Glossary
Absorption
Absorption is a disposition or personality trait in which a person becomes absorbed in their mental imagery, particularly fantasy. Wikipedia
Affective
Also: affectivity, affect
The experience of feeling emotions. In NT people this is often associated with “affective empathy” – the ability to feel other people’s emotions. Wikipedia
Affective Deontology
This is the ethical system that most autistic people use. In affective deontology the rules stem from justice, moral values and deep empathy (affectivity). As in any deontological system the actions are either consistent with the rules or they are in violation. Rules are moral imperatives, not just constraints. They appear rigid to outside observers.
Alexithymia
Emotional blindness, a phenomenon characterized by difficulties processing or describing one’s emotions. Wikipedia
Asperger Syndrome
Also: Aspergers, Level 1
Former name for high-functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Level 1 (without intellectual or language impairment). Wikipedia
Autism
Also: ASD, Autistic
Autism Spectrum Disorder
A developmental condition affecting communication and behavior, characterized by challenges with social skills, repetitive behaviors, and communication differences. Wikipedia
Autism Experience
Autism Experience
How I believe autistic people experience this, in general. Developed by reading and using an LLM. Disclaimer
autonoetic thought
Autonoetic consciousness is the human ability to mentally place oneself in the past and future (i.e. mental time travel) or in counterfactual situations (i.e. alternative outcomes), and to thus be able to examine one’s own thoughts. Wikipedia
Axiomatic Deontology
This is the ethical system that I use. Axiomatic refers to a set of rules (axioms). As in any deontological system the actions are either consistent with the rules or they are in violation. Rules are moral imperatives, not just constraints. They appear rigid to outside observers.
Black Box
Also: Black Boxes
A system where you can observe inputs and outputs without knowing the internal function or state. Wikipedia
Category A
DSM-5 Criterion A
Category A in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) refers to the DSM-5 Criterion A, which defines persistent deficits in social communication and interaction. It requires challenges in three key areas, social-emotional reciprocity (e.g., conversation, interaction), nonverbal communication (e.g., eye contact), and developing/maintaining relationships. Signal Blindness has high overlap. Autism Speaks
Category B
DSM-5 Criterion B
Category B in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) refers to the DSM-5 Criterion B which refers to restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, or activities. Signal blindness has no overlap. Autism Speaks
Deontology
Also: Deontological
The Rule is the Rule. An ethical system where the “rightness” of an action is determined by its adherence to a fixed set of rules or duties, regardless of the consequences. Most autistic behavior and my behavior is based on deontology.
Double Empathy
This theory proposes that many of the difficulties autistic individuals face when socializing with non-autistic individuals are due, in part, to mismatch and a lack of mutual understanding between the two groups, meaning that most autistic people struggle to understand and empathize with non-autistic people, whereas most non-autistic people also struggle to understand and empathize with autistic people. Wikipedia
DSM-5
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition. Clinical taxonomic and diagnostic manual published by the American Psychiatric Association. Wikipedia
emotional contagion
Unconscious, automatic process of mimicking and synchronizing facial expressions, vocalizations, postures, and movements with another person, leading to shared emotions. This requires working Theory of Mind and social salience. Wikipedia
Empathy
Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of another, acting as a bridge for connection and altruism. Affective empathy is directly feeling the emotions of another person. Wikipedia
Endophasia
Also: Imagined speech, Inner speech
Endophasia
Thinking in the form of sound – hearing your own voice silently to oneself. Wikipedia
Explicit Signal Gate
The requirement for literal, verbal, or written data to trigger a change in modeling or behavior, as “subtext” or “vibes” fail to reach the threshold of data. For example, “We are now doing X.”
False Consensus Effect
A cognitive bias where individuals overestimate the extent to which their opinions, beliefs, and behaviors are shared by others. Wikipedia
Flat Affect
The near or total absence of outward emotional expression, characterized by a monotone voice, immobile face, and reduced body language, often mistaken for apathy.
Frame Persistence
The continuation of a cognitive or behavioral “script” after the environmental or social context has changed, caused by the absence of an Explicit Signal to pivot. Being stuck on the previous topic/task when everyone else has moved on.
Functional Logic Modeling
Also: FLM
Functional Logic Modeling
The manual process of predicting “Black Box” behavior based on observed inputs and outputs, rather than simulating internal states.
