@ralphcarhart 1) I know it sounds callous. Maybe it's easier for me: I am probably (suggested 3 times by different neurologists) in the autistic spectrum. That means too much and not-at-all empathy in some cases. I had never thought of this as a scientific, moral and political advantage.
@ralphcarhart 2) One day I will tell you about the several situations in which I didn't understand what was going on because the proper nouns were not used. My father is a bit deeper into the spectrum.
@ralphcarhart 3) His geological work made possible the subway network of the second largest metropolis in the world. It was an enigma and he is attracted by enigmas. He never knew where his wallet was and he lost receipts and other documents.
@ralphcarhart 4) My father is an extreme empathetic person. If a loved one is under acute threat, he goes into what I call "the attic". He stays there for 20 minutes and then he is in charge again. The theory of "extreme world syndrome" for autistic people makes total sense in my dad's case.
@ralphcarhart 5) I think he was victimized by not knowing it. I think "we" illustrate what humans are capable of. The models according to which the human brain cannot conceive of large networks is old.
@ralphcarhart 6) People like "us" (may dad, me, and so many others) can conceive theoretical models, but we can't fake emotion. We are simply not capable of lying (believe me: I tried. I tried hard. It's ridiculous).
@ralphcarhart 7) The glorification of empathy is bad. It creates monstrous manifestations of fake empathy. It creates businesses based on the guilt of people who can't understand why they don't feel empathy.
@ralphcarhart @threadreaderapp unroll
