Sadhguru answers a question about autism and explains that different human beings come with different capabilities, and there is no need to compare one with another.

Full Transcript:

Sadhguru: Someone who is autistic means at a certain level - sometimes it can be very bad, that’s different - at a certain level, one thing that’s happened is not much input gets into him from outside world. Sometimes it’s a blessing. Somebody normal means, there is too much external input. So, because of the kind of societies that we have created which are absurd and twisted out if you ask me, because of that as you were mentioning a certain time of life, as if it’s problem - teenage means problem, middle age means problem, old age means problem. (Laughter) So, only death is no problem. (Laughter) Isn’t it… isn’t this so? People think teenage is problem, middle age is problem, old age is problem. What is not the problem? Only death. (Laughs)

So, the only time they are peaceful and still is when they are dead. Unfortunate - this is not what a human being is made for. But we have structured everything like that, that a man can never find rest in his life. Rest does not mean physical rest. There is no one moment of ease, simply. These structured societies where you have house mortgage which is for thirty years, a car mortgage which is for ten years, an education loan which is twenty two years - you got a life term. You’re doing your time in a(n) open prison.

Time 122:47

So, in such a situation, any sensitive human being will become withdrawn and miserable unless they are heavily equipped or completely insensitive. Yes, we’re creating such societies. This is our idea of civilization unfortunately. So, about the boy, without seeing him, we cannot say what can be done. We do not know what’s the level of perception. But if he is happy, what’s the problem? Somebody thinks he is not normal, so what? That way no… none of you are normal in my perception. (Laughter) So, it’s okay. If he is happy, it doesn’t matter. Maybe he can’t do a few things that others do. There’re whole lot of people who cannot do what somebody else does here, isn’t it? Isn’t it so? Isn’t that true with every one of us? So what? He can’t do certain things. Never compare one human being with another. If you compare one with the other, everybody is abnormal. Yes or no? Tell… Show me one normal human being here.

If you hold any one person as normal standard, there is nobody else like him. That means everybody else is abnormal. So, do not compare and put these titles on children - this one is autistic, this one is ADH, that one is XYZ - it’s not needed. Different people have different levels of competence and capability. It’s okay. If it’s causing pain and uncontrolled misery, then we must be concerned about it. If it is not, it’s fine. You think all of you have the same level of brain, I am asking you? You agree with me. (Laughs)

So, don’t put any titles on the boy. He is just another piece of life like anybody else. It’s fine? His capabilities may not be the same as somebody else. That means he cannot be a cog in the larger machine. I am very happy for that. I would like to see every child grows up like that, not to grow up as a cog in a large monstrous machine we have created, but, every individual blossoms as an individual human being. Maybe our economy then will not be touching some mad peaks which are anyway… When I look at the economy touching mad peaks, I know we are heading for destruction straight. Yes, we are. We have created an economic engine into which you have to feed your children as fuel. Yes, I want you to get this straight.

We have built a huge monstrous machine where your children are the fuel. You are anyway burning, you are preparing your children for the next load of fuel to be burnt. From the age of six, “What will you become, what will you become, what will you become?” “What will I become? What am I supposed to become?” (Laughs) “No, no. Will you become doctor or engineer? Tell me what will you become, what will you become? How much money will you make?” What is this rubbish? Have we lost it? We’ve definitely lost it in terms of life.

So, at least one boy will not be a cog in the machine and I am happy and it’s time every parent thinks straight whether you want to feed them as fuel into that monstrous machine which is eating up the whole planet. Yes? It’s not making anybody happy. It’s just burning the whole planet. And if you don’t feed your children into this machine, at least it will slow down a bit. You can’t stop the monster, but you can slow it down. Your girl, you send her here. We will make here nice and send her back. (Laughs) Yes.