It's toooooo brriiighhhtt

you don’t need to be neurodivergent to appreciate the dark….
for example, you could be one of those mole people with no pigment (i.e. northern white peoples)….
- You could also be a radiologist.
  
  thanks… you’re right! i’m going to go to school for radiology!
- Old school photographer
- No pigment? They're transparent?
  
  Think about it. Have you ever seen one in person?
  
  i was speaking in hyperbole, but, lack of pigment doesn’t make you transparent.
  see also: albinos.

Ooooh story time…
I worked for a small company in 2017/2018 that had recently expanded its building and added offices into their second floor, which had previously been a storage area. The second floor offices didn’t have any windows, but is also the spot that they decided IT would go.
One day I came in and the fluorescent lights didn’t turn on. There happened to be some random old lamp (I think from the 60’s or 70’s) in a storage closet so I grabbed it and put it on the intersection of 4 cubicles to light the area. There were only 6 IT people that worked in the area and as people were coming into work, no one mentioned the light. We all just did our work.
Halfway though the day, one of our senior devs asked “hey, so what’s with the light?”
I let him know the overhead lights didn’t come on when I got here this morning so I just grabbed a lamp.
5 of us discussing the lighting situation all vocally said “yea, this is much better, the fluorescent lights suck.” One person was quiet.
The overhead lights were “fixed” not too long after but people started opting for turning them off in favor of the lamp. This upset 1 of the 6 IT people working in the area.
It eventually became an HR issue, and the one person won; to the detriment of the other 5.
I ended up quitting about 2 weeks after that, not from the light issue; but I let them believe it was a large contributing factor in the exit interview.

@mom @dad

90% of the time, the explanation is "I was doing a thing that didnt require external light source and didnt notice the sun went down."
- yeah but even if i did notice the sun went down i prefer to stay in the dark as long as it's not necessary to have light
- Is there a eye-strain-related reason that the lights should be turned on in this circumstance? I find myself in this position a lot, not realizing the screen is way brighter than it needs to be for the brightness in the area.
  
  I like to be in the dark and with screen at minimal brightness, all light is the enemy
- lol I don’t bother to explain I usually just say “nothing” I don’t owe anyone an explanation for why I want the lights off

I like to sit in my desolate room. No lights. No music. Just anger.
- I had to spend six months in the ICU and I always had the lights off and no sound, not tv or music, no talking, all the staff would comment on it or ask if I wanted them to turn things on for the first few months but by the end they were always telling me how my room was so peaceful and they actually preferred it to other patients rooms. I just want peace!!
- You've killed everyone.
  You're away forever, but you're feeling better?
  
  How do you feel, what do you say? In the end it all goes away

Coworkers like 75% spectrum. Office is DARK
When we have meetings, boss comes in and opens the blinds. We scurry around like roaches
- We used to keep the light off in the tech bullpen. There were no windows but enough lights from the screens to keep people from tripping over themselves walking to their desks. Fucking director level POS hated it. When he didn't have anything to do he'd come back there and loudly exclaim "I don't see how y'all can work in the dark!"
  It's almost like different people work different ways and have different levels of comfort. I can deal with either just fine but damn, don't just loudly pronounce shit and change the environment immediately. That absolutely stops pretty much everyone from working because they want to bitch about how it's different now.
  I think it was 50/50 not giving a shit about the comfort of others and wanting attention because he was as useless as a bag of used microplastics.
  
  Lol people see me in the dark with a laptop and backlit keyboard and are like "how can you see / read in the dark?
  Like wtf it's backlit. IDC what's happening in this - until recently - otherwise uninhabited room.
- I used to work in an IT call center like that. It wasn't even dark it was just dim because no one wanted the light over their desk turned on. There was enough light from the kitchenette area and the walkways to easily see. We got a new manager that hated that we all wanted the lights off so she used like 3 people who complained about it (and were in a corner of the room with the lights on so... stfu) as a pretext to do a poll to keep the rest of the lights turned on. She came back saying there was "a lot of" support for turning the lights on so now it was required but refused to release the results. Immediately lost all respect from the room. She would have eventually anyway because she was a shit manager but that was like right out of the gate.
  
  She showed her true colours immediately. Didn't care about the people in the team.
- We did that as interns. Our official response was the light was causing interference with the testing and needed to be off.

Doesn't matter if they're neurodivergent at all, it's rude to flashbang anyone like that
- Tell that to any phone with the fingerprint reader behind the screen.
  Apparently thumbs can now only be scanned by harnessing the power of the fucking sun.
  
  Another reason why my previous phone was better than my current one: backside fingerprint scanner. Infinitely superior to a screenside fingerprint scanner, as I was able to unlock my phone in the same motion as picking it up or removing it from my pocket. With a screenside fingerprint scanner, it is no longer more convenient than just inputting the lock code.
  
  or worse, using face unlock in the dark
  
  Huh? My s21+ screen reads my thumbprint with the screen off

This is one of my great sensitivities. I can't drive without sunglasses. My eyes will tear up and I'm unable to keep them open.
- I’m with you. Do you get it at the movies too? IMAX is too much but if I go to a smaller screen theatre I’m usually ok.
  
