I sense, Kassy, your concern for Greta’s well-being. Perhaps Svante, her father, should direct more attention towards Greta’s psychosocial stability, instead of having her take a break from school and traveling the world. But she is a woman with a mission. Greta describes herself before she found her niche in life. “Before I started school striking I had no energy, no friends and I didn’t speak to anyone. I just sat alone at home, with an eating disorder.” According to Malena, her mother, Greta “cried at night when she should be sleeping. She cried on her way to school. She cried in her classes and during her breaks, and the teachers called home almost every day.”
Greta has become a role model, not only for tackling climate change, but also for shedding light on Asperger’s syndrome. Her special abilities speak to a different way of looking at things, depending on how one’s brain is wired, and attention is called to embracing “neurodiversity.” Everyone has a special gift to bestow.
There is greater awareness to the experience of people “who are different”, who ae bullied, and shunned, which Greta and many others have experienced. Some media outlets referred to her as “mentally ill” (Michael Knowles on Fox News), or “deeply disturbed” (Australian News Corp columnist Andrew Bolt), and US President Donald Trump comparing her to the Red and White queens of Alice in Wonderland.
Maybe someday, the genetic bases for neurodiversity will be understood, and perhaps linked to NPA personality, to better inform us about ourselves.
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