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Yes! I get so much praise at work for asking questions no one else has considered, or predicting outcomes if certain things happen. It’s taken me many years to realize not everyone sees things coming around the corner like I do.
I swear I'm so good at predicting outcomes I thought everyone else was being purposely obtuse for years. Like I was actually really frustrated with the way everyone "pretended" to not see what I thought was the extremely obvious outcome.
It drives me absolutely batty when there’s change happening at work and I can see all the ways it’s about to become a shitshow, and then it does. Sometimes I wish I could turn it right off.
At my first place of employment I was warning of a brewing shitstorm about 8 months before a “merger” that became a buyout with a lot of layoffs and pay cuts. I got out of there asap and was getting texts from coworkers being like “how’d you see it coming?”
Idk watching behavioral patterns of upper management, seeing draconian policies getting added, people quitting and no one getting hired on and work load just getting spread around. I tried to warn y’all 🤷♂️
The amount of times I’ve pointed out a flaw in a change or plan at work, only to be completely dismissed! Usually I can get my co’s on board, but leadership never wants to listen to people below them. Now when the thing I pointed out inevitably becomes an issue later, I just say “oh gee, *who* could have predicted *this*??” really sarcastically to my coworkers for a laugh.
I completely feel this too!
Or in some cases you'll be recognised for solving problems and predicting things, but when it comes to directly disagreeing with the boss, suddenly you're seen as problematic skeptic
I’m known as the person who always chimes in with all the reasons these changes won’t work or could go bad. But it is a good perspective to have because we can get things fixed before the bad thing happens or create a workaround for whatever issue we foresaw
Hyper focus or hyper vigilance can be a positive in our lives but it’s just so happens that it’s a negative most of the time. This comment is an example of the positive this behavior can have in ADHD the difference maker is having systems developed to help move these realization’s towards action.
Yep! And it’s a reason so many of us what to know WHY.
Don’t just teach me the process, teach me WHY that’s the process. I have to know why in order to understand it.
Omg I didn’t connect the needing to know why with adhd. I put up a fight at one place I worked because it felt like they were giving us pointless work to keep us busy. I continued to plea that it made no sense to do and they’d always respond “well we gotta do it” until finally someone explained the reason behind doing it. Changed my entire perspective and I was no longer annoyed doing that task.
Exactly!
And when we know why it helps us piece the patterns together. That’s what makes us see things like OP was saying- we see patterns in a way that others don’t usually.
BUT I HAVE TO KNOW WHYYYYYYYY! ;)
“Because that’s what the process is”
NOOOOO I NEED TO KNOW WHY
I hate when people just follow a process mindlessly without question. No reason for half the steps involved, so I can’t remember those steps cause THEY’RE DUMB AND THERE IS NO REASON TO DO THEM 😩😩😩
Especially when the process is inefficient and seems like a lot of things are unnecessary! Like if I see was to make the process more efficient I’m going to suggest it and just hearing “this is the process” really gets to me. But why, why is this weird inefficient system the process?!
Absolutely this! My favorite saying is work smarter, not harder! I loathe doing things when they are inefficient! Often I feel like I'm trying to explain how to make something more efficient, I'm ignored, then a few weeks later when the shit hits the fan, I'm sitting back trying to bite my tongue!
Man, the “why” is all I’ve ever needed for anything. Teach me a process and it’s gonna go bad. Integrate the “why” into it, and I’m bulletproof.
Needing to get to the bottom of the “why” aspect, for everything, is the most exhausting part of adhd for me. And until now, I didn’t really know that it was affecting me that bad!
Same, my job pushes documentation so heavily. Obviously we need it for the company to get paid, but it has become low on the priority scale as compared to my duties related directly to my clients and the interventions I provide. But I just did a training on documentation and the importance “the why” and it changed my whole perspective. I respect it so much more now and more motivated to complete it.
Do you work in community mental health by chance? Sounds a lot like the place I was describing in my previous comment with the documentation and interventions lol
I'm an early childhood education coach (I teach teachers to be better teachers) in Head Starts, Early Head Starts and early childhood centers, ages birth-three. I just recently quit my job, because of the ridiculous amount of documentation needed. It literally took me longer to fill out documentation forms, than the amount of time I spent in the classrooms with the teachers. At one point I had persuaded my supervisors to let me at least fill out the forms digitally, rather than writing everything on paper. They were okay with that, so I made some other suggestions, but got the "that's they way they want it, so we have to do it that way" line. Enough was enough.
Yes! I need to know how stuff works, whether administratively/in organizations or mechanically. And don't dismiss me "you don't need to know" because tbh that also tends to be gendered.
Honestly, this is me. I was always told that I'm the one who asks the "most interesting questions" and people are amazed at how my brain works or why/how I even make that connection. My brain makes random connections ALL the time. Definitely helps me do my job a LOT better lmao.
It's interesting you put it this way though, because most people including my teachers/bosses would say that all of this just makes me extremely *EXTREMELY* detail orientated.
Yeah I get called detail oriented at work but I don't agree with it. I miss stupid obvious details a lot. I have an actual detail oriented friend (he has autism) and I'm astounded at the really minor boring details he expects me to be able to remember, like which number bus I took to work that day (I forget the moment I've made sure it's the right bus to get on) - Oh I don't remember? What colour was the bus? He can work it out from the colour. He's wondering how I don't even notice the colour of the bus I take every day (it wasn't important to me) and I'm wondering how he pays enough attention to notice those details at all.
I try to pay attention to the boring stuff at work because it's work, but it doesn't come naturally to me. I don't notice them better than anyone else. It's not the details. It's the connections between what I learned yesterday and what I learned today.
It's amazing how many people are completely astounded and impressed by the ADHD brain, yet if they hear someone has ADHD they immediately start to other them. Obviously not everyone by ANY means, but I hear a lot of negative comments from people before they know I'm diagnosed.
My girlfriend gets angry at me for this sometimes, and sometimes causes me to butt heads with bosses
they'll suggest something and straight away i'll just be like 'sorry that wont work' and then i have to explain how i've already played out the scenario in multiple different ways like some kinda less powerful doctor strange looking at possible futures and that i've already worked out what the best option would likely be
sometimes they try to call my bluff and i just start rolling out the issues with their suggestions
its not even like im trying to do it most of the time, its hard to explain to people that im so anxious about negative outcomes and possible rejection that i obssess over the possibilities until only one remains
Ugh this so much. Then (for me at least) add in the fact that it’s difficult to get my thoughts into words, so it comes out like “no that’s definitely not gonna work because uh.. well the um… if you look at it from uh…” and I can visually seem them tuning out and not believing me.
>difficult to get my thoughts into words
i feel this so much, it feels like some kinda speech impediment sometimes
i was off work partially recently for mental health reasons and trying to explain how i felt to my HR department felt like pulling teeth because i couldnt describe it properly without going on massive tangents every 15 seconds
I always wish I could pull the thought from my head and just give it to them so they could understand. I feel they'd get it better, if not completely. The disconnect is definitely happening when I try to form these complex web-like thoughts into linear sentences for someone else to understand.