  No not in theaters unless it's a really bright scene like an explosion.
- Going outside to let my dogs out in the AM is genuinely painful! The dark to light is SHOCKING mentally and physically, I used polarized glasses for driving for the same reason you do. I find certain kinds of lights to be agitating even not just uncomfortable or painful

Everytime I read something about neurodivergent behavior I am astonished that another atypical thing I do is actually typical behaviour just not for neurotypical persons. (sry for my English - not a native speaker)
- Your English is good, don't worry! In fact I quite like the way you worded that. Isn't it comforting to realize you're not as alone as you had thought you were?

Can you imagine if we just started making snarky comments and turning off lights that people purposely put on? Wow, that'd be so rude! Right? Right??
- Why are you standing in a brightly lit room, do you need to be seen or something?
  
  Why are you always in the light? Are you a plant or something?

"I rule from the shadows" is my usual response.
- "leave me to do my dark bidding in peace".
  "Oh, what are you bidding on?".
  "A table"
- Normally I just hisss
- I like the way they worded it as if you were misplaced by them. Ah shoot, where did I leave my nuerodivergent again? Probably left them next to my keys in the kitchen.

Hum... Yeah... That'd be me. The creature of the night. Not rave n' disco night... More like, night night. Even during the day.

Somewhat related but does anyone else like driving in the dark? Like no other cars back roads in the middle of nowhere, the only light is from my instruments, radio, and headlights? Fucken peak especially out in the truly middle of nowhere with minimal light pollution with the cosmos visible.
- The Prius (and more historically Saab) used to have a near blackout mode which shut off interior lights and dash indicators, basically only leaving the indicator that shows your headlights are on. It was wonderful to drive with the blackout mode and just have your eyes perfectly adjusted to the light outside the cabin.
  
  I drive a lot of retro cars and can say that while there usually wasn't a dedicated mode you could turn down or off all of the interior lights. For example my 2001 Jeep Cherokee it's just turning the light knob (same applies for the '91) as for my 2001 Toyota Tacoma it's a matter of turning the dedicated knob that's funnily enough the same spot as the one on the Cherokee.
  
  That sounds really really nice.
- Agreed, I love this part of long drives to out of the way destinations. Definitely better in older cars without obnoxious touch screens.
  I enjoy some games that can simulate this too, like Elite Dangerous scooting around in the lander on the dark side of some barren planet deep in uninhabited space. Not the same as the real thing of course, but I still enjoy it.
- Then you pull aside, roll down the window, and hear nothing but the buzzing and chirping of whatever nature's out there. It's just... zen.
  I've always lived in pretty densely-populated areas, but a few years back I got to drive around eastern Arizona for a few hours at night. It was so dark and so empty, I felt like I was flying through space. I could've gone into a trance, had I not been somewhere unfamiliar (I had to keep some focus in this unfamiliar area with spotty cell reception, where I was alone, at night.)
- I try, but then that fucking clown shows up...
- Yes! I wish I could drive with out headlights but I know it’s too dangerous. I have incredibly good night vision even in my late 30s, I don’t need light at night why am I forced to use it??
  
  The lights are also so others can see you, not so relevant when you're really out away from civilization but there are many laws that require headlights to be on when windshield wipers are used

bolderdash

Yeah, why tf do people need to turn on my lights?
I'm not Vashta Nerada (I wish tho).
- Yes! Please let me be part of the flesh devouring hive mind colony that likes books and lives in the dark.
  
  It's the prefect life.

Also, we sometimes like the dark.
Would you like it if you were in a room with a comfortable lighting level and changed the lighting level to suit ourselves without saying anything first?
- I want a secret button that makes the room 100x brighter than normal lights so when this happens I can come back with, "idk how can you see in such dark spaces?" Then close my eyes and initate Operation Surface of the Sun.
  
  With home assistant and enough LED drivers you probably could.

“Why don’t you ever come out of your room?” flashbacks, lol

I find myself wearing my sunnies indoors more often than not. On days I forget and grab my regular glasses, switching over to the tinted lenses is literal full body relief as the light input is reduced.

Be honest. At least half the time, it's because you've forgotten lights are a thing.

I just hiss as I retreat under the bed.

"Does a vampire live in here"!?
flips switch*
- Haha I used to get this from grandma who always complains about the electric bill. Like im trying to save money!

Reminds me of an Aussie comedian who said that when someone turns the light on suddenly you get momentarily transported to hell.

Furthermore, other people turning OFF a light that's in another room because that's the precise amount of light I want where I'm at. Absolutely infuriating.

Wouldn’t them being in the dark bolster the argument that they are bats?
And if they were lost bats, what would turning the lights on be meant to do?
I should get that diagnosis. 😐
- I never denied I’m a bat, I’m simply not lost!

