Episode 291: Thumbs-Up - The Grief of Nonresponse

Today’s episode explores the concept of “thought-terminating clichés” and the profound impact of non-responsive or dismissive communication, particularly on autistic individuals who are gestalt language processors (GLPs). It highlights how seemingly simple replies like a thumbs-up emoji or common phrases such as “It is what it is” can create a “ghost gestalt,” representing an incomplete or aborted conversation and a failure to truly connect or engage. The author of the source article, Dr. Jaime Hoerricks, argues that these responses prioritise the speaker’s comfort over genuine interaction, leading to a “grief of nonresponse” and underscoring a need for “communication justice” that respects diverse communicative styles and values depth and resonance over superficial closure.

Here’s the link to the source article: https://open.substack.com/pub/autside/p/thumbs-up-is-not-a-reply-on-ghost

Let me know what you think.