Those with ADHD spend 90% of their time imagining, thinking, doing everything and nothing. And to any observer they look stupid, or undisciplined, or lazy.
Like the hunt, when somebody with ADHD encounters an situation with very high (perceived) consequences, they will lock into intense hyperfocus, completely singular in their goal.
So the modes of operation are 1) philosophize and daydream or 2) hunt
Is this real? I have no idea, probably not, but it helps me reason about myself better than feeling like a permanent victim
So strange that I have said almost exactly these words. The characteristics that we depended on for survival as hunters now make life difficult in the middle class.
My theory extends to my desire for action and my risk taking behavior as a younger person.
There's a few theories out there around sensory processing difficulties, which I've been looking into a lot lately to pretty good effect. Check out The Highly Sensitive Person. (Seriously. get yourself a pair of earplugs and see how that alters your sense of focus on moderately interesting tasks, if it does anything, you should read the book). The TLDR is that when engaging in a task you have to reach the correct activation level to perform it, and it's a struggle for some people.
Some people think that a lot of ADHD people or misdiagnosed, others that it's just another symptom of ADHD.
Which is why some people have to fidget, or listen to music, or move around in order to get stuff done. Or why I'm a worse driver if I can't have the radio on.
The pinnacle of this for me was about half a dozen years ago, I was slugging out some code for a personal project. But I was also feeling nostalgic for an old movie (can't recall which, but let's say it was The Princess Bride). So I put it on in the background. But this isn't quite getting me in The Zone, so this is the scene my partner walks into:
I'm sitting on the couch typing. In all likelihood my knee is bouncing (makes laptops a bit tricky). There's 90's music coming out of my laptop, The Princess Bride is on the TV.
Her head is about to explode. You would think I was killing kittens. She has an ADHD diagnosis, and this plan I have enacted is so anathema to her coping mechanisms that she can't even bear to witness it. Which is too bad because I was getting rather a lot done.
I have had the exact same thought. I have imagined myself being predisposed to being a great hunter. I would have no problem just idling away, alone in nature all day, until the final moment came.
Well, you described me to a T. So, I'd say yes it's pretty accurate. I think there's also some overlap w/ ASD, which I think I may also have to an extent. Undiagnosed though on that front.
Those with ADHD spend 90% of their time imagining, thinking, doing everything and nothing. And to any observer they look stupid, or undisciplined, or lazy.
Like the hunt, when somebody with ADHD encounters an situation with very high (perceived) consequences, they will lock into intense hyperfocus, completely singular in their goal.
So the modes of operation are 1) philosophize and daydream or 2) hunt
Is this real? I have no idea, probably not, but it helps me reason about myself better than feeling like a permanent victim