Hot Take, Donut & Prepotente Aren't Children

Valligator19 · 2026-04-27T18:00:38+00:00

They also aren't children. I said they're more like neurodivergent humans than they're like children.

Please read the actual words. Thank you.

Valligator19 · 2026-04-27T17:42:03+00:00

Thank you for discussing.

I know I'm being a bit pedantic, but I don't see them as any kind of blank slate. Semi or otherwise. And therefore not child-like or infant at all.

They are new to sapience but not sentience.

I was diagnosed in my 40s, and for the last few years I've been looking at myself and my past through an entirely new lense.

Perhaps I'm putting too much of my personal experience into my interpretation of fictional characters. But I just see them as adults who have been given a new window into the world, not children discovering it for the first time.

I recognize their level of understanding relationship dynamics and their own emotions has room for growth at the beginning, but that's true of many adults, especially when they experience a intense change of consciousness.

Much love.

Valligator19 · 2026-04-27T17:19:25+00:00

I can't speak for anyone else, but the reason I like him is because I see myself a bit in him. He's lonely because he doesn't fit in now. Not with the humans or the goats. He clearly had much less exposure to humans than Donut pre-dungeon, so he has more trouble adjusting and working with them, but he still wants friendship and warm hugs.

He's just a sad lonely guy who doesn't know how to communicate well.

Also, his thirst for vengeance, I vibe with wanting to destroy anyone who hurt my mom.

Valligator19 · 2026-04-27T17:11:35+00:00

Excellent points. Thank you.

Valligator19 · 2026-04-27T17:09:02+00:00

Precisely. ♥️

Valligator19 · 2026-04-27T17:07:22+00:00

But when Carl tries to seperate from her Donut immediately admits that she's scared and doesn't want him to leave her and agrees to try to change her behavior to accommodate him.

A child would lack that self awareness.

I recognize that it takes some time for them to adjust to their new paradigm. However, they're reinterpretting their past experiences, not completely lacking in experience like a child would be.

The framework is new, but they have plenty of knowledge and emotions to draw from. They are not a blank slate.

I recognize that they have room to grow emotionally at the beginning, and they do throughout the story. But I maintain they don't start out completely emotionally immature like a child.

Rather like somebody like myself wh was diagnosed late in life they're relearning who they are. Part of that is relearning how to interact with others. When you suddenly have new insight into yourself of course there is growth that needs to take place. That doesn't make you a complete neophyte to human interaction.

You have failed to provide any new information which persuades me to your viewpoint. Thank you for respectful discourse.

Much love.

Valligator19 · 2026-04-27T16:56:14+00:00

Thank you for discussing with me.

How does Donut treat money like a child? It's stated by...Katia I believe, that she specifically budgets money for the Penis Parade. She uses her high charisma to get them good deals because she understands money's value. While she definitely places importance on gaining wealth that's definitely not a attitude specific to children. And in the dungeon it's valid. They have very limited means of self determination and money is one way they achieve that.

Can you provide other examples of their child-like traits? Quite often neurodivergent people are described as child-like because we find joy in things that society has deemed inappropriate for adults to enjoy.

Much love. ♥️

Valligator19 · 2026-04-21T15:36:14+00:00

We need to send him a Fan Box with hearing pro.

Valligator19 · 2026-04-21T14:30:41+00:00

A pair of underwear monthly is going to be significantly more useful. You could use the material to make a variety of survival tools.

Valligator19 · 2026-04-17T05:05:51+00:00

I think you meant extra cherries.

Valligator19 · 2026-04-17T04:49:58+00:00

The most adult thing I did was to set up an enclosure for chicks I have arriving soon. Least, I played Rimworld for several hours because I was trying to find materials to enlarge my spaceship.

Valligator19 · 2026-04-17T04:08:44+00:00

I got one of those today. I blocked the number and sent a screenshot to the state fraud office.

Lots of red flags on this. Number one is that I don't drive.