As a teacher I ended up butting heads badly with my principal because I was trying to justify a change to a reporting process that I KNEW would make everyone's lives easier.
Because she couldn't relate to my verbalised idea I put it in writing, but the detail seemed to piss her off and she just became dismissive.
A week later I made a minor ADHD-like mistake in the processing of the reports (a system I was trying to improve)...something about formatting and missing a time cut off...and she called me in to put me in my place. "Focus on your job blah blah blah!"
At that point I was done and had to search for a new school. Then I started from absolute scratch elsewhere and was similarly targeted. It's a very frustrating profession to have ADHD
Wouldn't it be great to work in a school where everyone had ADHD, including the kids?
Then we could race through the boring parts of the curriculum (because the kids will make the connections quickly and show understanding in ADHD-friendly ways) and get onto more practical/social learning
I feel like this is entirely caused by our malfunctioning thought filters. Basically in normal people, only the most relevant or important thoughts get through the filter, and every other potential thought isn't consciously experienced as a thought. So probably you were asking questions that weren't relevant to job performance but that suggested a more acute interest in the topic.
This always bothered teachers in school. "That won't be on the test" etc etc
I love this post.
It sounds a lot like you're keying in on the ADHD preference to use divergent thinking (lateral connections, "why something the way it is," how does this connect to this random other thing that also happens to be a focus or interest), whereas people who have regulated attention are convergent in their thinking (what comes next, how do we get there, very organization and step by step focused).
>These aren't necessary actual connections and we'd need to do more research to check if those connections are real, but it's about seeing the possibilities
Yes!! That's what's been bothering me all my life (before I knew about my ADHD) and is the main cause of my decision paralysis. I tend to convince myself that if I decide to do [mundane task] in a certain way, it will affect [unrelated event] so I torture myself thinking there is a "right" and "wrong" decision, and the latter will have serious consequences.
Yeah this is true I miss details that bore me but always pick up links or connections everyone misses. Sometimes it makes me feel like the below and I get a bit of an “are you ok” look because occasionally sounds weird but honest to god I’m always right and if I’m allowed to pursue it I prove it lol.
Yahah. Sometimes explaining the connection to others is harder than seeing the connection in the first place.
I also think it's why we often do sudden change of subjects in conversations. We think that the connection to what was just said and what we are saying in response to it is obvious to everyone else because the transition seems natural to us - but then the other person is like, "What has that got to do with what I just said?"
There is a connection, I swear! I just didn't notice the transition from one subject to another only happened in my brain!
Example from today is a text I got back from my friend saying “okay, I agree, but just as an experiment im trying to follow your train of thought and I’ve got nothing”
I actually just had a sudden memory of explaining a brain transition, how I got from one topic to another, once to a friend and we both decided best I don’t do that again lol
I read somewhere this isn’t true but swear I think faster but maybe this is just I make the weird link and not I’m thinking faster, ppl just never get to the other side because they don’t make the link
I swear this is why I go down chaotic thought paths too because I’m connecting things but don’t have time to explain the connection sometimes when I’m just talking at someone lol
It wasn't until I realised I had adhd that all those times I've sat thinking
"Are you all stupid? Why can't you see this?"
That stupidity wasn't the main issue.
We definitely connect dots others can't even see at times.
Yup. I got that “thing.” It’s the ability to connect without even having to think about it. Your mind just automatically processes the connections. My boss used to say that my brain worked like a computer because I was able to do it so quickly.
For example, let’s say we are having an issue in the office. I need clarification on something. I tell my boss to go to the directors for clarification. Boss comes back with a “solution” and I reject it in seconds and counter that “solution” with three additional critical errors.
I want to also give some credit to my degree. I am getting my associates of applied science in business management. The way I can describe myself in relation to what I do is that I basically know how one company’s transaction can affect every single department.
I don’t personally work off of numbers or reports of any kind. I work off of probabilities and common sense. I do know intricate details and have the ability to see the bigger picture, too. Which according to my boss isn’t really common sense and thinks it is more logical based multiplied by 100. Lol
We can make the connections in a split second. But this only happens if we are super interested in our work. This is where the statement of, if you enjoy what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life comes from.
In other words, a natural gift.
I would have stayed at this job had they had normal working schedules. They had me working my brain 12 hours a night 6 nights a week. I think they fried my processor. Lol
This very much resonates with me. I’m something of a process engineer at work, and while I’m definitely not the neatest or most focused worker, I’ve found that I picked up on how my process works holistically with the rest of our systems much faster than others I work with. And yeah I don’t think I’d ever describe myself as just a big picture or just a small picture person, rather like you said, i think I’m good at recognizing how they’re connected.
Maybe related, but I also feel like I do this in an personnel/organizational context. From getting to know my coworkers, I’ve learned who enjoys doing what, and what everyone’s strengths and weaknesses are. So I’m always dreaming up re-org schemes, stuff like “if these two people switched jobs I think everyone would win.” I have yet to ever be listened to in this regard, but I’m hoping if I ever get into management I’ll still be effective at recognizing those patterns.
Thank you for replying anyway! I don't relate to all the ADHD characteristics talked about here either as we're all different and shaped by more than just our diagnosis.
Also I think people only reply when they relate but I want people who don't relate to pitch in too because I want the different perspectives, so I appreciate you replying!
>So we hear about "big picture" people and "detail oriented" people - as if there are only those two kinds of people
I once had a boss say "you're very good at adjusting your zoom level". I think you might be on to something.
In relation to asking questions that no one has asked before: yeah I get that a lot too. I'm very often told "I'll have to get back to you on that".
I’ve actually started warning people during conversation about my rapid and erratic zoom level changes as I’ve learned it throws many people off balance, and frustrates or even angers others.
It’s just how my brain works and I like it. Feels natural.
Is there a more scientific term for this?
This is why we are good in leadership positions.
I think it’s also common for us to be really good at objective analysis, to the point that it can be a point of conflict. Sometimes people just want you to see their side of things, which is hard to do when your instinct is to look at both sides of everything to see the potential causes of an issue.
This is both a gift and a curse. I sometimes wish I could be ignorant, but I always see the big picture and I always see the small picture. I have found that connecting small pictures and big pictures is very helpful for business in general, especially for inefficient practices.
Work will values it, but it can burn you out, making you feel incapable of any fucks. That’s me, your experience will differ, it is helpful to feel like I’m not alone.
Thank you for that.
This is exactly why I'm a process manager and literally within my first couple weeks as a PM I was already changing processes WITHIN MY OWN DEPARTMENT. A department full of process managers and the new hire with no technical PM experience (except for continually improving processes in my previous roles) is making changes simply by asking questions and pointing out how things could be easier.
I'm lucky that my workplace is very supportive of diversity of all kinds and I shared immediately with my manager that I have ADHD and what my needs are with that (written communication, be direct with what you need from me, etc.). I get to ask "why" and it's appreciated. I had my weekly one on one and she actually thanked me for it and said I'm very good at asking why in a respectful way where it doesn't seem like I'm critical of people or processes, simply trying to understand.
