right or wrong, it is your path to follow.

My mind to your mind

2010-09-15T04:00:00.000-07:00

I was discussing a number of things with an online acquaintance the other day, and the subject became one about the fact that I am autistic. As I've already mentioned before, I take great pride in being autistic. It allows me to discern patterns quite well, my mind is more logical, and even what is considered the primary problem autistics have (social ineptitude), I consider a blessing.

There is, however, one thing that I feel I am missing out on: Visualization. According to Temple Grandin, people have three different ways of thinking. I am a pattern-based thinker, but my online acquaintance is exceptional in the realm of visual thinking.

As the discussion went on, I was reminded of an old episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation (starting at about 6:15 in the video).

The way we think, as well as other aspects, cause each of us to see the world differently. If you saw the world as I do, but with your experience in your method of thought, you would likely not be able to make heads or tails of what you saw. There are many reasons for this: Autism, pattern-based thinking, Taoism, the way I was raised, and the combination of these things (as well as many other things that each have a small say in the way I see the world).

When you think of the sages, do you think any of them see or saw the world in any way similar to the way you see it? Jesus, Moses, and Mohammed. Confucius, Lao Tzu, and Siddhartha Gautama. The great sages of the West and the great sages of the East. Yet all of them saw the world differently than we did. Can we truly understand their words without also understanding their minds?

The way I see the world is very different than the way you see it, and that's a good thing.

The Myth of Expertise - Argumentum Ad Verecundiam

2010-09-12T06:26:00.000-07:00

We often forget that people are human.

Think of a field that you are knowledgeable in. It could be anything, really. Now consider this: Do you know everything in that field?

I was discussing the Aspie Quiz a while back, and one of the people I was discussing it with dismissed it because of the fact that they had been tested for a number of things (including OCD and ADD), and the doctor doing the testing would know if they were autistic, not some quiz online. It actually reminded me of something an autistic had mentioned on Wrong Planet. He said that his doctor dismissed autism because of the fact that he was well-spoken.

Of course not all doctors are going to assume that sort of thing, but misconceptions about many things abound and it is a fallacy to believe something is true merely because a figure in authority says it. While doctors are more likely to be right in their particular specialty, they are not necessarily always right. In many fields (including medicine and psychology), students are taught to believe certain things to be absolutely true and without question. It is heresy to to question this. In addition to this, there is the possibility of remembering something wrong or just plain ignorance of something (such as a particular study or experience working differently for them than the average).

This same problem can be applied to religion, as well. Sages are wise, but not all-knowing. In many cases, it is better to listen to the advice of the sages. Sages are sages because they're wiser than you, and thus more likely to be correct. If you were wise like a sage, you would be a sage as well (and thus have no use for the title). However, I would suggest that you always keep in mind that things are not true because people say they are true. Things are true because they are true. It is really that simple (and yet oh so complex).

It is never a good idea to assume things based on the source. If action is required without the ability to properly know something, then it would probably be best to act as if the source is right. However, if given the opportunity to question the source's knowledge, I would suggest that you do it. This is why second opinions exist, after all.

Logical Fallacies - Argumentum Ad Populum

2010-09-10T14:56:00.000-07:00

I had an interesting conversation a few weeks ago. I have trouble killing insects, even by accident. This is not an issue for most people, but it is a major one for me. One person in that discussion suggested I get help, which confuses me. Why is compassion for other beings a bad thing? Shouldn't not having compassion be considered unhealthy? His response to this was that the majority of people don't have a problem with it. Majority is healthy, minority is unhealthy.

Now, if you don't have a problem with killing insects, that's fine. I don't think that you need to have compassion for insects to be a good person, but having compassion for them shouldn't be considered unhealthy.

One of the interesting aspects of being autistic is how logically my mind works, so I naturally have trouble when people use logical fallacies, such as his: Argumentum ad populum, or appealing to the majority.

