"We need all hands on deck to right the ship of humanity."
- Zosia Zaks, quoted in NeuroTribes, page 469
"…no aspect of human behavior could be understood in isolation: neurology, genetics, family background, and social dynamics all had to be considered to properly evaluate a patient’s mental state."- NeuroTribes, page 156
Whilst this book is about the history of autism, the ability to consider the big picture is vital for everyone’s own health and wellbeing, at work and home. Today’s society has many potential stressors, and being able to step back and observe how these are impacting our own behavior, as well as that of others, is crucial if we are to maintain our own wellbeing and accept that some things are not within our control.
This is a philosophy and approach that is discussed with clients who are seeking to understand their own beliefs and assumptions in relation to multiple and wide-ranging concepts including:
In a growing globalization and diversification of the workforce, the ability to step back and see the big picture is increasingly important for individuals to sustain both their own growth and development, as well as success at work in being able to work and communicate effectively with others who come from a wide range of backgrounds.
"We were the shapers of our plans, methods, and practices… We were grateful for the one magnificent gift which outweighed everything else—the opportunity to work unhampered, to develop and pursue our curiosities, to test our theories, and at all times to be true to ourselves."- NeuroTribes, page 158
Many authors, including Dan Pink in Drive and Tracy Maylett and Paul Warner in MAGIC, highlight the importance of autonomy in the workplace. Taking this on board, many organizations seek to increase the levels of empowerment as it is considered a critical component in increasing staff engagement at work. This is important as there is increasing evidence that having an engaged workforce helps a company establish and maintain competitive advantage. In today’s economy and with the growth of knowledge workers, having staff who are truly engaged and committed to their employer’s success means that those companies are more likely to be competitive and sustainable into the future.
"When wireless is perfectly applied, the whole earth will be converted into a huge brain… We shall be able to communicate with one another instantly, irrespective of distance… A man will be able to carry one [telephone] in his vest pocket."- Nikola Tesla, writing in 1926, quoted in NeuroTribes, page 230
Many of the people Silberman writes about were considered helpless and no good to society because they didn’t fit the normal societal expectations. Yet, many of them have knowledge and skills beyond the average person. Isn’t accepting those we consider to be “eccentric” or “out there” also a way in which we can welcome and spread true diversity in the workforce? I can only imagine how “strange” this vision of Tesla’s was at the time, yet there was a whole community connected by the entrepreneur Hugo Gernsback through his issues of Modern Electrics. Silberman identifies this as one method for autistic individuals to connect with and find like-minded people to discuss and share ideas with one another. The value of creating communities where autistic people (and their relatives) could meet, share their views, and not be ignored, was instrumental in shifting some of the accepted nature of what it meant to be autistic. Today, in organizations and across professions we commonly bring people together in similar ways, such as communities of practice and professional associations. Humans need to be able to connect with each other and today we have a much greater opportunity for doing so with the internet and other communication methods, ironically some of these being built by individuals now believed to be on the autism spectrum.
Whilst this book was not what I had assumed, it gave me a fabulous insight into how the study and understanding of autism has changed over time. It has also made me rethink those I know who I have considered eccentric, perhaps they are just ahead of their time, much like the entrepreneur Gernsback, who was born in 1884 and installed an intercom system in a local convent 13 years later. Gernsback would admonish his cousin Hildegaard on the telephone telling her “Fix your hair. It won’t be long before the caller can see your face over the wires.”
Steve Silberman is an American writer based in San Francisco, California. Silberman is best known as a writer for Wired magazine, where he has been an editor and contributor for 14 years. In 2010, Silberman was awarded the AAAS “Kavli Science Journalism Award for Magazine Writing.” His featured article “The Placebo Problem” discussed the impact of placebos on the pharmaceutical industry.
