“Spectrum” sounds scientific, but in practice, it often turns into muddy soup—especially when it comes to personality or neurodivergence.
Let’s take Asperger’s:
• It once had a distinct identity: high-IQ, hyper-focus, social quirks, and deep internal logic.
• Then the DSM-5 came along and dissolved it into Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)—a category so broad it now covers nonverbal individuals and tech CEOs alike.
It’s like calling a violin and a tuba both “sound spectrum devices.” Technically true. Practically useless.
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⚠️ Problems with Spectrum Thinking:
1. Blurring the lines kills clarity.
Everyone is “somewhere” on every spectrum, which makes it hard to identify meaningful difference.
2. Vagueness becomes a shield.
Institutions can avoid precision, accountability, or diagnosis by pointing to the “spectrum” and saying, “Well, everyone’s unique!”
3. It erodes identity.
Many with Asperger’s felt erased—replaced by a category that doesn’t reflect how they think, why they struggle, or what their strengths are.
4. It invites lazy science.
Without sharp categories, you lose the ability to do comparative analysis. Everything becomes soft curves and squishy “profiles.”