Lithigos

I've always felt at odds with what society (institutions) and my family expects of me. A big part of my journey in becoming who I am was trying to live up to those expectations and realizing that the accomplishments, the lifestyles, the behavior, none of it served me. I felt too pressured to fit an ideal that meant nothing to me. I don't regret that I went through that phase of life, even if it took me a couple years to work through before finally feeling okay, because it gave me a lot of perspective that has shaped me and given me a confidence and passion I probably couldn't have forged otherwise. Now that I'm on the other side of it, I can better appreciate the outlook I have formed and can look forward with optimism. If you're curious, read on and you'll find some of the conclusions I have come to. By the way, I'm not trying to change anyone's mind by sharing this, so please, do hesitate to comment if you find yourself getting defensive. ______...

I recently became unemployed for the first time since I started working at age sixteen, over eight years ago. While I have despised capitalism especially in the past two years, it is interesting discovering all the ways that capitalist ideals have been ingrained in me without my realizing it. For starters, it's become apparent to me that - taking into account my neurodivergent tendencies - the work ethic I've curated over the years, and the pride from being considered a good worker was a part of my identity that was more important to me than I ever would have expected. In this society that drills into us from an early age that we must be able to be productive and contribute to capitalism in order to achieve success (often at the expense of our needs outside of work), it is implied that anyone who is incapable of working is not valuable to society. As a neurodivergent person, I could be considered disabled under capitalist standards. That, along with the fact that the economy is...