13. So how does it feel to be autistic when you are
overstimulated? It feels like: 20 cologne smells (all
people around you are wearing different things, etc.
Autistics smell all of it), like hundreds of kids
running around you asking you questions in
different languages, like you’re sitting in a chair that
is missing one leg and trying to balance it while all
that is going on, and lights flickering…too much,
hence why autistics have Meltdowns.
“
Kristina DesJardins
Author, Autist
52. By autistic standards, the “normal” brain is
easily distractible, is obsessively social, and
suffers from a deficit of attention to detail
and routine. Thus people on the spectrum
experience the neurotypical world as
relentlessly unpredictable and chaotic,
perpetually turned up too loud, and full of
people who have little respect for personal
space.
“
Steve Silberman
65. And I gave them a saying to say:
"I am somebody. I was
somebody when I came. I'll be a
better somebody when I leave. I
am powerful, and I am strong. I
deserve the education that I get
here. I have things to do, people
to impress, and places to go."
79. Tony Schwartz
New York Times, 11/28/15
According to one recent survey [by Adobe], the average white-
collar worker spends about six hours a day on email. That
doesn’t count time online spent shopping, searching or keeping
up with social media.
The brain’s craving for novelty, constant stimulation and
immediate gratification creates something called a
“compulsion loop.” Like lab rats and drug addicts, we need
more and more to get the same effect.
Endless access to new information also easily overloads our
working memory. When we reach cognitive overload, our ability
to transfer learning to long-term memory significantly
deteriorates. It’s as if our brain has become a full cup of water
and anything more poured into it starts to spill out.
“
82. There's no question whatsoever that
multitasking, especially among those who do it
the most, is at the very least ineffective and at
the worst, harmful.
Basically, they are worse at most of the kinds
of thinking not only required for multitasking
but what we generally think of as involving
deep thought.
“
Dr. Clifford Nass
Stanford University
83. I believe that genius in the 21st
century will be attributed to people
who are able to unplug from the
constant state of reactionary
workflow ... and allow their minds to
solve the great challenges of our era.
“
Scott Belsky
CEO, Behance
88. For it to be effective, curiosity has to be
harnessed to at least two other key traits.
First, the ability to pay attention
to the answers to your questions—
you have to actually absorb whatever it
is you’re being curious about. Second
is the ability to act.
“
Brian Grazer
A Curious Mind
89. Life isn’t about finding the answers.
It’s about asking the questions.
“
Brian Grazer
A Curious Mind
112. For too long, we've assumed that there
is a single template for human nature,
which is why we diagnose most
deviations as disorders. But the reality is
that there are many different kinds of
minds. And that's a very good thing.
“
Jonah Lehrer
Wall Street Journal, 3/31/12
113.
114. I’ve learned that every human being, with or
without disabilities, needs to strive to do their
best, and by striving for happiness you will arrive
at happiness. For us, you see, having autism is
normal— so we can’t know for sure what your
“normal” is even like. But so long as we can
learn to love ourselves, I’m not sure how much it
matters whether we’re normal or autistic.
“
Naoki Higashida
The Reason I Jump
116. Number one in your life's blueprint, should
be a deep belief in your own dignity, your
worth and your own somebodiness. Don't
allow anybody to make you feel that you're
nobody. Always feel that you count. Always
feel that you have worth, and always feel
that your life has ultimate significance.
“
Martin Luther King, Jr.
122. Dr. Rita F. Pierson, the daughter of Hazel and Julius
Walker, was born October 27, 1951 in Houston, Texas.
She departed this life on Friday, June 28, 2013.
Most recently she was recognized for sharing her
expertise on the PBS production of TED Talks. The
ABC television news magazine, 20/20 reported,
"Educator Rita F. Pierson talks about the bond that is
missing between educators and students". It was viewed
and modeled for educators as far away as New
Zealand. Over one million online viewers watched the
2013 TED Talks. [It’s now over seven million.]
Rita possessed a keen sense of observation and rare
ability to accept and respect people for who they were.
She never met a stranger and her infectious humor
touched all with whom she came in contact.
“
Houston Chronicle
July 12, 2013