In my old gym there was a guy who liked to turn the lights off and then take showers in the mens locker room.
Neurodivergent or not, that's really weird.
- I'm guessing he is just self conscious. I never really liked showering around others. Even when I was really fit
  
  That could be. My first thought was... what's he doing in there that not having the light on is a necessity?
- Nah, dark showers are actually peak. I have my eyes closed for most of the time anyways. Unless I’m doing something like shaving, there’s no reason to have the lights on.
  I wouldn’t do it in public though…
  
  I used to have these cheap, waterproof light ball things, that could be either red, green, blue, or a slow transition between all three. They were designed for use in a pool, but I got them for my shower.
  They were absolutely perfect. If I was having trouble sleeping and decided to take a shower (which sometimes help me sleep), I could keep my night vision intact by setting the light balls to red. They provided plenty of light for me.
  I moved houses since then, however, and haven't seen them in years. I'm going to have to look around pool toy sections soon, see if I can find something else like them.
  
  I wouldn’t do it in public though…
  By all means, do your thing in the privacy of your own home. No shame in that.
- Why weren't the lights already off?
  
  In a public bathroom? Safety, don’t need people bumping into stuff, slipping and falling, not seeing what they could grab to break the fall etc

This is why I wear sunglasses when in the office, it’s too damn bright. If in the first one in then it’s always the next guy asking why I don’t have the lights on and I’m like cause I can see just fine like this.
- That’s always my question, like yall really need that much light to see?? Do their eyes just literally not work? Why would I need hella bright light to see normally?

i use light mode everywhere. i change color schemes to light, and create my own for applications that don't provide them.
i don't know why.
- It takes all types. No shame in having your own preferences ¯(ツ)/¯

Then you should know it's not good for you to sit in dark

- It's really not about being "the weird kid", some of us just legitimately have light sensitivity. Me and all my siblings have it, cause my mom has it. My dad is the only one who likes bright lights and the rest of us prefer darker lighting. Well I do like the sun, so not always, but most indoor lighting feels way brighter than sunlight and feels strange on my eyes.
- That's the annoying part. It's not performative.
  From my perspective, it's like most people just mindlessly stumble through the world how they've been taught. They turn on lights not because they need it, but because it's normal. They trust the label on the back of products over their own lived experience of using it.
  I like the dark. I like the sun. I like being able to see. I see just fine in the dark. Excess artificial lights make it so I see less. This isn't a me problem, this is you projecting
  I'm not being weird or edgy. I'm not inviting you to comment, I'm being comfortable. I'm so tired of pretending, it's fucking exhausting. I don't need to come into the light, I want to be acceped as I am, not what you think I should be. If you ask genuinely wanting to understand, I'd explain that I like it. I'm so tired of explaining myself to people asking "why are you sitting in the dark?"
- You're completely misreading this because you're assuming our brains work the same as neuro-typical brains when it comes to status seeking. The vast majority of autistic people couldn't care less about asserting a "cool flex". The whole point of posts like this is just to say, "this thing that you see as different is because we're different then you NTs and this is why". Being different is only inherently cool if you're an NT. We NEVER win that game, so we don't play it.
  In other words, this post is saying "don't tread on me because I'm different than you. There's a reason I do it this way." Your response is essentially "you're actually just like us, so you should just assimilate and learn to be like us. StOp bEinG So EDgy!"
  Also, this IS "the weird kid coming out into the light". You just don't like that what that looks like isn't what you expected or, apparently, wanted. No, the world wouldn't be a better place if everyone just saw it the way you do. That's an incredibly immature and self-centered perspective.
  If it seems like I'm irked by your comment, it's because I am. This is the exact BS NT people are always trying to cram down our throats without realizing how harmful it is to us. Just let people be who they are. We don't need the entire human race to look and function in pure homogeneous order.
  
  I know it took pain to write that, and thankfully the original comment that inspired it has been removed, but I wanted to thank you for writing your piece. From start to finish, you nailed your point, and I feel personally vindicated by reading your words. I've had to make the same argument so many times, for so many people who can't seem to comprehend that my differences aren't deliberate choices. In fact, sometimes I don't even realize I'm being "different."
  Anyway, I just wanted to let you know that your comment resonated with me strongly. I saved it for the next time I encounter this sort of situation, because you phrased things so perfectly that I don't think I can improve on it. Thank you.
- People: just trying to live their lives
  This dickhead: "you should be ashamed for being different. Maybe if you were normal the world would be a better place"
- "The world only exists in the way I experience it, and everyone else is a 'weird kid'."
  You
  Perhaps you should realise that it's not all about people trying to be weird, sometimes it's just ordinary life. Nothing needs fixing, no one needs to get better.
  Maybe your comment was bait, but still needs saying.

The light isn't being turned on for your sake.
- But they are quite likely in the dark for their sake and sudden bright light is not okay.
  
  I never said it was. I just said why the light was flipped on.
- No action whatsoever is being done purely for someone else's sake.
- But maybe I don't appreciate their presence and should wait their turn :)
- Often it is