What is all this doing in a blog about Taoism and autism? Well, because autistics are weird (very different from the majority), and thus are unhealthy. Instead of accepting the difference and displaying some humility of belief, many neurotypicals (and undiagnosed autistics) assume that autistics are unhealthy mentally. Naturally, a lot of this comes from misunderstanding autism as a whole, but much of it also comes from that logical fallacy.

On the Taoist side of things: Many of my individual beliefs are very bizarre to people. Some of those are from the Taoist beliefs. In a given situation, I am more likely to act differently than the average person. I am more likely to do what they would consider wrong. Because these are commonly held beliefs (and are featured often in popular media to be the correct belief), I can be labelled as a bad person. I have always strived to do what I believe is right, though. Just because most people think it's wrong, that doesn't make it wrong.

I can see myself making more posts about logical fallacies in the future. Many relate to autism, autism activism, and Taoism.

Wanting People To Like You

2010-08-31T11:59:00.000-07:00

A couple weeks ago, I was on one of the forums I frequent, and someone on there had a problem with their personal life. This person has difficulty making friends and felt bad about that; as if people not liking them made them wrong, somehow. As if having many friends would make this person a good person.

It is not enough to be liked by everyone. One must be liked by the good, and hated by the bad.
~Confucius

Yes, I know it's Confucius in a Taoist blog, but Confucius was quite a wise man, and this quote most certainly holds considerable wisdom.

But what makes a bad person in this regard? Well, that's more of a difficult matter when it comes down to it. Perhaps it would be more productive to consider what we want ourselves to be like, and then try and be liked by those we wish to be like and disliked by those we do not want to be like. Who do I seek to emulate? I turn once again to what is probably my favorite quote from the Tao Te Ching:

A truly good person functions without ulterior motive.
A moralist acts out of private desires.
A ritualist acts and, when no one responds,
rolls up a sleeve and marches.

When we lose the Tao, we turn to Virtue.
When we lose Virtue, we turn to kindness.
When we lose kindness, we turn to morality.
When we lose morality, we turn to ritual.

Ritual is the mere husk of good faith and loyalty
and the beginning of disorder.

I seek to be a truly good person, and so I wish to be disliked by ritualists, those that place emphasis on things such as proper responses and greetings, and things of that nature that I group as "social ritual". I do wish to be liked by those who have no need of such things, but they seem to be fairly rare, and so I am more often disliked than liked.

Autistics tend to have difficulty making friends because of our difficulty with social ritual. This is not necessarily a bad thing. If you believe that social ritual is a good thing, then I suppose it would be. As for me, I do not. I believe myself to be a fairly good person (not a truly good person yet, but I am trying). Lacking ability with social ritual means that those that want to be my friends do so because of who I am, not how well I follow ritual.

If you feel upset because people don't like you, look inside yourself. Weigh your actions against what you believe to be right. If you find that your actions have strayed too far from what you believe is right, change them. However, if you find that your actions are correct according to you, then do not worry that you do not make friends. To make people your friends, who do not care about you as a good person, you would have to lower yourself.

It is better to be good and hated by the world, than to be bad and loved by it. Rejoice that those who are bad dislike you; it means that you are good.

What Religion Must Be

2010-08-01T05:56:00.000-07:00

It has been more than half a year since I have last posted a blog. This is partially due to computer issues and partially due to personal issues. No matter the cause, however, I am ultimately to blame. There is always a way around these issues that I could have found, but I did not.

As I sit here, it is nearly 6 AM and I have not slept yet. I spent 12 hours asleep a couple of nights ago and now I cannot go to sleep at my usual time. Still, I felt that I should post one of the many things that I have thought about in the past seven months.

