Neurofluidity: Enjoying With a Idea

Neurofluid is a phrase I considered a few years in the past whilst exploring the strain between “neurotypical” and “neurodivergent” classes. It is been utilized in different contexts, each to consult with autistic spectrum and comparable studies, in addition to a time period which describes a procedure underlying neuroplasticity, within the sense of mind construction and alter. Because of house, I will’t do justice to the wealthy literature on persona and thoughts, identification and politics, that are related. Emboldened through resonant reactions on social media, I wrote this.

Reflecting on my historical past of transferring amongst other social teams—beginning in junior top—with out totally figuring out with anybody team, becoming in with out getting captured, I noticed a method to assist perceive every other place, a 3rd place, may well be helpful—held evenly. For my part, I didn’t really feel like I belonged to both neurotypical nor neurodivergent/neurodiverse, nor did others I had come to understand reasonably smartly.

The ideas of neurodivergence and neurotypicality felt a part of a well-recognized tendency towards dualistic, binary, or polarizing classes I see so often inflicting issues in lots of spaces of discourse. Rising up on ideas akin to dialetical rigidity and Hindu non-dualism, complexity and chaos, the Taoist boundaries of naming issues, and the psychoanalytic idea of unsymbolized skilled and emergent thirds, Dewey’s experiential view, and eschewing department, and a distrust of over the top simplicity, a middle-ground of flowing stability—fliessgleichgewicht—feels extra protected.

Towards a Definition of Neurofluidity

Right here’s a running definition: “Being neurofluid manner being able to shift between extra neurotypical and extra neurodiverse self-states, tactics of pertaining to, and views at the global.”

It’s value noting that this idea is, so far as I do know, made-up and now not primarily based in mental learn about, rather then my lengthy years as a clinician, theorist, instructor, and author—one thing I’ve created to assist provide an explanation for my studies and the ones of others who do not well are compatible into, or determine with, the opposite classes. It is a class for no class, in a single sense.

With those concerns in thoughts, listed here are a couple of highlights about neurofluidity.

Neither neurotypical nor neurodiverse. Neurofluid folks don’t are compatible well into the types of neurotypical or neurodiverse. As a substitute, neurofluidity represents a 3rd vertex on a metaphorical triangle. Or in all probability it’s a dynamic vertex—some degree that strikes. If we had been to believe those 3 classes as axes in a three-D house, neurofluidity would exist someplace in between, but it surely may not be fully ample to map it that method.

Triangle

Supply: Grant H Brenner

three-D House

Supply: Grant H Brenner

As an identification assemble. If neurofluidity is exclusive, it might turn out to be an identification. Like many identities, it might tackle solid truth via definition and shared reputation. On the other hand, with out mental analysis to substantiate whether or not it’s an impartial issue, the concept that stays hypothetical.

Perhaps simply fictitious. Regardless of being fictional, I’ve discovered the concept that of neurofluidity helpful for self-identification. After I’ve shared it—totally on social media—others have resonated with it. It sort of feels to attraction to those who don’t are compatible typical norms but additionally don’t align with the neurodiverse label, whether or not outlined through medical correlations or political identity.

Putative traits of neurofluid folks

Venn Diagram

Supply: Grant H Brenner

• Be quirky or eclectic, however ready to evolve to standard settings for essentially the most phase.
• Show characteristics of giftedness or “2E” (twice-exceptional), defying present classes.
• Rating top in openness to enjoy (one of the crucial Giant 5 persona characteristics).
• Steadiness between introversion and extroversion.
• Show off rather top social intelligence, despite the fact that they don’t at all times naturally or readily are compatible in.
• Come across some demanding situations with social relatedness, knowledge processing, or consideration—despite the fact that now not normally to a clinically important stage.
• See issues from a special viewpoint than others whilst additionally spotting the truth of normative requirements. The idea that of “sure deviance” is also helpful right here, relatively than deviance as a maladaptive, even prison, trait.

Moreover, cautious of overgeneralizing or being overly inclusive, they will adapt their pondering types and emotional approaches relying on context. Neurofluid folks may excel in each divergent and convergent pondering as eventualities call for. This pliability isn’t about inauthenticity or being a “chameleon” however relatively displays one of those pluripotentiality—the power to perform with other “techniques,” in an effort to talk. Despite the fact that now not essentially in a plural or more than one sense of getting other distinct persona states with various levels of self-awareness.

Additional Ideas

Those are some early concerns about neurofluidity. Now not they all would possibly hang up, various issues is also lacking or simply mistaken, however within the spirit of pondering out loud, articulating some chances.

In ultimate, we may as, “What does ChatGPT have to mention, when requested: ‘What if any person is neither neurotypical nor neurodivergent?’”

If any person is neither neurotypical nor neurodivergent, it would counsel that their cognitive patterns or behaviors do not are compatible well into both of the ones classes. The phrases “neurotypical” and “neurodivergent” are normally used to explain large teams of folks in response to how their brains serve as or procedure knowledge, with neurotypical referring to these whose cognitive patterns align with societal norms and neurodivergent referring to these whose patterns would possibly fluctuate in tactics akin to with autism, ADHD, or dyslexia.

On the other hand, human brains and behaviors are complicated and do not at all times are compatible into such binary classes. Some folks may have cognitive characteristics that do not totally align with both “neurotypical” or “neurodivergent” labels—that means they could showcase characteristics that do not fall into the average patterns of both team. This might point out that they enjoy cognitive or emotional processing in tactics which might be distinctive to them, outdoor of established classes.

In the end, person variations in cognition, conduct, and enjoy are huge, and it is important to take into account that those labels are equipment for working out inclinations relatively than inflexible definitions of what any person is. Folks would possibly determine with more than one or none of those phrases, and that’s the reason fully legitimate.

Let me know if you need any further changes!