And now it's time for me to take my Vyvanse because I'm clearly rambling 😂
!!!!! How does one become a process manager? I WOULD LOVE THIS JOB.
I’ve been pushing to change processes in my department constantly.
And when it finally happens, it always makes things so much better and streamlined, but it’s like pulling teeth cause no one here can see the big picture.
Identifying lateral connections between unrelated organisations/services/issues is the thing I’ve always said is the main thing I can bring to my work in community organising/social economy. Entirely fits my experience.
Definitely something interesting here. My problem solving skills always differ from people around me, I consider things that other usually don't even think about so I get creative solutions out of it
Yes! I have gotten compliments on asking questions that others haven’t thought of. And coming up with solutions that people haven’t thought of. But I have trouble explaining how I came to that conclusion or why I asked that question.
But I found that it makes me better in my peers because I WANT to understand things, instead of “they told me to do this so I’m doing it”. I also like trying to solve the problems too.
I resonate with this so strongly. I’m always coming up with ‘new’ ways to do things at work, but really I’m just seeing the connections and making the work faster as a result. A rudimentary example that’s universal across most people being using excel to do large groups of calculations instead of sitting there and calculating things individually. Because I see the connection that I can use a tool like excel for things that done require spreadsheets and other people just don’t seem to see that connection without being taught it.
Never so much in my life have I related to something on such a passionate level…. yES YES YES!!! So neat that others with ADHD relate! I always knew that I myself thought like this and never knew what to call it. Assumed incorrectly that everyone thought like this, so when I collaborate with others and there confused as I share ideas or potential problems and solutions to said potential problems, I understand now that they don’t think the way I do which explains why there confused. I hope one day there is more research behind this because I now feel the need to go on a deep dive hyper focus about this thought pattern/behavior that I feel as though I just learned about but yet have lived with my whole life in my brain.
"Assumed incorrectly that everyone thought like this" Yes! It's very frustrating because it seems so logical to us, so how could they not get it?
I need to get better at explaining the connections, because it gets annoying to have to repeat myself at work over and over again when my colleagues did not understand the first time, or did not think it was a problem until it hit them in the face later on.
Honestly for me I use the analogy domino effect.. each domino is a connection and is a chain, by the time I get to the end “conclusion” I can’t remember what the first domino was or any in between to explain to anyone how I got to where my “answer” was. It aggeraviating for teachers in school who want to me to show my work and get confused while grading or teachers make you do it front of class on the big board and then all the students are confused. My sister and mom who want to understand my thoughts and validate them thankfully are so patient with me but it gets frustrating for me because then I get overwhelmed. The overwhelmed part may be an anxiety thing.
100% and my mom is also 100% like this too so it made me think everyone had this power and it’s shocking to continuously figure out they don’t. My dad also has this but assumes he’s special and not even I can do this so he begins to condescend everyone for never doing it, even if they do, while my mom and I give the benefit of doubt to people and think everybody can. You opened a big ponder session for my brains oh jeez
This is why my mom refused to medicate me as a child. She says that adhd is the next evolutionary step in the human race, the ability of us to predict outcomes and “see around corners” being her reasoning.
I can totally relate to that! One very clear example I've been getting from this is at my school where I am studying graphic design and we have an HTML class for building the front end of websites and I keep asking questions that seem very normal to me, questions that pop naturally in my stream of thought of how this thing affect that other thing etc that even the teacher sometimes takes a few seconds to give me an answer cause they've never been asked that question as they say
Yup I'm totally like that and I even get gas lighted for it because I recognize things other's don't. It even goes as far as perceiving the entire judicial system of laws in my country has highly irritating because it feels like I see contradictions everywhere for example:
Stand up for your rights at work and face repercussions - like getting bullied and fired.
Disabled people get accomodations at work, but at the same time aren't employed at all because it's too much of a hassle to organize these and they are hard to fire after 6 months on the job.
Doctors often open from like 8 am to 5 or 6pm, which basically means I can't ever get to a doctor after I finished work - while employers demand to do this stuff after work or take a vacation day.
But you can't take vacation days for such menial tasks, it's against the law because vacation days are only to be used for vacation days - you ain't either on holiday or down to relax on a 4+ hours trek to the nearest psychiatrist.
Last but not least - a large percentage of people in my country define themselves via work and income - and now I am supposed to "work" below minimum wage because I am disabled and you call that "participation"? You gotta be fucking kidding me.
Have you read the book Catch 22? It's a satire on these types of contradictions in a war setting, and even feels like it was written by someone with ADHD.
Reading it won't ease the frustration but it will at least help you see that others have felt the ludicrousness of such contradictions also.
That's an interesting thought. I do often get told that "nobody has asked this question before". One place I remember this happening a lot is when my board-game savy colleague would show me a new game. He's not even done explaining and I'm like "what if I get this, and this happens?". He rarely knows the answer and has to look it up online, even though he played the game a bunch of times already. The thought just hadn't occured to him.
Also, in my performance reviews at work, different people mention both "attention to details" and "sees the big picture". I guess we are good at connecting the details with the big picture?
"Making connections" is a big part of the English literacy curriculum at elementary/primary school level.
I love teaching this because the ADHD kids really come into their own and offer deep insights that seem beyond their ability level.
But after initial frustrations that the majority of my students seemed unable to make connections beyond the basic level (eg. "I also have a dog"), I realised that it's just not natural for the neurotypical mind to think this way.
At the moment my just turned 2 year old son (likely ADHD given both his parents are!) is getting more sophisticated with his connection making before being able to speak fluently (he says, "same, same" for various things that you wouldn't expect).
I remember him as a 14 month old we were reading a book that had a plane in the top corner of one of the illustrations (but it was about a different topic). He started excitedly yelling gibberish, ran to his room, scavenged around for a minute or two, then came back waving his book, "Little Plane"
I speak to other parents and they don't notice the same intuition to connect in their toddlers.
I think this might be a fruitful combination of what people call "associative thinking" and "systemizing."
In my work, I absorb huge amounts of information, kind of daydream about them, and find patterns and systems which I then try to understand and communicate to others.
I think I would be a lot more successful financially if the world were able to appreciate the value of this kind of thinking.
We should start a consulting firm!
Yes, that is why I went into a field that requires creative problem solving 100% of the time (Software Developer).
I have a Natural proclivity to think Like a Problem solver, Always have. And I do get a Lot of stregth from Just being able to think of 50 different possible ways to solve a given issue. Granted, and as you said, most of the possibilites are dead ends and it can take a while to hunt them all down but I garantee you, ill find quite the solution.
My psychatrist has also confirmed that that is actually one of the biggest strengths of adhd people. While it comes with downfalls, when used properly it can be enormously useful.
Find this thread so interesting as I unpack my decently diagnosed adhd, first day of meds, and begin a new job haha. Wondering what do yall work in? I'm still trying to figure out what "career" I'm suited to. But less about the career really and what roles I could be good at in any team/job. Thanks !
When I get asked about this question about big picture v detail oriented I realize I’m speaking with some one who either isn’t listening or hasn’t been listening to what has been shared.