I began watching Through the Wormhole, a series that discusses many of the rather extraordinary questions about the universe. The first episode was a very interesting look at the possibility of the existence of a creator. It dispelled some common myths (such as the idea that science disproves religion), but there was also the issue of ignorance in religion. Dr. Garrett Lisi is a brilliant man when it comes to the realm of physics, but I feel that he is lacking in an understanding of the true diversity of religion. He explains that he does not believe that a creator being, which he believes must be infinitely complex, could create something as infinitely simple as his theory of the universe.

I have met people who believe that, if a creator being exists, then there must be some clue that has been given, and as such, there must be some sort of belief that is correct, but since all religion is an organized institution and we are all equal in the eyes of God, then no religion could be correct and thus there can be no God. Or else that God could not possibly care about taking attendance, and thus any belief that requires you to attend some sort of proof of your faith must be false. As all religions require this, no religion is correct.

There is also the famous (or perhaps infamous) argument that, if there is a being of perfect goodness and absolute power, then why is there evil?

I suppose I should address these misconceptions in the order given. First would be the idea that God must be infinitely complex. A counter to the idea that God needs to be infinitely complex would be the Theravada Buddhist belief that whether or not gods exist is of no concern to the individual. There are also a number of beliefs that state that God or gods were created alongside the universe or after the universe (or that our ancestors are the powerful beings in the heavens). These beliefs also rarely attribute infinite complexity to God or the gods. It has always been my belief that the Tao is not complex at all, but rather infinitely simple. This is reflected in much Taoist writing.

Second would be the issue of organized religion. I knew someone once who was a member of a rather interesting religion: Discordianism. Discordianism, as the name would suggest, is not an organized religion. It is, in fact, a disorganized religion. I will not go into the details here, but I would highly recommend that anyone who is able read a copy of the Principia Discordia, which is one of the holy books of Discordianism. In addition to Discordianism, there are a number of religions that view a personal connection to God or enlightenment as being much more important that anything that anyone else could say. I myself am a non-denominational Taoist, which means that I don't follow the beliefs of any Taoist sect. My belief is my own, and thus my religion is not an organized one. There is no requirement that you join a denomination to be religious.

The last one is the easiest: Who says God is perfectly good? Who says God is perfectly powerful? Who decides what is good? The Tao is everything, and so would be perfectly powerful, but it does not alter the course of history. Nor is it perfectly good. As everything, it must also be evil as well. Aside from that, few religions attribute absolute power to their God or gods (assuming they have any at all). The Norse even believe that the gods are mortal beings. There are still many people who hold to the Norse faith, and it is a wonderful faith. Those that have not studied it would likely not understand. Lastly is the issue of good itself. What is good? Are you fit to decide this? We cannot predict how our actions will affect the future (as I have already mentioned), nor can we know if that end is truly a good end or not. What we see as right and wrong could very well be incorrect.

The first two are addressed in the first chapter of the Hua Hu Ching:

My teachings are simple; if you try to make a religion or science of them, they will elude you. Profound yet plain, they contain the entire truth of the universe.

The last one (as well as the first again) is addressed in the Tao Te Ching:

Tao that can be called Tao is not true Tao, the Name that can be named is not the true Name.

I suppose that I must also address here the belief that evolution disproves religion, or even creationism. I have looked at it from many angles, and creationism seems to be incompatible with Taoist teachings and beliefs, but I will address it here anyway: The assumption that evolutionists have in mind when they make this argument is that God cannot manipulate the path of evolution in such a way that every species (including the first living beings from organic molecules) that comes into being is a result of His guidance.

I have nothing against Atheism as a belief system. Please understand, however, that it is a belief, and not an absolute fact. And please, if you are going to talk about religion, at least understand its diversity and the fact that there is no one way that religion must be.

I sit here at 7 AM, and I am glad to once again be writing in The Tao of Autism. I hope to have another post next week, perhaps pertaining to autism in some way.

Please, cure my 10 fingers

2009-12-28T23:18:00.000-08:00

A recent discussion on the Wrong Planet forums led to a person pointing out that an autistic's brain is miswired.

