Image: Lisa Simpson giving a presentation with a determined disposition.
Caption on the screen: The “double-empathy problem” is misnamed because it is not a problem. It is a theory that explains why we observe limited empathy between autistic and non-autistic individuals. Not only is it not a problem, it is a solution because it helps us understand why things are the way they are. Stop calling it a problem. It is now the “interneurotype empathy divide”…or something. Idk, but it is not a problem.
I looked this up, it absolutely is a problem. People being unable to empathize with each other due to differences in the way they percieve reality is a problem. It’s not that people perceive the world differently, it’s the fact that it causes a lack of empathy between two or more parties that is the problem. A lack of empathy can lead to one or more parties taking action that hurts another party.
That honestly seems like a problem, especially since the world seems to be suffering from a critical lack of empathy as it is. Simply reframing or ignoring it won’t make people suddenly, magically, universally empathize with each other. If anything, reframing it risks causing the problem to go unaddressed and result in larger issues down the road.
I agree that the inability to empathy between neurotypes is a problem, but having a theory to help us understand it is not. What Lisa here is arguing is that the theory is not a problem; it is a theory. And, having a theory is more of a solution than a problem. bing bong!