Building empathy
Yesterday, I was venting about a bad experience I’d had, and a friend of mine replied by sharing a relevant experience of their own.
Then, they immediately apologized for “making it all about them.”
Dude, not at fucking at all!
(I’m using dude in the gender-neutral Good Burger “we’re all dudes, hey!” way, not as a masculine pronoun).
I find that a lot of neurodivergent folks try to bond and relate with people, form connections, and bond by sharing experiences similar to whatever they’re talking about.
Trading war stories, trauma-bonding… whatever you want to call it. When you’re a little awkward, it’s a way to build connections. Or, it can be.
But I also find that a lot of neurotypical folks find it off-putting, like you’re making their story about you. Frankly, neurotypical folks can be fucking weird.
Don’t apologize for that shit. You’ve done nothing wrong.