I'm sorry. Maybe I'm slow, but what is it, exactly, that makes an autistic's brain "miswired" and the neurotypical brain "correct"? Because we're different? In my last post, I explained that one of the reasons I have pride in autism is because I wasn't told for hours each day that I was inherently wrong. Another important factor in that, however, was my father (my mother as well, but my father was the one who imparted to me the wisdom I would need here). One of his favorite quotes was, "What is popular is not always right. What is right is not always popular." One could then make the argument that being neurotypical is "popular," but does that make it right?

Is there a "right" way to be?

I constantly see people missing the simplest of patterns. People who don't recognize that, when a bus is coming with a rounded front, it means that it has a new fare box that allows for quick swiping of a bus pass. When it's an old bus or a box bus, it has the old fare box where you have to put your pass in a different way. I see people getting on old buses prepared for new fare boxes and new buses prepared for old fare boxes. I could continue listing patterns that are so clear to me that other people miss, or the lengths people go to to be accepted, but my point is this: I cannot imagine life as a neurotypical. That would be a terrible punishment to me. I am sure that many neurotypicals feel the same way about being autistic.

If autistics are meant to be autistic, then why is there such a high instance of anxiety, stress, and depression amongst autistics? The answer is quite simple: We are told that we are wrong. Constantly. I escaped this by having a loving mother and a wise father, but many autistics don't. It's not just professionals and people we admire (such as teachers) constantly telling us that we are wrong, it's the way we're treated. Autism is not the same as retardation. When autistics are ostracized, we understand that it's because people don't like us, but we don't understand why. I escaped this by feeling sorry for them. As Katie explains, "Don't they know what they're missing?"

Some say that being neurotypical makes it easier to function in society. Well, wouldn't having 12 fingers make it even easier? A little work on the genetics and we're all set! Right? Ah, right. 10 fingers is "normal." 10 fingers is "right." 12 fingers makes a freak. That's what it's really about: Normalizing people. I take it Harrison Bergeron didn't "stick" with these people.

But reality, and especially what is right, is subjective. Actually, in Taoism, we are told that being the way we naturally are is what is good. Denying our nature is what makes a person evil. This could be understood as why autistics who work to "fit in" tend to be more stressed than those that do not: They are denying their nature. Naturally, one could argue that this couldn't be evil, but again I say: Who can say what is good or bad? None will ever know what would happen if they did not try and fit in. Even then, causing yourself stress, anxiety, and depression unnecessarily is quite obviously evil (doing damage to oneself unecessarily is as bad, or perhaps even worse, than doing damage to another).

Please, stop telling us that yours is the right way to be. We have enough trouble with people implying that.

Who can say what is good or bad?

2009-12-25T22:42:00.000-08:00

I have never been officially diagnosed with autism. Recently, I have gone through various traits of HFA individuals vs. Asperger's, and I believe that I may actually be a high functioning autistic rather than an aspie. There are numerous reasons for this, which are beyond the scope of this entry.

This post, oddly enough, can be considered somewhat political, what with the current issue of universal health care.

I found out after I had self-diagnosed myself with autism that I had been suspected of it at a young age. I was only two or three at the time, but my parents immediately inquired as to what it would take to diagnose me. They discovered that their insurance would not cover testing. My dad said, as my mother told me, that it didn't matter. He didn't approve of what he saw as the over-diagnosis of autism.

And so I went for 20 years without knowing I was autistic. I went 20 years without someone telling me every day that the way I was born was wrong. That the way I was was worthless and I needed to work against my nature to be worthwhile to the world. I went for 20 years with pride in myself, and when I learned I had autism, pride in my autism as well. If I had been diagnosed as autistic all those years ago, I may not have the confidence I do now. So many people seem to think that it would be such a horrible thing if an autistic were to go without social training. How do you explain me? Yes, I was ostracized as a child, and I didn't know why. No, I don't think it was a horrible thing. I don't think that the ostracism (out of ignorance) outweighs the fact that I've grown up without being constantly told that the way I was was wrong. Kids told me that, but what do kids know? My parents were very clear that the way I was wasn't wrong. Despite what parents think, their kids trust them, especially at a young age, much more than their friends.