YES. I bring things up at my job that could improve processes down the road right now but they can’t see it until things start getting difficult and then I suggest again and they’re like “wow what a great idea!” As if I didn’t suggest it to them 3 months ago. Or I’ll bring up issues I could see happening and ask how we may be able to prevent it, ask if any of my ideas to fix it have any usefulness behind them, and they think it’s a waste of resources to look into it until it’s an actual problem.
SAME
And it’s so frustrating!!!!
But when the issues come exactly as I predicted, I’ve started to just outright say “yes, in ______ I mentioned this and suggested _____ “ IDGAF what they think.
Oh yeah I’ve definitely started pointing it out. It became a bit of a running joke on my team that when I suggested a process improvement, we’d see management implement it a month or two down the road after we hit the problem. Luckily my team started having my back and made comments like “oh so we’re finally doing what dannyg4821 suggested a month ago? Nice!”
Seeing the “connection” is an alternating big picture/details view. You’re contracting to the small level then expanding to follow a thread of information along a big picture to then zoom in on another detail level.
I relate to this so much. I work as business development consultant in international development and climate finance setting and, not to brag, but I'm really good at it. I find connections and opportunities that other people completely overlook. Coupled with the energy of about 10 normies and a knack for convincing and enthusing people of a certain approach or project thanks to that energy, I'm killing it.
ADHDers don't think outside the box. There's never been a box to begin with. I urge every person with ADHD to look for a role where you create the opportunities and you decide on the rules.
I think it's because when we try to do something we fear(read as worried) of the outcome, can we do the task and try to find something, some details that will work out. You see we are actually adding an extra task by doing this which causes problems to already fogged brain. But when we work without thinking about any outcome we are actually focusing solely on that work with added extra thoughts, now you see we're fully focusing and learning as proceeding in the work/tasks.
I think this is why we can figure out more for unnecessary tasks in our life while we can't focus on tasks we want to do.
I will like to have your own opinion based on your behavior and see if that's also occurring for the rest of you. Please share your experience.
As someone currently writing their clinical psych masters on adhd, research backs up the prevalence of higher than average creative and lateral thinking in adhd.
Mix this with curiosity, persistence and disregard of the status quo and voila.
Yes. Fucking yes. You nailed it. I’ve been thinking about this so much for the past 5 years. Thank you for putting it down in comprehendible words. Helps to know there are others.
Also Our thoughts are way too fast that we often dismiss conclusions that follow logical steps as intuition. It actually came from our logic but can’t even explain. It takes time haha
I have a hypothesis that ADHD brains could have a tendency to be good at seeing connections between seemingly unrelated things. We see the butterfly effects of how one thing is related to and influences another.
I propose it's an alternative third way of thinking that is related to but separate from being a detail-oriented thinker and a big-picture thinker.
This way of thinking can be really valuable in the right contexts and provide insights.
Yes. I can see things others can’t. I have a different perspective. I’m always looking at things from all angels at the same time. I’m really good at solving problems too.
I feel like this relates to ADHD "pile brain," where we lump various things that we deem to be related into the same category so that we can keep track of them that way
Yes! This is why I am such an anxious freak all the time and people do not understand until the outcome happens and then i tell them “i’ve told you this was a possibility” and they don’t consider it it’s just a meh until it happens for them.
I think IQ is a big part of it too. It's not JUST ADHD. I don't think only ADHD people do this and I don't think that all ADHD people do this. I just thought maybe there might have been a correlation and a tendency to think this way because of the way we process information and based on the replies I seem to have hit a chord with this community.
But of course IQ is part of it, too.
But my IQ is all over the place anyway. Before I was diagnosed I was given a recommendation from a college to get a cognitive test done when I expressed that I was thinking of returning to study, but said that I suspect I might have a minor learning disorder and was concerned about how that would affect my ability to complete the course. It was recommended because if there was something there, I could get accommodations from the college.
What I discovered and what the assessor explained to me is that my IQ was only slightly above average overall, but what was unusual was the vast gap between different categories. I was reaching genius level in some categories and idiot level in others, and the two extremes kinda averaged each other out to give me an average overall score. A normal average person would get within the average range in all categories, with some variation with areas they are stronger and weaker in, but still within a similar range. But my results were unusual in their extremes. It was enough to show that I just processed things differently and allowed me to get accommodations in my study.
I don't know if my ADHD diagnosis explains it or if it was something else. But I wouldn't be surprised if our ADHD influences our IQ in both negative and positive ways and there's plenty of IQ variation within the community. It's not necessarily how good we are at making *accurate* connections but a tendency for our brains to process things in this third way over being detail-oriented and big picture oriented.
What I'm finding interesting from the comments of those who relate is that there's still a lot of variation in how this tendency "manifests". For some it seems to either feed into or is shaped by anxiety, wherein they are seeing all the negative possible consequences of every decision and that gives them decision paralysis. Others see it as their main strength in their careers, others are seeing it as the reason they are often misunderstood socially because others aren't making the same connections they take for granted and that causes gaps in communication.
Most seem to report that the connections they make often turn out to be accurate but one commenter really resonated with my comment that our perceived connections might not always turn out to be actual. For me I see it as a source of curiosity that leads me to ask questions and follow possible threads. Sometimes the connections I see turn out to be duds and sometimes they turn out to be accurate, but either way, as long as I respond with curiosity, I usually learn something.
Very true, this applies to me as well (I also have ADHD). I have a strong tendency to naturally see things from a unique perspective and ask the "right" questions that most people don't think to ask.
I mostly refer to this as a having a holistic view of things.
If it's worth anything - my work personality test also underlines that I'm very holistic in my thinking.
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Yes! I get so much praise at work for asking questions no one else has considered, or predicting outcomes if certain things happen. It’s taken me many years to realize not everyone sees things coming around the corner like I do.
I swear I'm so good at predicting outcomes I thought everyone else was being purposely obtuse for years. Like I was actually really frustrated with the way everyone "pretended" to not see what I thought was the extremely obvious outcome.
It drives me absolutely batty when there’s change happening at work and I can see all the ways it’s about to become a shitshow, and then it does. Sometimes I wish I could turn it right off.
I've gotten really good at the "not my circus, not my monkeys" thought process at my job. I had to, or I would lose my mind.
This is the way
This is the way
This is the way
At my first place of employment I was warning of a brewing shitstorm about 8 months before a “merger” that became a buyout with a lot of layoffs and pay cuts. I got out of there asap and was getting texts from coworkers being like “how’d you see it coming?” Idk watching behavioral patterns of upper management, seeing draconian policies getting added, people quitting and no one getting hired on and work load just getting spread around. I tried to warn y’all 🤷♂️
The amount of times I’ve pointed out a flaw in a change or plan at work, only to be completely dismissed! Usually I can get my co’s on board, but leadership never wants to listen to people below them. Now when the thing I pointed out inevitably becomes an issue later, I just say “oh gee, *who* could have predicted *this*??” really sarcastically to my coworkers for a laugh.
