this post was submitted on 30 May 2026
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Autism

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How to you feel about using autism as a joking synonym for "dumb" or "awkward"? (lemmy.blahaj.zone)
submitted 4 days ago by Alvaro@lemmy.blahaj.zone to c/autism@lemmy.world
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I have been struggling with this because a lot of people around me use it in this manner when they do something dumb or they act in an awkward way and they'll be like "oh, that was autistic of me" or "I've got the tism" and I always feel so uncomfortable but I also don't know how to raise it or what to say. I am myself not diagnosed, but I'm pretty sure I am on the spectrum. I was just wondering what you think of it and how you handle it.

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[–] Lexam@lemmy.world 8 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago) (1 children)

Moron, Retard, Imbecile, Idiot, Gimp. These were all and are medical terms. Unfortunately it seems to be human nature to use terms of disability for slurs. Is it right for people to do this? No. But it's a good judge of character if someone uses these terms as slurs or not.

[–] stingpie@lemmy.world 2 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Dumb used to mean someone who is both deaf and mute.

[–] Leviathan@lemmy.world 3 points 2 days ago

I think it was just mute, as someone who was both was considered deaf and dumb.