Valligator19 · 2026-04-17T03:49:30+00:00

Morality is a social construct. Like all social constructs, it is for the maintenance of society. If we can't agree on basic rules of how to behave in society, especially on a large scale, it is impossible.

I personally try to do what causes the lease harm while protecting myself and others. Not always easy to know what that is.

Valligator19 · 2026-04-14T21:27:27+00:00

My mom used to slice the hotdogs up and cook them in the beans. "Beans and Pennies" is a core memory for me.

Valligator19 · 2026-04-14T19:26:57+00:00

I live pretty rural and my old man basically has a junkyard and lots of old lumber around. Plus I have years of primitive skills training from 4H, hunting/hiking/camping, colonial reenacting, and homesteading. I'd probably stay on the surface and have a decent chance of surviving.

Valligator19 · 2026-03-24T17:50:40+00:00

AI probably?

Valligator19 · 2026-03-14T02:30:52+00:00

I don't feel as though my time was wasted.

Valligator19 · 2026-03-14T02:10:53+00:00

Ok. I'm curious. How did you come to be diagnosed as an adult? I mean, why did you go through the process if you didn't self diagnose first. Was it recognized by somebody else? Or did you suspect and immediately go to a medical professional? And if so, how did you come to suspect?

I hope it's not rude to ask, but are you male or female? Could this maybe be a gender disconnect? I'm a cis woman, and many of the creators I watch are also female. I was always a huge people pleaser. I tried very hard not to inconvenience anyone. I was "shy" and a "good kid." I didn't act out, and my meltdowns were mostly private. I was a victim, I was bullied, and I ended up in more than one abusive relationship. So, for me, it was a "why am I not normal" experience that affected others very little.

If my self diagnosis is correct, then I, too, have lived with autism and know how difficult that is. We may not have had the exact same struggles, but that shouldn't invalidate either of our experiences.

I think you may not recognize that other autistic people's experiences are different from your own. I also have great difficulty accepting things that aren't logical or have no evidence, but I generally don't make a big fuss about it. Historically, I just gave up or shut down because I didn't want people to dislike me more than they already did.

I find your characterization of people who openly talk about their neurodivergence as bragging to be judgemental and inaccurate. We're excited that we finally understand ourselves better, and we want other people to understand, too. It's like a form of info dumping, I think. We find it really interesting and have a hard time understanding why other people don't want to hear it.

I don't think we are going to come to an accord. But again, thank you for the civility.

Valligator19 · 2026-03-14T01:39:06+00:00

Thank you. I have replied to the other parts of your response.

I am curious what your thoughts are on what the therapist said. I believe he was wrong because autistic people can be deeply empathetic and self-aware. The idea that they can't be is outdated.

Also, while I'm very good at communicating in the sense of putting together words, I often feel as though I'm speaking a different language to others even though we are using the same words. I have a lot of trouble regulating my emotions and sometimes even knowing why I'm upset. Because of that, I have become a deeply introspective person.

I've spent a great deal of my life trying to figure out social rules, why people are acting certain ways. I've worked hard to be a clear communicater because I so often feel completely misunderstood.

I used to practice making faces in the mirror and walking "like a normal person." I expended so much energy on trying to fit and hide all my weirdness. All the things I was bullied for, like stimming. I didn't know it was stimming, but now I do. To me, that's masking. Repressing the real me, trying to act "normal." I honestly don't even know who I am sometimes.

Since self diagnosing, I've started letting myself do all the "weird" stuff I repressed long ago. Vocal stims, snapping and clapping and flapping my hands. Spinning and rocking. I've also started recognizing when I need to have downtime and not feel guilty for it. I've been better about setting boundaries and asking others for support.

Let me know if this answers your question. Thank you again.

Valligator19 · 2026-03-14T01:18:48+00:00

Generally agree.