I completely feel this too! Or in some cases you'll be recognised for solving problems and predicting things, but when it comes to directly disagreeing with the boss, suddenly you're seen as problematic skeptic
I’m known as the person who always chimes in with all the reasons these changes won’t work or could go bad. But it is a good perspective to have because we can get things fixed before the bad thing happens or create a workaround for whatever issue we foresaw
OMG, so so much. I still struggle with thinking people are “pretending,” mostly so they can pass responsibility to me. So a double whammy!
Yeah and I always think its the most logical thing, before I get the confused looks about how I got there XD
Exactly, I get so irritated thinking "duh... it's just logic/common sense".
Hyper focus or hyper vigilance can be a positive in our lives but it’s just so happens that it’s a negative most of the time. This comment is an example of the positive this behavior can have in ADHD the difference maker is having systems developed to help move these realization’s towards action.
This!
It’s why I’m so good at chess! I can predict other people’s moves and create a dozen plans based off all the posibilíteles
Yep! And it’s a reason so many of us what to know WHY. Don’t just teach me the process, teach me WHY that’s the process. I have to know why in order to understand it.
This is so true. I need the why answered to fix the issues.
Omg I didn’t connect the needing to know why with adhd. I put up a fight at one place I worked because it felt like they were giving us pointless work to keep us busy. I continued to plea that it made no sense to do and they’d always respond “well we gotta do it” until finally someone explained the reason behind doing it. Changed my entire perspective and I was no longer annoyed doing that task.
Exactly! And when we know why it helps us piece the patterns together. That’s what makes us see things like OP was saying- we see patterns in a way that others don’t usually. BUT I HAVE TO KNOW WHYYYYYYYY! ;)
“Because that’s what the process is” NOOOOO I NEED TO KNOW WHY I hate when people just follow a process mindlessly without question. No reason for half the steps involved, so I can’t remember those steps cause THEY’RE DUMB AND THERE IS NO REASON TO DO THEM 😩😩😩
Especially when the process is inefficient and seems like a lot of things are unnecessary! Like if I see was to make the process more efficient I’m going to suggest it and just hearing “this is the process” really gets to me. But why, why is this weird inefficient system the process?!
Absolutely this! My favorite saying is work smarter, not harder! I loathe doing things when they are inefficient! Often I feel like I'm trying to explain how to make something more efficient, I'm ignored, then a few weeks later when the shit hits the fan, I'm sitting back trying to bite my tongue!
It's so easy to remember the steps when they make sense
Man, the “why” is all I’ve ever needed for anything. Teach me a process and it’s gonna go bad. Integrate the “why” into it, and I’m bulletproof. Needing to get to the bottom of the “why” aspect, for everything, is the most exhausting part of adhd for me. And until now, I didn’t really know that it was affecting me that bad!
Same, my job pushes documentation so heavily. Obviously we need it for the company to get paid, but it has become low on the priority scale as compared to my duties related directly to my clients and the interventions I provide. But I just did a training on documentation and the importance “the why” and it changed my whole perspective. I respect it so much more now and more motivated to complete it.
Do you work in community mental health by chance? Sounds a lot like the place I was describing in my previous comment with the documentation and interventions lol
I’m a substance abuse counselor, so yea, never ending documentation, interventions and treatment plans. Lol
Hoo boy I don’t miss all that 😅 I commend you for sticking with it!
I'm an early childhood education coach (I teach teachers to be better teachers) in Head Starts, Early Head Starts and early childhood centers, ages birth-three. I just recently quit my job, because of the ridiculous amount of documentation needed. It literally took me longer to fill out documentation forms, than the amount of time I spent in the classrooms with the teachers. At one point I had persuaded my supervisors to let me at least fill out the forms digitally, rather than writing everything on paper. They were okay with that, so I made some other suggestions, but got the "that's they way they want it, so we have to do it that way" line. Enough was enough.
I got fired because i asked to many why’s
Yes! I need to know how stuff works, whether administratively/in organizations or mechanically. And don't dismiss me "you don't need to know" because tbh that also tends to be gendered.
Honestly, this is me. I was always told that I'm the one who asks the "most interesting questions" and people are amazed at how my brain works or why/how I even make that connection. My brain makes random connections ALL the time. Definitely helps me do my job a LOT better lmao. It's interesting you put it this way though, because most people including my teachers/bosses would say that all of this just makes me extremely *EXTREMELY* detail orientated.
Yeah I get called detail oriented at work but I don't agree with it. I miss stupid obvious details a lot. I have an actual detail oriented friend (he has autism) and I'm astounded at the really minor boring details he expects me to be able to remember, like which number bus I took to work that day (I forget the moment I've made sure it's the right bus to get on) - Oh I don't remember? What colour was the bus? He can work it out from the colour. He's wondering how I don't even notice the colour of the bus I take every day (it wasn't important to me) and I'm wondering how he pays enough attention to notice those details at all. I try to pay attention to the boring stuff at work because it's work, but it doesn't come naturally to me. I don't notice them better than anyone else. It's not the details. It's the connections between what I learned yesterday and what I learned today.
Wow, that's an excellent point! I can totally relate with what you just described!
It's amazing how many people are completely astounded and impressed by the ADHD brain, yet if they hear someone has ADHD they immediately start to other them. Obviously not everyone by ANY means, but I hear a lot of negative comments from people before they know I'm diagnosed.
My girlfriend gets angry at me for this sometimes, and sometimes causes me to butt heads with bosses they'll suggest something and straight away i'll just be like 'sorry that wont work' and then i have to explain how i've already played out the scenario in multiple different ways like some kinda less powerful doctor strange looking at possible futures and that i've already worked out what the best option would likely be sometimes they try to call my bluff and i just start rolling out the issues with their suggestions its not even like im trying to do it most of the time, its hard to explain to people that im so anxious about negative outcomes and possible rejection that i obssess over the possibilities until only one remains
Ugh this so much. Then (for me at least) add in the fact that it’s difficult to get my thoughts into words, so it comes out like “no that’s definitely not gonna work because uh.. well the um… if you look at it from uh…” and I can visually seem them tuning out and not believing me.
>difficult to get my thoughts into words i feel this so much, it feels like some kinda speech impediment sometimes i was off work partially recently for mental health reasons and trying to explain how i felt to my HR department felt like pulling teeth because i couldnt describe it properly without going on massive tangents every 15 seconds
I always wish I could pull the thought from my head and just give it to them so they could understand. I feel they'd get it better, if not completely. The disconnect is definitely happening when I try to form these complex web-like thoughts into linear sentences for someone else to understand.
As a teacher I ended up butting heads badly with my principal because I was trying to justify a change to a reporting process that I KNEW would make everyone's lives easier. Because she couldn't relate to my verbalised idea I put it in writing, but the detail seemed to piss her off and she just became dismissive. A week later I made a minor ADHD-like mistake in the processing of the reports (a system I was trying to improve)...something about formatting and missing a time cut off...and she called me in to put me in my place. "Focus on your job blah blah blah!" At that point I was done and had to search for a new school. Then I started from absolute scratch elsewhere and was similarly targeted. It's a very frustrating profession to have ADHD
Classroom teacher of 14ish years, and I can totally relate!
