I feel like people on the autism spectrum would still be worse off in a pre-civilization pre-agrarian world, but ADHD would make pretty much no difference.

> in a pre-civilization pre-agrarian world, but ADHD would make pretty much no difference.

I have ADHD and I also have hyperfocus, I think hyperfocus is an advantage in a pre-industrialized world.

As a child I was fascinated with blowguns. After a summer of shooting unripe grapes out of plastic pipe, I could shoot anybody in the forehead from 20 meters away, easily. I shot the blowgun thousands of times a day, it was relentless.

The same when I went fishing, a whole day could vanish and it would feel like a blink of an eye.

I taught myself how to ride a bike and I woke up that night to ride the bike, even though it had a flat tire.

I like to go mushroom hunting, but when I do, I usually like to go alone, I walk for extraordinary distances, rough terrain, I don't get bored, I can literally keep at it for the whole day that people think I'm crazy.

It's a bit like a stimulant induced obsession, but my inner voice recedes far back in my skull, it's an incredible flow state-like feeling.

I'm sure this kind of obsession builds skills and it has to have some benefits in pre-industrial societies.

I have ADHD and I bet your tribe would like to have a guy who snaps to attention from every little noise watching over while you eat or sleep. I also prob have ‘tism, I suck at typical modern social settings, but get along well in martial arts or other activities, where you are doing something physical and concrete together with people, without endlessly yapping about each other’s boring life. Today when I’m older people often elect me as some sort of leader in these settings, prob because I learn fast and it comes pretty naturally to me. I think I would be pretty successful in pre-civilisation society. I’m also great with animals, I kinda naturally know how to touch and groom them. Looking at apes, this is far more important in creating social connections rather than lying about your professional achievements on Linkedin.

I’ve seen people who are “good with people” just make friendships in less than a minute pouring their whole life to another person like they had known for years. If you can do that you have a great career in sales, marketing or politics in front of you. To me it seems completely insane behaviour, like I was watching completely different species.

Perhaps we all come with adhd and autism as a default, and some people get modernity updated into their system while in the womb?

You can also think about why psychopaths, rapists, and other currently despised traits have evolved.