I have a theory that autistic people are generally personally (small c) conservative while being politically (capital L) Liberal. There are a number of reasons for this.

First of all, we tend to not like change very much, at least change that is unpredictable or that we cannot control. We have many “rules” we write for ourselves and we construct many processes and if-then statements to define how we get through our days. When externally imposed disruption occurs, we tend to become quite distraught and it is very difficult to recover. We rely on our routines even though they very often go completely unnoticed by others. This also makes us relatively self-reliant. When those structures and processes are allowed to be developed and honed and not actively shunned or sabotaged by others, we tend to be quite resilient.

It is precisely because we know how hard we have to work to maintain our routines and structures that we are also hesitant to act in any way to mess with any such routines of others. It doesn’t really matter what someone else is doing to get through their life, as long as it isn’t harming others. I don’t know any autistic person who would knowingly take an action that would limit someone’s free expression. We have little use for stuffiness or arbitrary expectations of conformity, especially when it comes to appearance. Appearance does not dictate anything other than how we felt like dressing or coloring our hair that day. We generally have a live and let live attitude toward others.

I also think most autistic people would choose to help others, if given the opportunity. We don’t tend to be biased about physical or character traits in others. Concepts such as universal basic income and Medicare for all are pretty intuitive. Eliminating those stresses for many people at the bottom of our income scale would serve as an investment in the economic system and we would all be better off.

The world would be a better place if more autistic people went into politics. If one were able to get elected, their personal ethics would be impeccable and it is highly unlikely they would ever get caught in a lie, but they might stick their foot in their mouth from time to time. It would also be wonderful to have someone to look up to who really knows and understands the struggles of living in the world as an autistic person.