Altra

Inconsiderate.

"Man naturally desires, not only to be loved, but to be lovely; or to be that thing which is the natural and proper object of love." -- Adam Smith, The Theory of Moral Sentiments

I'm an edgelord online, but I live to make other people happy. Almost to a fault, I deliberately practice being considerate.

Inconsiderate is the default. Being considerate takes effort. You need a deep understanding of people. It's like mind-reading. Interpreting their outward expressions and understanding their internal motivations. It's a skill, and it's not an easy one to practice.

Being overly considerate is a weakness I live with; not because I'm a pushover, but because I'm judgmental. I really look for this stuff in other people. Are they cleaning up before a guest arrives? Are they giving out genuine compliments? Are they reading between the lines about what makes someone uncomfortable? And do they try to fix that for them?

I also have this pernicious tendency to surround myself with people who make me feel bad about myself. It's because they're inconsiderate. They're friends; well-meaning, kind, enjoyable. But when I take care of them, they rarely notice. And they don't return the favor.

Just because you're inconsiderate doesn't mean you're a bad person. People legitimately on the spectrum struggle with this. And frequently some of the most interesting people you meet will be like this.

But you should probably evaluate how close you want to be with these people. Love is a reflection of your character. How much of your precious life should you dedicate to people who won't return the favor?