Here is a story, attributed to Taoism, that says something about that:

A farmer named Sai Weng owned a beautiful mare which was praised far and wide. One day this beautiful horse disappeared. The people of his village offered sympathy to Sai Weng for his great misfortune. Sai Weng said simply, "Who can say what is good or bad?"

A few days later the lost mare returned, followed by a beautiful wild stallion. The village congratulated Sai Weng for his good fortune. He said, "Who can say what is good or bad?"

Some time later, Sai Weng's only son, while breaking in the stallion, fell off and broke his leg. The village people once again expressed their sympathy at Sai Weng's misfortune. Sai Weng again said, "Who can say what is good or bad?"

Soon thereafter, war broke out and all the young men of the village except Sai Weng's lame son were drafted and were killed in battle. The village people were amazed as Sai Weng's good luck. His son was the only young man left alive in the village. But Sai Weng kept his same attitude: despite all the turmoil, gains and losses, he gave the same reply, "Who can say what is good or bad?"

The version of this story I originally heard merely had them drafted. Still, the point is the same: You have limited perspective. You cannot know the ultimate consequence of any particular event. You may not even live long enough to see any significant consequence, and often times when we do, we do not connect it to the event.

I remember an episode of Scrubs I watched where a young girl was stabbed, and Laverne said that there was a reason for it, and they'd see it. It turns out that she had a tumor that they never would have caught if she hadn't been stabbed. In reality, we are never shown the ultimate consequence of an event simply because the ultimate consequence of any event is carried to the end of human existance.

There is a Cracked article on this sort of thing entitled "5 Great Things You Didn't Know Came from Horrific Tragedies".

I would like to make one final statement: The thing that must be understood about the Tao is that it is not necessarily good or bad, and thus, unlike Laverne, I believe that the ultimate consequence of an event can be good or bad.

The Perfect Job for Autistics - None At All

2009-12-24T00:58:00.000-08:00

I was doing some research on polyphasic sleep cycles (the uberman, in particular), when I came upon the site of a man by the name of Steve Pavlina. I had never heard of this man before, but I went through the information he provided, which was quite well presented. Then I noticed something on the side: 10 Reasons You Should Never Get a Job.

This article should be close to every autistic's heart. In employment and in schooling, autistics are discriminated against like no other, because it's still considered OK to discriminate against us. Read that again.

There's another reason I agree with this article, however, and that reason is because of my Taoist beliefs. A nine to five is absurdly unnatural. You work when you feel like working. And when you don't feel like it? You're still working. This is unnatural and also contributes to poor productivity. When you are happy with your work, you do more, but you also produce a higher quality of work.

For the vast majority of people it becomes necessary to take a break from work after some time. Working in four 2-hour blocks spread throughout the day would allow a person to produce a higher quality of work, and more of it. Naturally, each person is different. Some cannot stand to work on a single task for more than a half hour, some do like working eight hours straight, and some would choose to work more or less than eight hours each day. In the end, though, my message is the same: Working when you are not enjoying your work is unnatural and, thus, unhealthy for the mind and spirit, which leads to poor bodily health.

Of course, there are ten reasons why Steve Pavlina believes we should not have jobs, and I will now shine my lens upon them:

1. Time for money & income generation while you sleep

The Newtonian autistic side of me cries out against the idea of trading time for money. Look at it this way: I have three pounds of a substance. I take away three cubic inches from the substance. How much of the substance do I have now? You don't know because pounds do not equal cubic inches. Despite conventional wisdom, time does not equal money.

