Where this was said
Neurodivergence, Memory, and the Silicon Valley Romanticization
At 1:13:31 · chapter starts 1:10:25
Dax describes how a chance remark from ADHD expert Gabor Maté led him to embrace the patterns he recognizes in himself. Norton is skeptical of the broader culture around these labels — specifically Silicon Valley's tendency to romanticize being on the autism spectrum as a personality brand, with people who are 'basically just assholes' claiming it as a superpower. [1] — Edward Norton "Norton says Silicon Valley has done a number on society by romanticizing the idea of being on the autism spectrum. Too many people who are …" 1:17:10 Yet Norton is willing to discuss his own extraordinary memory. He describes it as fundamentally auditory and eidetic: if he hears or speaks something once with focus, he essentially has it permanently. He learns lines by saying them aloud. He connects this to his father, a U.S. attorney litigator — combining a perfect memory with cross-examination instincts creates real relational friction. Esther Perel has given him tips.
Young creativity is often about defining yourself — a flex. If you're lucky enough to keep creating into maturity, you arrive at a place where it's more about discovery: walking into a room without predispositions, making yourself available to what comes, and finding things better than what you planned.
