Five Hidden Ways That Being a High-Masking Autistic Person Affects Me

A glimpse into what life really looks like behind closed doors.

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When you think about animals in the wild, you’ll probably have noticed that most of them are camouflaged against their background, right?

Big, fierce lions can literally disappear into knee high grass. Coyotes can easily blend into their snowy surroundings. Lizards are virtually undetectable in green grass.

Yet, there’s one particular, curious animal that stands out in the wild, unless they’re grouped together: zebras.

Researchers from the University of Queensland believe that one reason zebras may have stripes is because the black and white patterns dazzle and confuse predators (and biting insects), especially when zebras move as a herd.

For zebras, there’s safety in numbers.

So, doesn’t it make sense the same logic go for people too? Especially when we’re growing up, we’re subconsciously taught to camouflage ourselves against “the herd” for protection. To avoid standing out.

And even though lions aren’t going to chase us down these days, that fundamental human motivation and behaviour still remains in all of us. So, just imagine what it’s like to be different. And to have a hard time camouflaging with the rest…