Most certainly money can be used to buy many things, and time is one of them, but just as substances differ in density, time differs in monetary value based on the person, the day, or the time of day. Is my sleep time exactly equal to the time I spend watching TV (which I admit I do far too frequently)? Is my time watching TV equal to my mother's time watching TV? What about when either of us is asleep?

Time is very often precious and far too often is traded for much less than it is actually worth. Moreover, the money that is often paid for that time is used to purchase things of such minor value that the Taoist side of me is shocked that people do it at all. How important is it to be able to load webpages from your phone, or to go out and get drunk (something else that's rather unhealthy for the mind, body, and soul)? Did that trip to Vegas bring you happiness?

2. The wrong kind of experience

Autistics tend to do very poorly in the realm of social ritual, so being in the workforce would logically be a good thing for an autistic to do, as it would build their understanding of social rituals. Even if that were totally true, maybe we should also look at this:

A truly good person functions without ulterior motive.
A moralist acts out of private desires.
A ritualist acts and, when no one responds,
rolls up a sleeve and marches.

When we lose the Tao, we turn to Virtue.
When we lose Virtue, we turn to kindness.
When we lose kindness, we turn to morality.
When we lose morality, we turn to ritual.

Ritual is the mere husk of good faith and loyalty
and the beginning of disorder.

~Tao Te Ching, Chapter 38, as translated by Tolbert McCarroll

I have had people say the most horrible things merely because I forget to say "thank you" or because I don't wave. For some reason, we hold the ritual in the highest regard. "Your thanks are enough" is supposed to be the kind of thing that a wonderfully good person would say. What if I forget to thank them, though? Will they turn their back on me?

Finally, as a minor autodidact in a number of fields (from trigonometry to law to religion), I must protest the idea that the experience provided in the workplace, where it is structured and determined for you, is superior to experience gained outside of the workplace.

3. You are not free

Once, when Chuang Tzu was fishing in the P'u River, the king of Ch'u sent two officials to go and announce to him: "I would like to trouble you with the administration of my realm."

Chuang Tzu held on to the fishing pole and, without turning his head, said, "I have heard that there is a sacred tortoise in Ch'u that has been dead for three thousand years. The king keeps it wrapped in cloth and boxed, and stores it in the ancestral temple. Now would this tortoise rather be dead and have its bones left behind and honored? Or would it rather be alive and dragging its tail in the mud?"

"It would rather be alive and dragging its tail in the mud," said the two officials.

Chuang Tzu said, "Go away! I'll drag my tail in the mud!"

~Chuang Tzu, Chapter 17, translated by Burton Watson

That's really all that needs to be said about that, ever. Drag your tail in the mud.

4. You lose a lot of money from your pay before it even gets to you

I once again go back to my earlier argument about the value of time versus the amount of money people are paid for their time. It's not enough.

5. Employment is risky

And even moreso for autistics. Autistics are fired far too often for merely not being social enough. Autistics tend to deal in ideas, and wherever there are ideas, there will be people who wish to hear them, and especially support those with these ideas. The wise will always seek more wisdom, no matter its source.

In the workplace, however, ideas are considered to be nearly useless compared to how well your boss or your coworkers like you. Neurotypicals don't like people who don't follow social norms so well, or ones who have an expressionless face, or those that don't like to be touched. As such, an incredibly bright and productive autistic can and often is fired for the simple infraction of not being well-liked.

6. Boss means evil bovine master

I have nothing to say, but the word "boss" is apparently very descriptive.

7. Asking others for more income, rather than producing it yourself

A long time ago, if you were hungry, you went and got food. If you wanted a new spear, you made one yourself, or you traded some animal skins to a guy with little clothing, but a lot of spears. The point is this: If you needed something, you did what needed to be done to get it.

If you need something now, it takes money. If you don't have enough, you need to go and ask someone else to do something about it. This is unnatural, and thus something that Taoism teaches us to avoid.