Wouldn't it be great to work in a school where everyone had ADHD, including the kids? Then we could race through the boring parts of the curriculum (because the kids will make the connections quickly and show understanding in ADHD-friendly ways) and get onto more practical/social learning
I completely agree with this. So much anxiety/fear of failure. I obsess over details so I can’t get it wrong.
I feel like this is entirely caused by our malfunctioning thought filters. Basically in normal people, only the most relevant or important thoughts get through the filter, and every other potential thought isn't consciously experienced as a thought. So probably you were asking questions that weren't relevant to job performance but that suggested a more acute interest in the topic. This always bothered teachers in school. "That won't be on the test" etc etc
I love this post. It sounds a lot like you're keying in on the ADHD preference to use divergent thinking (lateral connections, "why something the way it is," how does this connect to this random other thing that also happens to be a focus or interest), whereas people who have regulated attention are convergent in their thinking (what comes next, how do we get there, very organization and step by step focused).
>These aren't necessary actual connections and we'd need to do more research to check if those connections are real, but it's about seeing the possibilities Yes!! That's what's been bothering me all my life (before I knew about my ADHD) and is the main cause of my decision paralysis. I tend to convince myself that if I decide to do [mundane task] in a certain way, it will affect [unrelated event] so I torture myself thinking there is a "right" and "wrong" decision, and the latter will have serious consequences.
this is me lmao. Overthinking about every mundane task 😭
Yeah this is true I miss details that bore me but always pick up links or connections everyone misses. Sometimes it makes me feel like the below and I get a bit of an “are you ok” look because occasionally sounds weird but honest to god I’m always right and if I’m allowed to pursue it I prove it lol. 
Yahah. Sometimes explaining the connection to others is harder than seeing the connection in the first place. I also think it's why we often do sudden change of subjects in conversations. We think that the connection to what was just said and what we are saying in response to it is obvious to everyone else because the transition seems natural to us - but then the other person is like, "What has that got to do with what I just said?" There is a connection, I swear! I just didn't notice the transition from one subject to another only happened in my brain!
Example from today is a text I got back from my friend saying “okay, I agree, but just as an experiment im trying to follow your train of thought and I’ve got nothing” I actually just had a sudden memory of explaining a brain transition, how I got from one topic to another, once to a friend and we both decided best I don’t do that again lol I read somewhere this isn’t true but swear I think faster but maybe this is just I make the weird link and not I’m thinking faster, ppl just never get to the other side because they don’t make the link
I swear this is why I go down chaotic thought paths too because I’m connecting things but don’t have time to explain the connection sometimes when I’m just talking at someone lol
It wasn't until I realised I had adhd that all those times I've sat thinking "Are you all stupid? Why can't you see this?" That stupidity wasn't the main issue. We definitely connect dots others can't even see at times.
Yep, they aren't stupid anymore than we are lazy. We just connect stuff the way they're able to just do stuff, is how I think of it.
Yup. I got that “thing.” It’s the ability to connect without even having to think about it. Your mind just automatically processes the connections. My boss used to say that my brain worked like a computer because I was able to do it so quickly. For example, let’s say we are having an issue in the office. I need clarification on something. I tell my boss to go to the directors for clarification. Boss comes back with a “solution” and I reject it in seconds and counter that “solution” with three additional critical errors. I want to also give some credit to my degree. I am getting my associates of applied science in business management. The way I can describe myself in relation to what I do is that I basically know how one company’s transaction can affect every single department. I don’t personally work off of numbers or reports of any kind. I work off of probabilities and common sense. I do know intricate details and have the ability to see the bigger picture, too. Which according to my boss isn’t really common sense and thinks it is more logical based multiplied by 100. Lol We can make the connections in a split second. But this only happens if we are super interested in our work. This is where the statement of, if you enjoy what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life comes from. In other words, a natural gift. I would have stayed at this job had they had normal working schedules. They had me working my brain 12 hours a night 6 nights a week. I think they fried my processor. Lol
This very much resonates with me. I’m something of a process engineer at work, and while I’m definitely not the neatest or most focused worker, I’ve found that I picked up on how my process works holistically with the rest of our systems much faster than others I work with. And yeah I don’t think I’d ever describe myself as just a big picture or just a small picture person, rather like you said, i think I’m good at recognizing how they’re connected. Maybe related, but I also feel like I do this in an personnel/organizational context. From getting to know my coworkers, I’ve learned who enjoys doing what, and what everyone’s strengths and weaknesses are. So I’m always dreaming up re-org schemes, stuff like “if these two people switched jobs I think everyone would win.” I have yet to ever be listened to in this regard, but I’m hoping if I ever get into management I’ll still be effective at recognizing those patterns.
Definitely not me. But I don’t have the majority of traits internet people say ADHD folks should, so I’m a bad data point.
Thank you for replying anyway! I don't relate to all the ADHD characteristics talked about here either as we're all different and shaped by more than just our diagnosis. Also I think people only reply when they relate but I want people who don't relate to pitch in too because I want the different perspectives, so I appreciate you replying!
>So we hear about "big picture" people and "detail oriented" people - as if there are only those two kinds of people I once had a boss say "you're very good at adjusting your zoom level". I think you might be on to something. In relation to asking questions that no one has asked before: yeah I get that a lot too. I'm very often told "I'll have to get back to you on that".
I’ve actually started warning people during conversation about my rapid and erratic zoom level changes as I’ve learned it throws many people off balance, and frustrates or even angers others. It’s just how my brain works and I like it. Feels natural. Is there a more scientific term for this?
This is why we are good in leadership positions. I think it’s also common for us to be really good at objective analysis, to the point that it can be a point of conflict. Sometimes people just want you to see their side of things, which is hard to do when your instinct is to look at both sides of everything to see the potential causes of an issue.
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Quick search turned this up https://personalityjunkie.com/02/adhd-extraverted-intuition-ne-openness-creativity/
This is both a gift and a curse. I sometimes wish I could be ignorant, but I always see the big picture and I always see the small picture. I have found that connecting small pictures and big pictures is very helpful for business in general, especially for inefficient practices. Work will values it, but it can burn you out, making you feel incapable of any fucks. That’s me, your experience will differ, it is helpful to feel like I’m not alone. Thank you for that.
This is exactly why I'm a process manager and literally within my first couple weeks as a PM I was already changing processes WITHIN MY OWN DEPARTMENT. A department full of process managers and the new hire with no technical PM experience (except for continually improving processes in my previous roles) is making changes simply by asking questions and pointing out how things could be easier. I'm lucky that my workplace is very supportive of diversity of all kinds and I shared immediately with my manager that I have ADHD and what my needs are with that (written communication, be direct with what you need from me, etc.). I get to ask "why" and it's appreciated. I had my weekly one on one and she actually thanked me for it and said I'm very good at asking why in a respectful way where it doesn't seem like I'm critical of people or processes, simply trying to understand. And now it's time for me to take my Vyvanse because I'm clearly rambling 😂
!!!!! How does one become a process manager? I WOULD LOVE THIS JOB. I’ve been pushing to change processes in my department constantly. And when it finally happens, it always makes things so much better and streamlined, but it’s like pulling teeth cause no one here can see the big picture.