Guilt
A self-conscious, often prosocial emotion arising from a personal violation of one’s own morals or causing harm to others. It acts as a moral compass to repair relationships, causing symptoms like anxiety, irritability, and sleeplessness. Wikipedia
Heteronym
Also: Semantic Divergence
A word that has a different pronunciation and meaning as another word but the same spelling. Wikipedia
Hypophantasia
A cognitive condition characterized by very low, faint, or unstable visual mental imagery. Wikipedia
Hyposalience
Hyposalience is having Social Salience with the gain set so low it is barely perceived.
Kindchenschema
Kindchenschema (baby schema) is a set of infantile physical features—large head, high forehead, big eyes, chubby cheeks, small nose/mouth—defined by Konrad Lorenz to evoke cuteness and nurturing behavior. Wikipedia
Labeling Theory
Also: Self-Stereotyping
The idea that diagnosis or classification can influence the people they apply to – does being labeled with Signal Blindness cause me to behave as if I am Signal Blind? Wikipedia
Lag
Time gap between external event (input) and the system’s response (output). This is often caused in ND individuals when they have to use a manual/effortful system to replace an NT automatic system.
LLM
Also: Large Language Model, LLMs
Large Language Model
A large language model such as ChatGPT or Gemini. These are AI models trained on a huge amount of human writing. They can’t think but they do a good job with pattern matching and (I found) describing NT behavior and thought patterns.
Manual Frame Construction
Also: MFC
Manual Frame Construction
Manually understanding the situation and what are the requirements and goals. A prelude to Functional Logic Modeling. I avoid stalls by short-circuiting when I have either “good enough” information or I need to proceed (timeout).
Mechanism
The underlying causal process that generates a particular output. As opposed to symptom, which describes the output indepdent of how it was caused. I am interested in the mechanism behind my behavior, Signal Blindness.
Monotropism
A cognitive style characterized by an intense, narrow focus on a limited number of interests or tasks, often known as hyperfocus. Wikipedia
Moral Lag
The delay or hesitation caused by weighing ethical convictions against social consequences (shame, status, or group cohesion). In my Axiomatic Deontology, Moral Lag is zero. Because ethics are logical constants and “cruelty” or “social cost” are excluded from the equation, a moral conclusion is reached as soon as the facts are verified.
My Experience
My Experience
How I observe own experience though inputs, outputs and self-introspection on the mechanism. Often in contrast to NT Experience and Autism Experience
ND
Also: Neurodivergent
Neurodivergent
Neurodivergent. Differing in mental or neurological function from what is considered typical or normal.
Noblesse Oblige
Noblesse oblige is a French phrase that literally translates to “nobility obligates”. It refers to the concept that individuals with high rank, wealth, or privilege have a moral responsibility to act with generosity, honor, and kindness toward those less fortunate. Wikipedia
NT
Also: Neurotypical
Neurotypical
Brain development, processing, and behaviors that fall within the expected, societal, or “typical” range.
NT Experience
Neurotypical Experience
How I believe neurotypical people experience this, in general. Developed by reading and using an LLM. Disclaimer
Occam’s razor
A problem-solving principle stating that when faced with competing hypotheses that make the same predictions, one should select the one with the fewest assumptions. Wikipedia
Phatic speech
Also: Phatic questions, Phatic expression, Phatic pressure
Phatic speech
Conversational exchanges that function as social glue rather than for sharing information, such as greetings, weather comments, and small talk. Wikipedia
Phenotype
Also: Phenotypic
The set of observable characteristics or traits of an organism. Wikipedia
Pride
A feeling of honour and self-respect; a sense of personal worth. excessive self-esteem; conceit. Wikipedia
Propositional Logic
A branch of logic that analyzes compound statements formed by connecting atomic propositions—declarative sentences that are strictly true or false—using logical operators. It focuses on how connectives (AND, OR, NOT, implies) determine the truth value of complex statements, rather than the internal content of the propositions themselves. Wikipedia
Prosody
Prosody is the “melody” of language—the rhythmic and intonational patterns that give speech and poetry their unique character. It encompasses elements beyond the literal meaning of words, such as pitch, loudness, and timing, which help convey emotion, emphasis, and intent. Wikipedia
Regret
A complex, negative emotion stemming from a “counterfactual” thought process—wishing a past decision or event had turned out differently. Wikipedia
Rumination
A focused, repetitive, and passive dwelling on negative emotions, past mistakes, or uncontrollable problems, which often worsens mood and hampers active problem-solving. It is a common, often involuntary, mental habit—like a “downward spiral” or “mental scab-picking”—that can lead to anxiety, depression, and poor mental health. Wikipedia
Satisficing
Satisficing is a decision-making strategy that aims for a “good enough” result rather than an optimal one, balancing limited time, information, and effort.