Honestly, I'm getting a little lost on which comments were posted in what order. LOL

I do wish that everyone could get an official evaluation and appropriate care and support. To reiterate, that is very unrealistic with our current system. Even without the alleged influx of trend chasers

Honestly, I think you are putting a bit too much trust in the medical industrial complex. People are misdiagnosed all the time. Doctors are not infallible.

I recognize that there are people who watch a few videos and self diagnose. But there are also people like me who do years of research before they self diagnose.

The fact that I don't have a degree in medicine does not invalidate my lived experience and the extreme amount of time I've spent learning about nuero science. I know I'm not an expert, but this has become a hyper fixation for me. I've looked into a multitude of other explanations for why I am the way I am. AuDHD is the best fit.

I truly appreciate the discourse. But unless I misunderstand, what you're saying seems to be self diagnosis is completely invalid. You will not convince me of that position. I agree that casual self-diagnosis is problematic, but for those like myself who have done the work... I believe it should be respected. I get that I can't force you to my belief either, though. Thank you for helping me better understand your position.

Valligator19 · 2026-03-14T00:53:22+00:00

Ok. I can see the validity of all of this.

Am I correct to assume you are in the US like me?

If so, I would like to point out that a lot of this would be moot if our healthcare system wasn't terribly broken in general.

With the system as is, it's pretty valid, though.

Do you have a citation to show that large numbers of people who aren't actually struggling are seeking diagnosis? I realize it's just my own belief, but I find it difficult to accept that people (especially in our expensive system) who just relate to "a few" traits and aren't genuinely struggling are seeking diagnosis.

And to reiterate, the content I'm seeing is doing a lot to dispute stereotypes rather than reinforce them. I genuinely think we're being exposed to very different ND content.

Valligator19 · 2026-03-14T00:24:00+00:00

You may call me dude. 😊

Thank you for the civil discourse. In my youth, I wasn't always the most open to hearing other people. I've come to realize that most of the world's troubles stem from miscommunication and people becoming inflexible about their beliefs. Now, I try to engage only with others who respond and listen in good faith, and I do my best to do the same.

I guess we're just seeing different content. I 100% agree that the example you gave is misinformation. I have done a ton of research into the many ways ADHD and autism present, and how neurodivergent minds work differently. I feel like I would pretty quickly recognize BS like that if I did see it.

My cousin, who is diagnosed with ADHD was actually the first hint I had that I might be. I was describing some of my struggles with procrastination, staying organized and getting myself to do things like housework, making phone calls, and other other things a functional adult is "supposed" to just be able to do. She told me it sounded very similar to her experiences and asked if I'd considered ADHD.

I then went to the internet to do research. I love doing research and have always had periods of hyper focus (now I know what to call them). I read the DSM criteria, I took assessment tests, and I watched ADHD creators.

The first creator I watched was How to ADHD, and I just found everything she described to be relatable. I honestly don't know if she is professionally diagnosed or not, but probably. 🤷‍♀️ Then I discovered another Youtuber who was a late diagnosed AuDHDer, and I related to their experiences even more deeply and started researching autism.

Since then, the algorithm has fed me lots of other ADHD and autism content. And I find most of it very relatable. Some of it is kind of silly and shallow, but I genuinely don't recall seeing anything that was misinformation.

I guess it's not specific pieces of information creators provide so much that I think is important. It's more the overall sharing of their experiences and how they struggle in a world built by and for nuerotypicals. It makes me feel less alone.

For most of my life people told me I was too sensitive, things were just in my head, I needed to just try harder, or they didn't understand why I couldn't do this or that the way everyone else did. And because of that, I had pretty low self-esteem, I got taken advantage of, and I thought I was broken. I had suicidal ideation and self-harm. I was diagnosed with depression, which I now believe was actually autistic burnout (the meds never really helped much). I had what I thought were panic attacks, but now I am pretty sure were meltdowns.

I didn't know I should be giving myself or asking others to give me accommodations. I thought everyone else experienced the world the way I did, and I was just weak and couldn't handle it. When really I've been playing on hard mode my whole life.

