A puzzling trend on social media involves the mentally ill masses trying to claim that there are limited, if any differences, between themselves and those that do not suffer from mental illness.  A lot of it seems to stem from some seeking to define the words ‘neurotypical’ and ‘neurodivergent’ in ways that I’m not sure are backed by either the common usages of those words or the scientific definitions – if they are even well defined in the literature.  Regardless of the etiology of this “debate,” the subtext is clear: by seeking to claim the neurotypical condition as their own, the mentally ill – regardless of the root of their own illness – want to be treated and seen as no different than those that do not suffer from any disorder, organic or environmental.  Frame this with any other demographic split and the laughable nature of these people become clear.  What if homosexuals started a push to redefine heterosexuality as sex between any two people?  What if the paraplegics claimed they could walk?  It is one thing to seek equal treatment, it is another to whitewash differences that are inherent and fundamental.

I think that – within reason – a sense of pride in one’s own composition is healthy.  For those that are not heterosexual, acceptance of their condition as well as solidarity with others that are also not heterosexual was critical to their own self-esteem and will during times in which acceptance of their condition was not nearly as widespread.  For the self-aware antisocial, especially the psychopath, there may not be any inherent drive for cohesion with their brethren and most certainly do not have self-esteem issues regarding their condition, but there is still a “healthy” realization to come to the fact that there is a large gulf between the antisocial and the neurotypical conditions.  I put the word ‘healthy’ in quotes, because it is a manifest destiny of  the ego that results from such a realization.  “We are better.”  “We are at the top of the food chain.”  “I am the alpha.”  These are all possible mantras of the antisocial and they are healthy insofar that they help the antisocial succeed at what she already does best.

Why would anyone not wish to own their condition?  All disorders come with negative aspects.  By claiming that there is no difference between the disordered brain and the healthy brain, there is no chance to make the most of the disordered condition.  It is lost under false difference.  Maybe some wish to escape the fact that disorder is not necessarily optimal.  The truth is that the condition is there to be owned and governed by a flag that is not someone else’s.  Stop pretending that no differences exist.  It robs you of the insights that such conditions can grant a person and is possibly catastrophic to the self esteem of an individual.  In a world in which differences are championed (rightly or wrongly), we seem to be regressing to a false uniformity.  The antisocial owns her condition, why can’t the rest of the disordered world do the same?