postr/StutterMay 26, 2014

How the worst moments in our lives make us who we are.

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How the worst moments in our lives make us who we are. Anyone ever read any of Andrew Solomon's work? He's a fantastic writer and an interesting speaker. His most recent book, Far from the Tree, talks about how parents deal with children with disorders that dramatically change their physical/psychological/social development. In his book he talks about disorders like dwarfism, autism, schizophrenia, transgendered individuals, criminal behavior etc. While he does not specifically talk about stuttering I get the sense that many of us may feel the same way: stuttering has dramatically changed the way we developed and has shaped how we view the world. I don't think it's an unreasonable statement to say that many of us believe that stuttering is among the worst experiences of our lives. r/stutter is evidence of this--it's full of frustrating and despairing post. But this is just the starting point -- what do we do with these feelings? What do we do when we are subjected to discrimination, prejudice and pity? I really like what Andrew Solomon says. He talks about his own experiences growing up gay. It's a powerful listen-- [here's his ted talk](http://www.ted.com/talks/andrew_solomon_how_the_worst_moments_in_our_lives_make_us_who_we_are)

Themes

Identity & DisabilityCommunity & Support

Subthemes

Identity & Self-PerceptionPersonal Stories