Today on The Gist, Mike explores the "innovation" of linguistic shifts, from the return of the "R-word" in the New York Times to the syllable-heavy expansion of terms like "unhoused" and "neurodivergent." Then, social psychologist Devon Price and author Freddie DeBoer join the show for a debate on the limits of the neurodiversity movement. They discuss the friction between seeing mental conditions as neutral sources of diversity versus medical illnesses that require management, while addressing the "TikTok-ification" of disorders and the struggle to include nonverbal and severely disabled voices in the conversation. Plus, why identifying with an illness can sometimes create an incentive to stay sick and the "coming out" phase of an autistic identity.
Produced by Corey Wara
Video and Social Media by Geoff Craig
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