89
Autism Linked With DNA Our Ancestors Inherited From Neanderthals : ScienceAlert
(www.sciencealert.com)
this post was submitted on 25 Mar 2025
89 points (94.1% liked)
Autism
7434 readers
19 users here now
A community for respectful discussion and memes related to autism acceptance. All neurotypes are welcome.
Community:
Values
- Acceptance
- Openness
- Understanding
- Equality
- Reciprocity
- Mutuality
- Love
Rules
- No abusive, derogatory, or offensive post/comments e.g: racism, sexism, religious hatred, homophobia, gatekeeping, trolling.
- Posts must be related to autism, off-topic discussions happen in the matrix chat.
- Your posts must include a text body. It doesn't have to be long, it just needs to be descriptive.
- Do not request donations.
- Be respectful in discussions.
- Do not post misinformation.
- Mark NSFW content accordingly.
- Do not promote Autism Speaks.
- General Lemmy World rules.
Encouraged
- Open acceptance of all autism levels as a respectable neurotype.
- Funny memes.
- Respectful venting.
- Describe posts of pictures/memes using text in the body for our visually impaired users.
- Welcoming and accepting attitudes.
- Questions regarding autism.
- Questions on confusing situations.
- Seeking and sharing support.
- Engagement in our community's values.
- Expressing a difference of opinion without directly insulting another user.
- Please report questionable posts and let the mods deal with it. Chat Room
- We have a chat room! Want to engage in dialogue? Come join us at the community's Matrix Chat.
.
Helpful Resources
- Are you seeking education, support groups, and more? Take a look at our list of helpful resources.
founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
view the rest of the comments
I honestly can't tell if this is a troll, a meta-joke about people with autism taking things too literally, or an actually serious take.
Saying Neanderthal DNA could be a potential cause (not even a full cause, potentially just a partial cause) doesn't have anything to do with being "unevolved". It just means a slight difference in DNA. It means tiny changes in DNA might be causing tiny changes in social abilities. That doesn't say they're unevolved or bad or inferior in any way... just different.
This perspective handwaves the fact that "Neanderthal" is a commonly used pejorative term precisely for someone who is/acts "unevolved" or "primitive." The article does a good job of not saying autists socialize like Neanderthals, and the commenter you're replying to is wrong for suggesting the article did (I frankly wonder whether they actually read the article).
That said, the concern of linking autism to 'Neanderthalic' traits is, for the reason I just explained, a legitimate one, and the concern should not be simply dismissed as being unintentional. I mean, do what I suspect they did and just read the headline- It puts autism and the commonly pejorative term Neanderthal causally together in the same sentence. That's what a majority of people are taking from this just judging from the ratio.
In other words, this association would be stigmatic for an already stigmatized group. Perhaps there's some less stigmatizing language we could find to express this. OTOH, there's the risk of the euphemism treadmill effect. OTOOH, there's such a thing as reclaiming language from stigmatism, as I like to do very intentionally with the commonly pejorative term "autist."
IDK, language is complicated.
Haters gonna hate I suppose
Next you will try to tell me that dinosaurs don't exist because that's a derogatory term.
Language is complex, as is intention. Such as: if you intend to take offense at a perceived slight, you will find one no matter what.
You want it to mean something, and therefore to you it does. That does not mean it was intended or perceived that way before you tried to make it so.
We can all assume people are out to get us, and take every opportunity to take offense to it, or we can get over ourselves and not project our own insecurities on the actions of everyone around us.
Am I the only one seeing this reply as dismissive? What's up with this "is ur problem if you see it like that" boomer mentality. Empathy goes a long way. Especially when the other poster was so eloquent with their reply.
I think it is the evolution of the " it's just a joke bro" mentality.
I think they didn't refer to the article, but to the text OP added:
Which, in my opinion, is worded a bit unfortunately.
Thank you. I had the same thought but lacked the energy to put it properly into words.
Took me four or five starts to get my thoughts in order, and honestly it still doesn't sound fully coherent. Oi