Everyone is masking, all the time. It's nothing special. amirite?

I think the argument is, how much and to what extent. I've seen neurodivergent people who struggle with loud noises, and for them, something mildly annoying would be physically painful. Everyone do put on faces, but normally it's not at the cost of your own wellbeing.

by Anonymous 2 days ago

I think you're misunderstanding neurodivergent people? They need to learn how to mask, it's the other way around for them. It's difficult to mask because they can't read social situations the same way

by ProjectMedium2799 2 days ago

I mean yeah, that is just how things are, but some need to mask more than others, so it's still not the same for everyone. It's like commuting, more or less everyone does it, but there is a difference in someone commuting 2h each way, vs someone who does 30m, also where, if they commute via a stressful way, vs a calm easy way.

by Hot-Asparagus 2 days ago

The internalised abelism is crazy here.

by Anonymous 2 days ago

yeah... We all put on "masks" depending on the situation. Doesn't necessarily make it fake, just part of fitting together.

by CardiologistWide 2 days ago

I think it depends on the intensity, the amount of need to do so and the exhaustion you feel from it. I don't think the fact that most ppl do so has to take away from the level of stress and strain many neurodivergent people experience.

by Anonymous 2 days ago

Yeah, probably true.

by One-Sense-339 2 days ago

That's true, everyone is different depending on the circumstances and who they're dealing with. I guess to a certain extent neurodivergent people just have to act more differently to act normal, so in a way the masked version is more different from their normal state than for people that aren't neurodivergent.

by Anonymous 2 days ago

Yea, but normal people don't have to contend with deeply violent urges because their shirt fits funny.

by Livid-College 2 days ago

Obviously all people to some extent are forced to mask due to social norms, but it isn't 100% the same thing as the neurodivergent experience of masking. Unless secretly all neurotypical people also have strong urges to stim for self regulation purposes and to get out excess energy but suppress it in public to avoid discrimination, all of them need to learn how to present their face and vocal tone properly to avoid conveying the totally wrong message to others, etc., it isn't the same level of exertion.

by Omarilockman 2 days ago

I'm on the spectrum myself and yes where's some truth in this. For us though it's more tiring and to be honest probably more transparent too.

by StillOk7345 2 days ago

If it means what i think it does, yes! Because everyone acts different in different situations. There is a workplace you, a friends you, a family you etc

by Anonymous 2 days ago

To varying extents, depending on how you think about it, probably true. As a neuro-typical person, I don't know if I mask but different people and different situations see different versions or probably more correctly different aspects of myself. They're all some version of myself. I'm not pretending to be someone else. Different situations just call for different types of behavior.

by Pacochaannabel 2 days ago