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Comment by patcon | Hacker News Reader

Wouldn't "habitually one-pointed" people be very focussed, rather than distracted?

Or is the idea that a very distracted person being honed into a focussed and aware person is a duality that's valued -- able to live in both worlds? (Rather than a very focussed person being taught to be distracted and highly integrative?)

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It's a different sort of focus than mainstream, where there's not what a "normal" person would call regulation. So lots of hyperfocus on topics that interest, and little on what others might think is required or needed (which would look like distraction if the person were forced/compelled to focus on things they're not interested in).

That's a good way to put it. Though ADHD can also have high focus and then "fuck it I don't care anymore I'm all about x now" lol. But I think you're right about the characterization of distraction. For example in my undergrad I might not do my physics homework but I'm not playing videogames or something I'd do things like trying to use that same physics to program simulations or try to solve other problems that were more interesting to me. Or used that time to teach myself programming, Linux, or other types of math that weren't being taught. It's both a distraction and not. But at first I was very confused at what you were suggesting.

I know. But I'm told they're calling "Aspergers" ADHD now. And the brittleness that comes with habitual focus looks like massive distraction. I mean you've got these guys who can focus to the point of magic, but one push and they crack.

And we're borrowing somebody else's terminology anyway. So don't expect precision.

As someone who has both diagnoses late in life (autistic/Aspergers and ADHD), they explained it to me as different things. The ADHD wants to respond to stimulus, the autism wants to resist it and impose order. One at a time is fine. If they both activate, then the result is massive stress.

I have ADHD and dated someone with AuDHD who I cared for deeply (read lots of books about the neurotype and implications on our relationship). your explanation was very clear and helpful. Wish I'd heard it explained so clearly at the time :) thanks!

I think you mean it's called ASD or has been rolled into ASD now? ADHD is more of a set of regulation issues than a set of social-cues issues, but I'm oversimplifying.

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