Maybe because I had a sister with a disability I was already sensitised to and fascinated by people who think or develop differently.
Interpretation
The quote reflects the speaker's awareness and appreciation for diverse ways of thinking shaped by personal experience with a disabled sibling.
In this quote, Simon Baron-Cohen expresses how his relationship with his sister, who has a disability, has influenced his perception of individuals who think or develop differently from the norm. This connection fosters a greater sensitivity and fascination towards the diversity of human cognition and development, highlighting the importance of personal experiences in shaping our understanding of others.
In practice
In a speech about inclusivity, I might say, 'As Simon Baron-Cohen reflects, our experiences with those who are different can deepen our understanding of diversity.'
When I first started in this field there were all kinds of stereotypes about autism, as if these were children from another planet, or children who had been brought up by wolves, that they weren't part of our population and were somehow separate.
Empathy is like a universal solvent. Any problem immersed in empathy becomes soluble. It is effective as a way of anticipating and resolving interpersonal problems, whether this is a marital conflict, an international conflict, a problem at work, difficulties in a friendship, political deadlocks, a family dispute, or a problem with a neighbor.
Brains come in different types and they're all normal.
Well, in the general population, we find differences between the typical male and typical female. For example, males seem to be more interested in systems and females seem to be more interested in people and particularly people's emotions.
Empathy is a skill like any other human skill - and if you get a chance to practice, you can get better at it.
There are people with Asperger's whom I've met who certainly would be very upset to learn they'd hurt another person's feelings. They often have very strong moral consciences and moral codes. They care about not hurting people.
There is much coldness among men because we do not dare to be as cordial as we really are.
A youth, when at home, should be filial, and, abroad, respectful to his elders.
An argument would have begun to steam and boil and sputter - and you know how arguments end. Even if I had convinced him that he was wrong, his pride would have made it difficult for him to back down and give in.
Being 'ethnically ambiguous', as I was pegged in the industry, meant I could audition for virtually any role. Morphing from Latina when I was dressed in red, to African American when in mustard yellow, my closet filled with fashionable frocks to make me look as racially varied as an Eighties Benetton poster.
Faultless in spite of all her faults.
Forgiving does not erase the bitter past. A healed memory is not a deleted memory.
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