Episode
125. What If We Are Not a Glitch in the System?
- Podcast
- Crazy Together
- Published
- Jul 23, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 2880
- Processing state
not_requested- Canonical source
- https://crazytogetherpod.podbean.com/e/125-what-if-we-are-not-a-glitch-in-the-system/
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Summary
What if neurodivergence isn’t some sort of genetic glitch? What if our facility with hyperfocus, pattern recognition, and rapid threat detection are actually vital survival advantages that have enabled the evolution of all people? What if, against all odds, we are the linchpin of human survival? In this week’s episode, Marcus and Esme discuss a fairly new hypothesis about the evolution of neurodivergent conditions. The evolutionary case for neurodivergence theorizes that conditions like ADHD, autism, and dyslexia are not genetic ”mistakes”. Instead, they represent natural variations in human cognition that played a vital role in enabling ancestral human groups to adapt and thrive. Marcus and Esme also explore how this evolutionary reframing supports one of their favorite theories. Specifically, that the high rates of depression and anxiety among neurodivergent people are not the result of “disordered brains,” but the inevitable outcome of living in a modern world that was not built with us in mind. Victory laps and suggestions for creating a better world for neurodivergent people abound in this very special episode.