Humans are very complex in makeup, yet we to simply things where possible, it makes sense it makes the world easier to understand.
See back when we were walking around hunting and gathering, fast decisions were very important. Well kind of life and death important , it's that thing friendly is it going to kill me ? , can I eat that brightly coloured insect ?. You know the stuff we’ve seen enough natural history and nature programs.
This kind of labeling things has worked pretty darn well for us to become the dominant species on the planet (for now at least) . However there is a bit of a problem with this system let me explain.
We make sense of the world by labeling things, situations, societies, people. These are very generalized rounded views, so when we talk about a culture or a people lets say someone from Scotland. What is the imagine that pops into your head. Someone in a kilt with ginger hair swigging whisky whilst doing the highland fling?. To some extent these stereo types hold some truth but they are like cartoon drawings of people, the elements are they kind of , we sort of know who the drawings of but its exaggerated image of reality. You kinda get the point I think .
Now we take this labeling to a whole new level when we look at groups of people & their traits, conditions or disabilities. For me dyslexia, ADHA, Autism & dyspraxia is classic of this, we establish a label for this group of people, exaggerate it a cartoon image of reality. People that cannot learn properly, struggle to fit in cannot read basically are totally different and don’t function like “normal people”.
The irony is these people are more than that just wired different but no less normal than everyone else “what ever normal is”. The labels reinforce the stereotype the misconception the ignorance of the abilities, aptitude or skills. Why. well remember we have been programmed from way back to try and make sense of the world around us and those things that are different.
Let's take dyslexia the stereo-type is someone that cannot read, words jump all over the page, have problem learning. Therefore the assumption is they have a problem and are less able or intelligent than the person that is a Grade A student of English language. Well here is the thing that may help flick your paradigm on this cartoon figure.
I take a mixed group of people, artists, designers accountants etc to lets say Russia . None of the group speak a word of Russian or can read it either. Does that make any of those individuals any less talented, able or intelligent? I say not. They may have an issue communicating but fundamentally those people are still intelligent, able and have value in their respective fields. So why do we relate comprehension of the written word to equal intelligence or ability THE LABEL. It's time to stop labeling and start understanding , learning.
So next time someone mentions the word dyslexia think about the Scottish guy in his kilt. Look past the label and discover the true drawing not the cartoon.
Dyslexia Rocks
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