Member-only story

The Power of Nuance: Striking a Balance in an Autistic Life

Navigating extremes, I’ve learned to balance happiness and functionality, embracing nuance in my autistic experience.

@Tistje
5 min readJan 22, 2025

“The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts.” — Marcus Aurelius

Photo by sandra lansue on Unsplash

As an autistic man, I often find myself navigating a world that invites me to choose between extremes. One day, I am celebrated as someone with unique talents; the next, it seems society views my existence as a problem to be solved. This constant balancing act is challenging, but it has taught me an invaluable lesson: the importance of staying critical — both toward myself and the world around me.

This is not a manifesto for one perspective or another. It’s a call for nuance, for finding equilibrium where happiness and functionality coexist. Today, I want to share my experiences and insights, hoping they inspire you to keep a cool head, no matter your background.

The Daily Challenges of an Autistic Life

Life with autism is often summarized in terms of “sensory overload” and how we manage it. But sensory input is just one element of my experience. It’s not just about noise or light; it’s about unpredictability, uncertainty, and how unforeseen elements can disrupt…

Create an account to read the full story.

The author made this story available to Medium members only.
If you’re new to Medium, create a new account to read this story on us.

Or, continue in mobile web

Already have an account? Sign in

@Tistje
@Tistje

Written by @Tistje

Ervaringswerker autisme / Autistic Advocate / Autism Ambassador

No responses yet

Write a response