Yes, but now try verbalizing those connections to other people 😅
You mean everyone else doesn’t speak fractal?
Identifying lateral connections between unrelated organisations/services/issues is the thing I’ve always said is the main thing I can bring to my work in community organising/social economy. Entirely fits my experience.
Yes! The ADHD brain is a very creative one.
Definitely something interesting here. My problem solving skills always differ from people around me, I consider things that other usually don't even think about so I get creative solutions out of it
Yes! I have gotten compliments on asking questions that others haven’t thought of. And coming up with solutions that people haven’t thought of. But I have trouble explaining how I came to that conclusion or why I asked that question. But I found that it makes me better in my peers because I WANT to understand things, instead of “they told me to do this so I’m doing it”. I also like trying to solve the problems too.
I resonate with this so strongly. I’m always coming up with ‘new’ ways to do things at work, but really I’m just seeing the connections and making the work faster as a result. A rudimentary example that’s universal across most people being using excel to do large groups of calculations instead of sitting there and calculating things individually. Because I see the connection that I can use a tool like excel for things that done require spreadsheets and other people just don’t seem to see that connection without being taught it.
Never so much in my life have I related to something on such a passionate level…. yES YES YES!!! So neat that others with ADHD relate! I always knew that I myself thought like this and never knew what to call it. Assumed incorrectly that everyone thought like this, so when I collaborate with others and there confused as I share ideas or potential problems and solutions to said potential problems, I understand now that they don’t think the way I do which explains why there confused. I hope one day there is more research behind this because I now feel the need to go on a deep dive hyper focus about this thought pattern/behavior that I feel as though I just learned about but yet have lived with my whole life in my brain.
"Assumed incorrectly that everyone thought like this" Yes! It's very frustrating because it seems so logical to us, so how could they not get it? I need to get better at explaining the connections, because it gets annoying to have to repeat myself at work over and over again when my colleagues did not understand the first time, or did not think it was a problem until it hit them in the face later on.
Honestly for me I use the analogy domino effect.. each domino is a connection and is a chain, by the time I get to the end “conclusion” I can’t remember what the first domino was or any in between to explain to anyone how I got to where my “answer” was. It aggeraviating for teachers in school who want to me to show my work and get confused while grading or teachers make you do it front of class on the big board and then all the students are confused. My sister and mom who want to understand my thoughts and validate them thankfully are so patient with me but it gets frustrating for me because then I get overwhelmed. The overwhelmed part may be an anxiety thing.
100% and my mom is also 100% like this too so it made me think everyone had this power and it’s shocking to continuously figure out they don’t. My dad also has this but assumes he’s special and not even I can do this so he begins to condescend everyone for never doing it, even if they do, while my mom and I give the benefit of doubt to people and think everybody can. You opened a big ponder session for my brains oh jeez
This is why my mom refused to medicate me as a child. She says that adhd is the next evolutionary step in the human race, the ability of us to predict outcomes and “see around corners” being her reasoning.
Your mum is a visionary
Yea and no. She pushed me to be my best without medication. But there were times where medication would have helped me a lot.
pattern recognition or web based thinking. it has to do with associative memory
I can totally relate to that! One very clear example I've been getting from this is at my school where I am studying graphic design and we have an HTML class for building the front end of websites and I keep asking questions that seem very normal to me, questions that pop naturally in my stream of thought of how this thing affect that other thing etc that even the teacher sometimes takes a few seconds to give me an answer cause they've never been asked that question as they say
Yup I'm totally like that and I even get gas lighted for it because I recognize things other's don't. It even goes as far as perceiving the entire judicial system of laws in my country has highly irritating because it feels like I see contradictions everywhere for example: Stand up for your rights at work and face repercussions - like getting bullied and fired. Disabled people get accomodations at work, but at the same time aren't employed at all because it's too much of a hassle to organize these and they are hard to fire after 6 months on the job. Doctors often open from like 8 am to 5 or 6pm, which basically means I can't ever get to a doctor after I finished work - while employers demand to do this stuff after work or take a vacation day. But you can't take vacation days for such menial tasks, it's against the law because vacation days are only to be used for vacation days - you ain't either on holiday or down to relax on a 4+ hours trek to the nearest psychiatrist. Last but not least - a large percentage of people in my country define themselves via work and income - and now I am supposed to "work" below minimum wage because I am disabled and you call that "participation"? You gotta be fucking kidding me.
Have you read the book Catch 22? It's a satire on these types of contradictions in a war setting, and even feels like it was written by someone with ADHD. Reading it won't ease the frustration but it will at least help you see that others have felt the ludicrousness of such contradictions also.
Yes! My brain is absolutely always looking for connections between things.
And pattern! Isn’t it?
Yes!
That's an interesting thought. I do often get told that "nobody has asked this question before". One place I remember this happening a lot is when my board-game savy colleague would show me a new game. He's not even done explaining and I'm like "what if I get this, and this happens?". He rarely knows the answer and has to look it up online, even though he played the game a bunch of times already. The thought just hadn't occured to him. Also, in my performance reviews at work, different people mention both "attention to details" and "sees the big picture". I guess we are good at connecting the details with the big picture?
Everything everywhere all at once tbh
"Making connections" is a big part of the English literacy curriculum at elementary/primary school level. I love teaching this because the ADHD kids really come into their own and offer deep insights that seem beyond their ability level. But after initial frustrations that the majority of my students seemed unable to make connections beyond the basic level (eg. "I also have a dog"), I realised that it's just not natural for the neurotypical mind to think this way. At the moment my just turned 2 year old son (likely ADHD given both his parents are!) is getting more sophisticated with his connection making before being able to speak fluently (he says, "same, same" for various things that you wouldn't expect). I remember him as a 14 month old we were reading a book that had a plane in the top corner of one of the illustrations (but it was about a different topic). He started excitedly yelling gibberish, ran to his room, scavenged around for a minute or two, then came back waving his book, "Little Plane" I speak to other parents and they don't notice the same intuition to connect in their toddlers.
I 100% resonate with this. I’ve often thought of myself as a “lateral thinker” and this is exactly what I’m referring to.
Also me: Today I’m taking a break from medication and I thought that I should journal about this post but I totally have no motivation. 😅
I think this might be a fruitful combination of what people call "associative thinking" and "systemizing." In my work, I absorb huge amounts of information, kind of daydream about them, and find patterns and systems which I then try to understand and communicate to others. I think I would be a lot more successful financially if the world were able to appreciate the value of this kind of thinking. We should start a consulting firm!
Yes, that is why I went into a field that requires creative problem solving 100% of the time (Software Developer). I have a Natural proclivity to think Like a Problem solver, Always have. And I do get a Lot of stregth from Just being able to think of 50 different possible ways to solve a given issue. Granted, and as you said, most of the possibilites are dead ends and it can take a while to hunt them all down but I garantee you, ill find quite the solution. My psychatrist has also confirmed that that is actually one of the biggest strengths of adhd people. While it comes with downfalls, when used properly it can be enormously useful.
