Knowing Yourself

How long does it take to know who you are and how many more years does it take to be able to explain  yourself to others?  It takes more than a few words to quantify a person and often a lifetime of explanations is not enough. 

I reckon I knew exactly who I was by the age of 5 but there is a difference between knowing yourself and being able to explain yourself to others.  To make matters worse our own consciousness often denies what we know about ourselves instinctively.  For those who are neurodiverse the whole process can be even more difficult and sometimes life can seem like an endless round of searching and explanations.

I first came across the word Neurodiversity while researching Hunter Gatherers.  The suggestion that certain people with social difficulties may have the perfect neural pathways for ancient skills, struck a chord.  My intrigue led me to a whole new world of people who seemed to be discussing what it was like to be me.  Before long I had a pocket full of "off the peg" phrases to explain my inner-self to my outer-self and it really helped me to stop trying to be someone who I am not. 

Once you can explain yourself to yourself you would think it would be easy to explain yourself to others, but it is not.  The truth is that most people are too busy dealing with their own problems to be bothered with the bizarre rantings of someone who has found her inner self.  People are largely measured by their actions and I slowly came to realise that it is simpler to show folk the good side of who you are, as opposed to demanding their respect through words.

The truth is that "knowing yourself" is only a small step in the path to acceptance.  So let the journey begin.