What if we ran the world?

[fracturedstory]

If I ran the world today I would be ordering mass exterminations and arrests to see if it would lighten my mood.

So I don't think it's a good idea to put me in a position of power, seeing as I have this infatuation with atomic power. Yes that type of power.


In all seriousness, I think ADHD (my type at least with all the lovely co-morbidities) will never be a positive trait in any structure of society. I don't medicate for people but for myself. Unless there was a society where I could go back to bed and wake up at 3pm, then maybe I'll see things another way. I just don't know what to expect with ADHD, whether I'll get the country into a 10 billion trade deficit or I go to war with North Korea over a differing of opinions about Macgyver. I tells ya, I'm dangerous.

[Drewbacca]

Originally Posted by fracturedstory

In all seriousness, I think ADHD (my type at least with all the lovely co-morbidities) will never be a positive trait in any structure of society.

Sure. But that doesn't by necessity make it a negative trait either. It may be a negative trait in certain societal structures but not in all (especially in light of better preparation to deal with the disorder). It may also be a negative trait dependent on the additional coexisting conditions as you suggest.

Don't sell yourself short though. Despite your handicaps, you know much more about these disorders than the average person. Those of us who suffer have the most to gain from furthering knowledge. Look at Dr. Barkley's contributions, would he even care about ADHD if not for his own family connection to it? Who is to say that one of us (or one of our children) won't break free of the trap and discover some breakthrough that will benefit society as a whole?

[TheChemicals]

flaming clown? I like it....sounds catchy, comical, and ambigously gay.

[JOHNCG]

Originally Posted by ginniebean

John, what a gloomy gus! There's also a good chance you'd get laid which is generally quite a peaceful activity. It just so happens R Barkley brought together a couple hundred adders and they had an open bar tab, cost him over 20k but, no fights broke out, no rooms in the hotel were wrecked.. can't tell ya if babies were conceieved but.. good chance.. some had more fun than they were planning on

Yes, I heard him mention that incident. My theory is that because the bar was open, those ADHDer set about getting so P****D, so rapidly, that they were pretty soon incapable of any physical aggression.

Secondly, yes, I agree 100% there's a good chance that I would get laid at an alcohol-fuelled, ADHDer party AND according to Barkley's (2008)research, then find myself having to deal with an unwanted pregnancy and one or more sexually-transmitted diseases as a result !!

[fracturedstory]

I'm not a violent drunk but I've been so drunk I start talking crap, getting extremely anxious and bursting into tears. When I've had a few drinks I can be a cheerful drinking buddy. It's a pity those days are over.

[fracturedstory]

Originally Posted by Drewbacca

Sure. But that doesn't by necessity make it a negative trait either. It may be a negative trait in certain societal structures but not in all (especially in light of better preparation to deal with the disorder). It may also be a negative trait dependent on the additional coexisting conditions as you suggest.

Don't sell yourself short though. Despite your handicaps, you know much more about these disorders than the average person. Those of us who suffer have the most to gain from furthering knowledge. Look at Dr. Barkley's contributions, would he even care about ADHD if not for his own family connection to it? Who is to say that one of us (or one of our children) won't break free of the trap and discover some breakthrough that will benefit society as a whole?

I'm not selling myself short. I alternate between self loathing and egomania. Hence the preference for tyranny if I ever was to become a leader.

I just can't see any benefit of ADHD if the societal structure was changed. I suppose I'm so used to the ways of the world in organisation and just getting through life that I can't see it any other way. I'm a creature of routine even if this routine doesn't work for me.

I have a pretty jaded view of society and by 'benefit' I can't stop thinking of a complete restructuring of society, but that's probably not what you meant. It depends what you mean by 'benefiting society.' Do I really want to contribute to this mass consumerist culture all with the same views being fed to them by the media? My own little trilogy is supposed to hint at the affect of digital technology on our brains and about the nature of man who is doomed to repeat the same mistakes over and over again, even when given the chance to change when all the evidence of their future exploits is laid out for them.
But a book can do very little to change society. Oh sorry, benefit it. Still, I do like controversial plots.

[ginniebean]

Originally Posted by JOHNCG

Yes, I heard him mention that incident. My theory is that because the bar was open, those ADHDer set about getting so P****D, so rapidly, that they were pretty soon incapable of any physical aggression.

Aaaaah, well due to the variety of my job history I spent quite a bit of time as a bartender. I assure you, many people set out to get loaded, pretty rapidly. And in my experience that can be dangerous. In terms of violence. That's most certainly no guarantee.

Secondly, yes, I agree 100% there's a good chance that I would get laid at an alcohol-fuelled, ADHDer party AND according to Barkley's (2008)research, then find myself having to deal with an unwanted pregnancy and one or more sexually-transmitted diseases as a result !!

