6 ms·

Well, it's well known that ADD/ADHD aren't about lack of focus, but about an inability to direct one's focus to where it's needed. Normal people can think "I n

Well, it's well known that ADD/ADHD aren't about lack of focus, but about an inability to direct one's focus to where it's needed. Normal people can think "I need X, let's work on X" but ADHD people are at the mercy of what's "chosen for them" by their brain. This was probably fine 4000 years ago, when the world was looser, and people could find their place in life regardless of their particular quirks, but not so much nowadays. This difficulty or inability to direct focus can be "trained away" with enough effort, but it isn't easy at all.

thunfischbrot 10mo ago
> This was probably fine 4000 years ago, when the world was looser, and people could find their place in life regardless of their particular quirks, but not so much nowadays. Is this likely? My overgeneralizing gut feel would be that more people who would have traits which might be perceived as unusual and impede survivability 4000 years ago would be more likely to receive a chance to live a regular lifespan in most today‘s societies.
- teamonkey 10mo ago
  Increased thrill seeking activity includes sex. The evolutional advantage could simply be more chance of passing on genes; from that point on it doesn’t matter if you fail at life, get outcast from society and/or die young.
- coldtea 10mo ago
  Today we're much much more about conformity, rigid structrures, time management, and so on, than 4000 years ago, or even 50 and 100 years ago. And today we're much less about having extended families and communities that take care of their members and lend a hand. At best we have some half-arsed provisions by an indifferent state, and we're left on our own. A slip and you're broke, or homeless, or depressed on your own.
__MatrixMan__ 10mo ago
I think it's the opposite. 4000 years ago we would fail to prepare and not survive the winter. Nowadays we get by by occasionally solving a problem that nobody asked to have solved but golly the solution is kinda neat.
- AgentMatt 10mo ago
  I also believe it to have been easier with ADHD in the distant past. My reasoning is that in a small, but tighter group there will be others who can compensate for the ADHD person's executive function deficiencies. But the ADHD person might bring enough of a benefit by occasionally going down rabbit holes or discovering stuff that's off the beaten track that the group will still tolerate them.
  - R_D_Olivaw 10mo ago
    This a where I lean also. I forget where (and I really ought find it again) but I recall some linking of ADHD as simply the kind of traits that are necessary for survival -esque scenarios. I know that I don't feel as awkward and weird when I'm in nature or building huts or what have you. Seeing the abundance of what nature has to offer and the possibilities actually feels far better than being in a concrete building and being forced to walk ONLY in designated walking areas. My ADHD always feels the worse when I realize that I have to abide by _insert_arbitrary_deadline_here.
    - thewebguyd 10mo ago
      > My ADHD always feels the worse when I realize that I have to abide by _insert_arbitrary_deadline_here. Similar here. For me, if I'm given some arbitrary deadline in the future, it almost guarantees I'm not going to do the thing until the day before, or depending on the task, hours before it's due. "Hey webguy, we need this report by the end of next week" means I'm not doing it until Friday afternoon, and I have no control over it. Doesn't matter if I try to work on it earlier, just won't happen. It's having an interest based nervous system. We crave novelty, urgency, interest, and challenge to do anything.
coldtea 10mo ago
To be fair, that's what people mean when they say "lack of focus" too. They don't mean "this person can't focus on anything", but "they can't focus on their school projects, their work" etc. They don't care if "but hey, I can hyperfocus for months on the history of late Roman battles or throat singing techniques".
jkmcf 10mo ago
Your first sentence is gold. It's only in the past few hundred years where focus actually matters: knowledge workers, and some factory work where lack of attention resulted in injury.

thunfischbrot 10mo ago

> This was probably fine 4000 years ago, when the world was looser, and people could find their place in life regardless of their particular quirks, but not so much nowadays. Is this likely? My overgeneralizing gut feel would be that more people who would have traits which might be perceived as unusual and impede survivability 4000 years ago would be more likely to receive a chance to live a regular lifespan in most today‘s societies.

teamonkey 10mo ago
Increased thrill seeking activity includes sex. The evolutional advantage could simply be more chance of passing on genes; from that point on it doesn’t matter if you fail at life, get outcast from society and/or die young.
coldtea 10mo ago
Today we're much much more about conformity, rigid structrures, time management, and so on, than 4000 years ago, or even 50 and 100 years ago. And today we're much less about having extended families and communities that take care of their members and lend a hand. At best we have some half-arsed provisions by an indifferent state, and we're left on our own. A slip and you're broke, or homeless, or depressed on your own.

__MatrixMan__ 10mo ago

I think it's the opposite. 4000 years ago we would fail to prepare and not survive the winter. Nowadays we get by by occasionally solving a problem that nobody asked to have solved but golly the solution is kinda neat.

AgentMatt 10mo ago
I also believe it to have been easier with ADHD in the distant past. My reasoning is that in a small, but tighter group there will be others who can compensate for the ADHD person's executive function deficiencies. But the ADHD person might bring enough of a benefit by occasionally going down rabbit holes or discovering stuff that's off the beaten track that the group will still tolerate them.
- R_D_Olivaw 10mo ago
  This a where I lean also. I forget where (and I really ought find it again) but I recall some linking of ADHD as simply the kind of traits that are necessary for survival -esque scenarios. I know that I don't feel as awkward and weird when I'm in nature or building huts or what have you. Seeing the abundance of what nature has to offer and the possibilities actually feels far better than being in a concrete building and being forced to walk ONLY in designated walking areas. My ADHD always feels the worse when I realize that I have to abide by _insert_arbitrary_deadline_here.
  - thewebguyd 10mo ago
    > My ADHD always feels the worse when I realize that I have to abide by _insert_arbitrary_deadline_here. Similar here. For me, if I'm given some arbitrary deadline in the future, it almost guarantees I'm not going to do the thing until the day before, or depending on the task, hours before it's due. "Hey webguy, we need this report by the end of next week" means I'm not doing it until Friday afternoon, and I have no control over it. Doesn't matter if I try to work on it earlier, just won't happen. It's having an interest based nervous system. We crave novelty, urgency, interest, and challenge to do anything.

coldtea 10mo ago

To be fair, that's what people mean when they say "lack of focus" too. They don't mean "this person can't focus on anything", but "they can't focus on their school projects, their work" etc. They don't care if "but hey, I can hyperfocus for months on the history of late Roman battles or throat singing techniques".

jkmcf 10mo ago

Your first sentence is gold. It's only in the past few hundred years where focus actually matters: knowledge workers, and some factory work where lack of attention resulted in injury.