"Masking" Is Not A Crime 🎭

I was 20 years old when I decided to really start working on my “mask”, and that work ended up being one of the most important things I’ve ever done.

For those not familiar, “masking” (basically) means making an effort to present as “normal” despite one’s autistic tendencies - often for social reasons.

Some of my fellow autists object to this idea of trying to pass as normal on principle - “Why should I have to change to please others?” - and boy, do they love to tell me as much in the replies to my videos.

The funniest part to me about the objections they sling? I’ve made the same arguments - from the same side! But eventually, I saw just how hollow they rang.

In this post, I’ll share a personal story from my second go at community college - mostly about the attempts I’ve made to become better at masking my autism, & how they’ve played out for me.

Then, we’ll look into the arguments I used to convince myself that I needed to let go of my “authentic” autistic self (sometimes), and how that decision set me on the path to a happier, healthier, more balanced social life. You ready? Let’s dive in.