Woman Argues That Neurodivergence Is ‘Mother Nature’s Ultimate Backup Plan’
Neurodivergent individuals are capitalism's worst enemies.
Krakenimages.com | Shutterstock For some reason neurodivergent people avoid capitalism and corporate settings like a plague. Perhaps it’s their sense of justice or their disinterest in social hierarchies, either way, the inevitable neurodivergent and neurotypical tango has been happening for quite some time now.
Understanding that neurodivergence is a natural variation of human behavior, one woman took to TikTok to share her theory that neurodivergent people would be the heroes of capitalism. She argued that their innate ability to avoid materialism and resist the urge to procure wealth at all costs would save us all from the current economic crisis.
A woman argued that neurodivergence is ‘Mother Nature’s ultimate backup plan’ against capitalism.
Jordan Stacey took to TikTok to share her theory that neurodivergence is the key to combatting capitalism. She explained that, in her view, society would “become more neurodivergent and disabled until capitalism crumbles.”
Stacey developed her theory after reading a book on how food additives could contribute to neurodivergence. She went on to explain that the unusually high number of children being diagnosed with ADHD correlates with “pollution in the air, microplastics in our blood, additives in our food, and screen time all result in capitalism, and capitalism perpetuates destruction of the Earth, of society, and of life.”
The woman explained that the increased number of neurodivergent people who have an aversion to capitalistic tendencies will inevitably change the economy.
"If you think about it," Stacey noted, "autism, ADHD, sensory issues, neurodivergence, it kind of brings with it an allergy to capitalism. They're not people who will thrive in a 9-to-5."
According to a 2023 survey on neurodivergent employees in the workplace, statistics show that at least part of Stacey's theory is correct. A disproportionate number of neurodivergent people struggle with a traditional 9-to-5, but it goes even further than that.
The survey noted that 20% of the world population is neurodivergent. To put that into perspective, researchers noted that's approximately "one in five people," adding that the condition is "not rare at all." Since there is a large population of neurodivergent individuals in the world, it makes sense that they make up a large portion of the workforce. Unfortunately, the traditional corporate structure that has dominated the employed world just doesn't work for them.
Survey results indicated that more than half of neurodivergent individuals, a whopping 51%, are unhappy in their jobs and want to quit. 79% complained that the structure of a traditional 40-hour work week, 9-to-5 schedule was incompatible with their needs and many complained that they didn't have an advocate in a manager or boss to disclose their struggles with.
Here's why Stacey might be on to something: If the number of neurodivergent workers continues to grow and they continue to resist the status quo in terms of job structure and schedule, companies will have to adjust or they will be unable to sustain a workforce.
Capitalism focuses on maximum productivity with hierarchies and reward systems.
In a capitalist system, rewards are granted to people who can work quickly, without the need for breaks or accommodations. Neurodivergent individuals tend to fail at meeting these expectations as they may need different work environments, schedules, or tools necessary to the job.
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For example, an individual with ADHD may struggle to meet tight deadlines or work in a distracting open office environment while someone with autism might face sensory overload in a noisy workplace. These challenges can lead to underemployment, social exclusion, or even job losses.
The woman concluded that as neurodivergence increases, capitalism will eventually 'crumble.'
Stacey explained, "If capitalism is making us all sick, stressed and literally destroying the planet and life on Earth ... then more and more and more children, as a result of climate change, pollution in the air, microplastics in water, microplastics in our blood, heavy metals in our blood, if the result of that is that more and more and more children and future generations are autistic and thinking outside of the box, are unable to live inside the box, then the box will explode."
In her scenario, the box is our capitalist society. If the neurodivergent workforce, which is already unhappy with the status quo, continues to grow, Stacey's theory isn't out of the realm of possibility.
Sylvia Ojeda is an author with a decade of experience writing novels and screenplays. She covers self-help, relationships, culture, and human interest topics.