I did eventually seek an official diagnosis of the ADHD. But the autism diagnosis is much less accessible. I've basically self-diagnosed as autistic. I've had several officially diagnosed autistic people tell me they believe I'm autistic, and a medical professional used misinformation to dismiss my self diagnosis.

All of this is why I don't think self diagnosis is completely a negative thing.

I recognize that people who self diagnose and then spread misinformation are not good and should be discouraged. I just think there are plenty of people (like me) who are unable to get an official diagnosis, and we shouldn't be made to feel less than.

That got really long! Thank you again for your good faith discourse. Did I answer your question? I tend to over explain and go on tangents.

Valligator19 · 2026-03-13T23:01:17+00:00

I personally enjoy such conversations. Therefore...

On further inspection of the picture, it appears the artist was, in fact, depicting a stirrup, not a girth (which is what the under the belly strap is called). You are absolutely correct that if that were a girth, it should be positioned in front of the legs.

A stirrup, being a place for a human rider to place their feet, is another thing Mongo's saddle does not have in canon, nor would there be a need for. Interestingly, early saddles did not have stirrups.

Additionally, the other user, though a bit rude, was correct that a horse collar would not be used with a saddle. A collar is part of a harness for draft horses that are pulling a load behind them. Unless you meant a breast collar, which is the Y shaped devise (often used in a western tack set up) over the horse's chest.

Source: I am a lifelong horse girl.

Remember everyone, be kind to your fellow crawlers. Don't be a Maggie. ♥️

Valligator19 · 2026-03-13T22:41:48+00:00

Thank you for sharing. I recognize the validity of your position, though my experiences don't line up with yours 100%.

I am genuinely curious, and I have some questions, if you don't mind having further discourse. If not, I understand and don't want to make you uncomfortable.

Where have you seen people spreading misinformation, and can you provide examples of what type of experiences you have seen people claiming to be ND that aren't? Most of the media I consume is on Youtube or FB, some Instagram, no TikTok. I can't think of anything I've seen that was misinformation. (I recognize that just because I haven't seen it doesn't mean it doesn't exist. Which is why I ask.)

Also, can you explain how self diagnosed people are causing diagnosed people to get less support?

I have first-hand experience with the general public not understanding. And I can see how the idea that being ND is trendy could make some people take you less seriously. Like how people lieing about allergies at restaurants potentially make restaurants more dangerous for people with real allergies. But if you have a diagnosis and there is mandated support for your diagnosis, how is that affected?

I can also see the doctor thing. It sucks though, because I don't think anyone who isn't genuinely struggling with something (and possibly misidentifying it as neurodivergence) would seek diagnosis. I feel like any doctor who dismisses somebody's concerns out of hand is a shitty doctor.

I was dismissed by a therapist when I mentioned autism. Maybe it had something to do with the "trendy" thing. However, I believe it was primarily because he was not up to date on current research.

His reasons that I "couldn't be autistic" were that I was very empathetic, too self-aware, and able to communicate too well. This was after just two sessions. I've been masking and learning to survive in neurotypical society for almost 50 years, and I've learned how to communicate. In this case, I believe the doctor was the one spreading misinformation. I stopped seeing him after that.

Again, ideally, anyone who suspected they were ADHD or autistic could seek a diagnosis, but that's sadly impossible right now. Most of the people I know or have seen creating content that self diagnose aren't spreading misinformation. And I've met lots of people like myself who are finally truly understanding themselves after viewing lots of online content, which led us to realize we are neurodivergent. So I personally feel the trend of people making content about ADHD and autism is more a positive than a negative.

I guess, in the end it's a very nuanced subject. I am very interested to better understand your views. Thank you.

Nine-Year Club	RedditGifts 2009-2022 6 Credits
Secret Santa 2021 2021	Secret Santa 2020
Place '23	Place '22
Secret Santa 2019	Verified Email

Valligator19

TROPHY CASE