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.
Islam has always been a part of Americaβs story.... And since our founding, American Muslims have enriched the United States.
I'm always thinking about women, and what we need to hear. It's difficult being a woman. It's so much pressure, and we need that support sometimes and we need that escape sometimes.
Build a house?" exclaimed John. "For the Wendy," said Curly. "For Wendy?" John said, aghast. "Why, she is only a girl!" "That," explained Curly, "is why we are her servants.
The marriage state was designed to complete the sum of human happiness in this life. It sometimes proves otherwise, but this is owing to the parties themselves, who either rush into it without due consideration or fail in point of discretion in their conduct towards each other afterwards.
Levin scowled. The humiliation of his rejection stung him to the heart, as though it were a fresh wound he had only just received. But he was at home, and at home the very walls are a support.
Every couple needs to argue now and then. Just to prove that the relationship is strong enough to survive. Long-term relationships, the ones that matter, are all about weathering the peaks and the valleys.
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