Five reasons that I love being autistic

I love being autistic. I am incredibly proud to be autistic and wouldn’t trade it for anything.

Some reasons for this:

1. Hyper empathy
   The stereotype that autistic people are ‘robots’ is just not true. Often we feel things more intensely than most people. I have hyper empathy which means that I not only experience heightened emotions but I am also very aware of my own and others. Yes, this can be draining. But I couldn’t imagine a world in which I didn’t feel everything deeply. I truly believe that love is our reason to exist and I am grateful to get to experience human connections so deeply.
2. Doing the right thing
   The stereotype that autistic people can’t break rules is a much truer one for myself. And while this is frustrating when I can see a pizza burning but need it to be in the oven for the specified time on the box (I’m not kidding), it can also be a huge advantage. Being a good person is an integral part of who I am. And while, as I get older, I’m distinguishing people pleasing from doing the right thing, I strive to spread kindness. I want to leave the world a better place than I found it and I will always try to do the right thing by people. My mind can not possibly process any self serving actions that would bring harm to anyone else.
3. Connection to the world
   I am not someone that simply exists in a default setting. I am an all or nothing person. When I go on my daily walks, I feel so deeply connected to the sky, the birds, the wind, the environment in which…