My wife, ever the empathetic, reminds me constantly that Elon is not neurotypical. He has aspergers, and that can explain some of his bluntness, some of his work-life demands, etc.
I don't want to generalize or stereotype ASD in general, but it does produce tangible differences in how people relate to the world.
Aspergers does not explains his behavior. It does not explain grandiosity, oversensitivity, lying, egoism and so on. Also, Musk is pretty good at negotiating, manipulating and can be very charming, people with asperger are usually opposite.
So, that diagnosis is some minor influence somewhere, but does not explains the rest.
I think elon is such a Rorschach blot that people see the evils of capitalism, woes of mental health, drug use, virtuousness of free market ideals, entrepreneurial godhood, corruption of wealth and political power, blah blah, depending on their priors.
Things people say about him reveal more about the speaker than the subject, I mean.
> There’s a common idea that surrounds autistic people, especially those with above-average intellectual ability. This idea states that we have no empathy, that we’re robots who will never understand relationships, that we’re incapable of acting human. TV Tropes calls it Disability as an Excuse for Jerkassery, and notes that Asperger’s is a favorite excuse. The Autistic Jerk has become such an ingrained idea, many people expect and assume that we are going to be assholes. But I’m here to tell you: the autistic jerk is just a jerk who happens to be autistic.
I think you're reading into my comment a bit too much. I never intended to over-generalize or stereotype anyone with ASD, and didn't use any negative words re: Elon or aspergers.
I don't want to generalize or stereotype ASD in general, but it does produce tangible differences in how people relate to the world.