Yes, as an autistic person, other people’s emotions as I imagine them to exist can overwhelm me so much that I have to shut down.

That’s a mixed bag, I guess. The story I am serializing on Medium right now about my friend who acquired HIV on purpose derives much of its power from my ability to imagine and channel intense emotion.

But I could not live my life in that kind of state. It would cripple me.

I love how you explain the difference between feeling and acting. Truly, what we do for other people matter so much more than what we feel.