Light Leak wrote: ↑Wed Dec 22, 2021 3:57 pm
I don't think it's the same thing. I think an INTP can be neurodivergent, but I don't think being INTP is the same as being neurodivergent. I think neurodivergent is more a term for people with autism, ADHD, or executive function disorders.
I have lots of thoughts heh
So It's commonly said that 'being INTP' and being on the spectrum are functionally indistinguishable. I think that's true of immature INTPs/youths.
When I first learned about MBTI I had it in my mind that the ideal would be to 'become' xxxx as one aged and matured. That's an interesting perspective because it suggests your type can change aka isn't inherent. For MBTI in general, I don't think of it as something that is inherently, objectively true - I think it's a useful framework to use for various reasons. And I think it conveys a lot of useful information and can convey truths.
I am not done growing and maturing of course, but I have grown a lot over the years. Such that I might not 'come off' as INTP immediately anymore. I still think of myself as INTP though, rather than xxxx.
In youth/immaturity, I do see INTPs as ND. As one example, emotions are so suppressed / superseded by thoughts that it can drastically impair the ability to function in normative society.
Does maturing make an INTP more NT? Does being autistic but learning/growing/finding workarounds make an autistic person less ND and more NT?
One more thought then I'll stop to keep it short-ish though I have other things to say lol.
I myself have been called autistic or neurodivergent by many folks (just people out in the world, not actual professionals). I'm of the age where both 1. people weren't really tested for autism much when I was young, and 2. AFAB people were not considered for autism diagnosis as much. So, I've never been tested but it's possible I'm on the spectrum. It's completely possible that this could influence how I perceive INTP-ness and its relationship to neurodivergence.
I matched with a person who has Asperger's on Tinder about a month ago. She comes across as very hurt, lonely, and definitely in need of some care and community. Most of our chatting has been her unburdening herself of her frustrations with human interaction. For example, she is trans and feels dehumanized because other trans people she matches with start off the convo by asking about things like how long she's been on HRT, or if she's had surgery, etc.
For folks unfamiliar, it's considered rude to ask those kinds of questions especially upfront, by most trans folks. So, she feels like she's being treated rudely by other trans people and therefore they must see her as less-than-human/less-deserving of respect. She also considers this to be a clear sign of hypocrisy etc. etc.
Engaging with her is tiring for me, but I want to help lift her up if I can. So I chat back.
One (very possibly misguided?) thing I said recently was "It sounds like it hurt you to be treated those ways. Your feelings are valid. I can't speak for others. And of course I could be wrong. But: if other trans folks are doing those things, it might be because they feel it creates solidarity. Like I get that folks are upset when cis people do it to trans people, but it could be possible that trans folks are doing it with you not because they are being hypocritical, but because they think as a fellow trans person, when they do it to you it's ok -- because it's often a shared experience that they themselves have empathy for. Whatever the reason, if you don't like it you have the right to say so, and to have that boundary respected."
I said this because I thought that considering this behavior from a different perspective might bring her some healing/help her to think about it in a different way and it could possibly make social interactions easier/less painful.
It's implicit in my reasoning there that I think folks on the spectrum could, via logic/thinking, gain new perspectives in an NT type of way. Just like an INTP could mature and grow and thereby find it easier to function within normative society.
But maybe that's ableist of me? Or maybe it shows that I'm definitely not on the spectrum and don't understand that experience of being on it? I think if you asked any person 'confirmed' to be on the spectrum, you'd get different answers. Similar to how their is a debate about the ND/NT terminology itself amongst 'confirmed' autists:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neurodiversity