Schizoid Personality Disorder
Also: Clinical Schizoid Personality Style
A personality disorder marked by a long-term pattern of social detachment, limited emotional expression, and a preference for isolation. This has category A autism traits without category B. Wikipedia
Sealioning
A trolling tactic where a person feigns ignorance and politeness while relentlessly demanding evidence or badgering someone with questions, aiming to exhaust their target and disrupt conversations. Wikipedia
Self Conscious Emotions
Complex, higher-order emotional responses—including pride, shame, guilt, and embarrassment—that emerge from self-reflection and social evaluation. Wikipedia
Shame
A feeling of embarrassment or humiliation that arises from the perception of having done something dishonorable, immoral, or improper – specifically something you know your peers feel about you. Wikipedia
Signal Blind
Also: A-salience, No social salience, Signal blindness
Signal Blind
A term describing individuals who lack social salience and are completely blind to the social signal. This means they don’t see the emotional mirroring, or any of the nonverbal communication that makes up a big part of neurotypical society. For me this also means I have no Theory of Mind – I perceive other humans as Black Boxes where I can see inputs and ouputs but no mechanism to model their inner state (thoughts and emotions).
Simulation Theory
The simulation theory of mind (or simulation theory of empathy/mindreading) proposes that people understand others’ mental states by simulating them, or “putting themselves in another’s shoes”. We use our own cognitive processes, emotions, and imaginations to mirror, predict, or interpret the actions, thoughts, and feelings of others. Wikipedia
Social Friction
Also: Friction
The operational resistance, negative feedback, or interpersonal “heat” generated when your Explicit Signal processing interacts with a social environment that relies on Social Saliency (subtext, hierarchy, and emotional grooming). We are not talking the same language.
Social Lag
The processing delay traditionally associated with neurodivergence (specifically ASD) where the individual attempts to manually decode social cues, tone, and subtext in real-time. I do not experience Social Lag because I do not attempt to capture or decode the subtext. I operate on the Explicit Signal (typically speech) only.
Social Salience
Also: Social Saliency, Salience Network
Social Salience
I am really referring to the Salience Network – a low level part of the brain that processes social signals and gives importance to the same. Wikipedia
Social Utilitarianism
This is a typical ethical system for NT people. Truth is variable based on emotional state or social hierarchy. This system does not seek “Truth”; it seeks the state of Lowest Social Friction. If a lie maintains harmony, it is “better” (more stable) than a truth that causes a fracture.
Sympathy
The feeling of care, sorrow, or concern for another person’s misfortune, often accompanied by a desire for them to be happier or in a better situation. It differs from empathy, which is sharing the exact same emotional state, by maintaining a boundary while offering support. It is crucial for building relationships by validating feelings and showing you care. Wikipedia
Teleology
Also: Teleological
The End Justifies the Means. An ethical or decision-making system where the “rightness” of an action is determined by its outcome or goal (the telos). Most NT behavior is teleological.
The Intentional Stance
A predictive strategy developed by philosopher Daniel Dennett. Instead of looking at the physical makeup or the specific design of an object, you treat it as a rational agent with beliefs and desires. By assuming the agent will act rationally to satisfy its desires based on its beliefs, you can accurately predict what it will do next. Wikipedia
Theory of Mind
Also: ToM
Theory of Mind
the cognitive ability to understand that others have (and what they are) their own unique beliefs, desires, intentions, and perspectives, which may differ from one’s own. Wikipedia
Theory-Theory
A cognitive strategy where individuals (typically associated with autism) manually use data and heuristics to predict the internal states of others. Contrast to Signal Blind users who utilize Black Box modeling, which ignores internal states in favor of Input/Output observation. Wikipedia
Zero Lag
immediate execution of a script or logical deduction without internal friction or delay. This also implies low effort (fatigue) and potentially non-ideal consequences, e.g. social friction.
Social Communication Disorder
Also: SCD, Social (Pragmatic) Communication Disorder
Social (Pragmatic) Communication Disorder
A neurodevelopmental condition marked by persistent difficulties using verbal and nonverbal language for social purposes, such as conversation, social rules, and adapting communication to different contexts, without the restricted/repetitive behaviors seen in autism. Wikipedia