Hahahahahahaahaha There are just too many funny things I could say here... But self restraint... Thank goodness I'm not tired.

[Fuzzy12]

Originally Posted by Drewbacca

Sure. But that doesn't by necessity make it a negative trait either. It may be a negative trait in certain societal structures but not in all (especially in light of better preparation to deal with the disorder). It may also be a negative trait dependent on the additional coexisting conditions as you suggest.

Don't sell yourself short though. Despite your handicaps, you know much more about these disorders than the average person. Those of us who suffer have the most to gain from furthering knowledge. Look at Dr. Barkley's contributions, would he even care about ADHD if not for his own family connection to it? Who is to say that one of us (or one of our children) won't break free of the trap and discover some breakthrough that will benefit society as a whole?

If ADHDers ran the world, I can imagine that it would be a very different world but not necessarily a better one. I don't think an ADHD world would be more fun, I think it would be chaos.

ADHDers aren't fundamentally different to NTs; we are just impaired & less efficient NTs. We don't have any extra abilities (as far as I know) but we are less skilled in the traits required for human social development.

Building (or running) a society requires forethought, planning (with the future firmly in mind), team working, organisation, perseverance and prioritising. I can see how an ADHDer can make a good life for himself far away from the constraints that the current structure of society places on us as long as he can prioritise long term survival over instant thrills. I don't see though how a settlement of several ADHDers can live together peacefully and constructively.

A big casualty, I think, would be technology and therefore modern conveniences. I guess, as ADHDers every second of us would be able to invent the wheel but to develop this idea and be able to produce it on a mass scale requires exactly the skills that we lack. I guess, we'd hardly make it out of caves. Can you imagine ADHDers working patiently in an organised fashion to build solid houses? I can't even imagine that we have the patience to make fire using flint stones. Maybe one ADHDer can do it once by hyper focussing but would enough ADHDers be able to make fire to turn it into something truly lasting and productive?

Would our social skills even be enough to procreate in large enough numbers?

Yes, we can compensate for our ADHD symptoms but we can't make up for them (again, assuming that a society of only ADHDers won't be able to discover and mass produce stimulant medication).

Evolution doesn't favour impairments. However, if the majority of humans had been more ADHD like from our very beginnings then through evolution we might have developed other skills to help us progress and function as a society. But then we wouldn't be humans with ADHD, we would be biologically complete different entities to what currently constitutes a human.

I think.

[TheChemicals]

Nah it would be fun.

[fracturedstory]

Dear future ADHD overlords,

please get rid of the flashing lights and unclutter society.
Close the Fed Reserve Bank too.
Don't exploit your people or there will be a revolution. A intensely focused meticulously organised revolution.

Thanking you in advance,
concerned citizen

[ginniebean]

Originally Posted by fracturedstory

Dear future ADHD overlords,

please get rid of the flashing lights and unclutter society.
Close the Fed Reserve Bank too.
Don't exploit your people or there will be a revolution. A intensely focused meticulously organised revolution.

Thanking you in advance,
concerned citizen

I'll keep this in mind. Do I get minions? I think billboards should go too, they are clutter.

[sarahsweets]

I think the borders of all states/nations should be maned by ugly trolls under a bridge.

[Retromancer]

We've got the troll...

Fremont Troll

Originally Posted by sarahsweets

I think the borders of all states/nations should be maned by ugly trolls under a bridge.

[Drewbacca]

Originally Posted by fracturedstory

Do I really want to contribute to this mass consumerist culture all with the same views being fed to them by the media?

Point noted. I'll be sure to send you the vaccine before I destroy the world.

Originally Posted by Fuzzy12

I think.

We're like high end race cars that require more gas and someone to change the tires. The new world wouldn't be entirely made up of ADHD, we'd have NTs around to pay the bills and rotate the tires. It isn't a catastrophe waiting to happen so long as we have slaves, er um, significant others to complement our faults.

When the alien invasion comes, we will be spared due to our brains not accepting the brainwashing. Most NTs will go off with our new overlords to their home planet where they will be raised as cattle. We ADHD on the other hand, won't be worth the bother, so they'll just leave us to be on this planet. Fortunately, by the second generation, NTs will be reborn and able to do boring and repetitive tasks.

[E_Mac09]

Originally Posted by JOHNCG

A society dominated by ADHD - because it seriously limits the ability of those afflicted with the disorder to engage in meaningful interpersonal relationships - would be a violent, primitive place, incompatible with civilized human life as we now know it. Personally, I would not like to live in it.

You mean I get to live out all my "me being a post-apocalyptic badass" fantasies?

Sounds like fun lol.