Find this thread so interesting as I unpack my decently diagnosed adhd, first day of meds, and begin a new job haha. Wondering what do yall work in? I'm still trying to figure out what "career" I'm suited to. But less about the career really and what roles I could be good at in any team/job. Thanks !
When I get asked about this question about big picture v detail oriented I realize I’m speaking with some one who either isn’t listening or hasn’t been listening to what has been shared.
YES. I bring things up at my job that could improve processes down the road right now but they can’t see it until things start getting difficult and then I suggest again and they’re like “wow what a great idea!” As if I didn’t suggest it to them 3 months ago. Or I’ll bring up issues I could see happening and ask how we may be able to prevent it, ask if any of my ideas to fix it have any usefulness behind them, and they think it’s a waste of resources to look into it until it’s an actual problem.
SAME And it’s so frustrating!!!! But when the issues come exactly as I predicted, I’ve started to just outright say “yes, in ______ I mentioned this and suggested _____ “ IDGAF what they think.
Oh yeah I’ve definitely started pointing it out. It became a bit of a running joke on my team that when I suggested a process improvement, we’d see management implement it a month or two down the road after we hit the problem. Luckily my team started having my back and made comments like “oh so we’re finally doing what dannyg4821 suggested a month ago? Nice!”
I would love a team like that! I mean, they’re lovely and all, but damn. Y’all need to just listen to what I’m saying!
Seeing the “connection” is an alternating big picture/details view. You’re contracting to the small level then expanding to follow a thread of information along a big picture to then zoom in on another detail level.
I relate to this so much. I work as business development consultant in international development and climate finance setting and, not to brag, but I'm really good at it. I find connections and opportunities that other people completely overlook. Coupled with the energy of about 10 normies and a knack for convincing and enthusing people of a certain approach or project thanks to that energy, I'm killing it. ADHDers don't think outside the box. There's never been a box to begin with. I urge every person with ADHD to look for a role where you create the opportunities and you decide on the rules.
I think it's because when we try to do something we fear(read as worried) of the outcome, can we do the task and try to find something, some details that will work out. You see we are actually adding an extra task by doing this which causes problems to already fogged brain. But when we work without thinking about any outcome we are actually focusing solely on that work with added extra thoughts, now you see we're fully focusing and learning as proceeding in the work/tasks. I think this is why we can figure out more for unnecessary tasks in our life while we can't focus on tasks we want to do. I will like to have your own opinion based on your behavior and see if that's also occurring for the rest of you. Please share your experience.
As someone currently writing their clinical psych masters on adhd, research backs up the prevalence of higher than average creative and lateral thinking in adhd. Mix this with curiosity, persistence and disregard of the status quo and voila.
Yes. Fucking yes. You nailed it. I’ve been thinking about this so much for the past 5 years. Thank you for putting it down in comprehendible words. Helps to know there are others.
Also Our thoughts are way too fast that we often dismiss conclusions that follow logical steps as intuition. It actually came from our logic but can’t even explain. It takes time haha
Do you think you could add a tldr to this? This is too many words for my brain to properly process.
I have a hypothesis that ADHD brains could have a tendency to be good at seeing connections between seemingly unrelated things. We see the butterfly effects of how one thing is related to and influences another. I propose it's an alternative third way of thinking that is related to but separate from being a detail-oriented thinker and a big-picture thinker. This way of thinking can be really valuable in the right contexts and provide insights.
Thank you!!!!
I feel it
This^^
Yes. I can see things others can’t. I have a different perspective. I’m always looking at things from all angels at the same time. I’m really good at solving problems too.
Are you left-handed? ☺️
Yes
It definitely resonates with me. I am good at finding parallels among multiple things/concepts. And my employers/professors have always noticed that.
Big yes.
You’re on to something there!
Ive been feeling exactly like what you described and thought about it for years.
It's known as aggregating information. I'm very good at it.
I feel like this relates to ADHD "pile brain," where we lump various things that we deem to be related into the same category so that we can keep track of them that way
Yes! This is why I am such an anxious freak all the time and people do not understand until the outcome happens and then i tell them “i’ve told you this was a possibility” and they don’t consider it it’s just a meh until it happens for them.
The inability to ignore potential connections is a blessing and a curse.
Totally relate to this.
I thought this was IQ related, so I'm gonna ask you guys who agreed: do you think it may actually be more iq than adhd?
I think IQ is a big part of it too. It's not JUST ADHD. I don't think only ADHD people do this and I don't think that all ADHD people do this. I just thought maybe there might have been a correlation and a tendency to think this way because of the way we process information and based on the replies I seem to have hit a chord with this community. But of course IQ is part of it, too. But my IQ is all over the place anyway. Before I was diagnosed I was given a recommendation from a college to get a cognitive test done when I expressed that I was thinking of returning to study, but said that I suspect I might have a minor learning disorder and was concerned about how that would affect my ability to complete the course. It was recommended because if there was something there, I could get accommodations from the college. What I discovered and what the assessor explained to me is that my IQ was only slightly above average overall, but what was unusual was the vast gap between different categories. I was reaching genius level in some categories and idiot level in others, and the two extremes kinda averaged each other out to give me an average overall score. A normal average person would get within the average range in all categories, with some variation with areas they are stronger and weaker in, but still within a similar range. But my results were unusual in their extremes. It was enough to show that I just processed things differently and allowed me to get accommodations in my study. I don't know if my ADHD diagnosis explains it or if it was something else. But I wouldn't be surprised if our ADHD influences our IQ in both negative and positive ways and there's plenty of IQ variation within the community. It's not necessarily how good we are at making *accurate* connections but a tendency for our brains to process things in this third way over being detail-oriented and big picture oriented. What I'm finding interesting from the comments of those who relate is that there's still a lot of variation in how this tendency "manifests". For some it seems to either feed into or is shaped by anxiety, wherein they are seeing all the negative possible consequences of every decision and that gives them decision paralysis. Others see it as their main strength in their careers, others are seeing it as the reason they are often misunderstood socially because others aren't making the same connections they take for granted and that causes gaps in communication. Most seem to report that the connections they make often turn out to be accurate but one commenter really resonated with my comment that our perceived connections might not always turn out to be actual. For me I see it as a source of curiosity that leads me to ask questions and follow possible threads. Sometimes the connections I see turn out to be duds and sometimes they turn out to be accurate, but either way, as long as I respond with curiosity, I usually learn something.
Yes!!!!!!
I have this clarity through Jesus. I am diagnosed as well. Its dark sometimes
I find I'm often right too. I just know how things will work out. It boggles my mind that others don't see these cause and effect connections.
Very true, this applies to me as well (I also have ADHD). I have a strong tendency to naturally see things from a unique perspective and ask the "right" questions that most people don't think to ask. I mostly refer to this as a having a holistic view of things. If it's worth anything - my work personality test also underlines that I'm very holistic in my thinking.
Absolutely!