Also, as stated before, autistics are not the most charming of people. I have a hard enough time selling myself in an interview. I have little faith in my ability to sell myself as deserving of a raise.

8. Socially active amongst coworkers only

Neurotypicals are wonderful at being able to avoid offending people. To the average autistic, this ability seem superhuman. Autistics bring up controversial topics, are extremely blunt about their beliefs and opinions, and I, at least, am very good at picking apart any argument placed before me. I also tend to be in constant debate mode. Conversations are a mystery to me. All this ends with the autistic sitting alone, wondering why everyone else has stormed out, and why they refuse to speak to him the next day at work. Normally, it wouldn't be a problem for me. I prefer to associate with people who are not so easily offended just by someone not agreeing with them unconditionally.

When that person is a coworker, however, the issue becomes serious. I can choose to not associate with others. With a coworker, either we must associate with one another, or one of us must be out of a job. Who would they fire, do you think? The person who is hated, or the one who is hating them?

9. No more freedom

Human beings always long to be free. It is so much a part of our nature that no one is really sure how to separate it out from us. It has happened in the past, but it is rare and difficult. We long to seek what we choose, and why should we not? After all, Chuang Tzu claims that the reason why people are so confused today in matters of Virtue is that the sages came and spoke to our ancestors of our duties, of things we must do.

Autistics have a terrible time integrating into groups. If you want to see what a person who embraces true non-conformity is like, look no further than the autistic. Naturally, I don't mean coloring your hair pink because you want it to look different, just like everyone else. What I mean is that we don't bend so easily to pointless rules or to what we must do. Many autistics have done this because it is the only way they can exist in the workplace, but that is changing an inherent part of who we are. Or, if we do not truly change, only pretend to, then we are presenting a false face to the world; we are lying to those around us about who we are.

No one should have to lie about who they are because of the intolerance of others.

10. Afraid to change the situation

Objectivists would cry out against this, and though I am a fan of Terry Goodkind, I will leave the objectivist rallying cries to the objectivists.

Taoism has a concept that is very complex and difficult to understand for most, but is vital for living a natural life. This concept is "wei wu wei," often translated as "ideal inaction" or "ideal effortlessness." What is means is this: Do not expend more energy than you must. Use your energy to better your life or the lives of others (if you feel like doing such a thing). It takes energy to complain. That energy could be used to instead better your life, bring your closer to a natural life.

As an autistic, I am often faced with great challenges in my social life. Perhaps the greatest challenge is this: I must stay silent when I see a simple solution to the problem another person is complaining about. I've failed it nearly every time. It's a social ritual to listen to a complainer and do nothing about their complaint. It boggles my mind why such a thing is forbidden, but I am, apparently, not allowed to help them. It is in my autistic nature to see the practical. Complaining without action is not practical. Action without complaint is.

Normally, I don't buy into self help (despite my claim that Faith of the Fallen saved my life), but I have been browsing some of Steve Pavlina's blog entries about earning money online, increasing site traffic, and polyphasic sleep, and I have to say that it's extraordinarily helpful. It would definately be a good resource for me to look into in the future. I doubt I would be able to monetize this blog, for the simple fact that there really are few ways I would be comfortable with receiving money for it.

The Tao of Autism

2009-08-01T20:49:00.000-07:00

As an autistic Taoist, I find I have an alternate view of the world that is not immediately available to the vast majority of people. I thought I might give that view here.

The purpose of this blog is not to provide commentary or complaints on current autism or Taoism news. Rather, it is to present my understanding and view of autism and Taoism, from the perspective of someone who would actually know. I seek to banish the misconceptions people have towards the two, as well as how they relate to one another. Anything I come across, no matter how old, is open to my commentary.

As a Taoist, I believe that one of the primary reasons why there is so much inhumanity in the world today is because of ignorance. As an autistic, I have experienced inhumanity due to reliance on custom and ritual.

If I find any other misconceptions that I know, I may also comment on them.