But relationships and resemblances can still be seen creatively...

Which layer has the flexibility, the possibility of rich interconnections? The quote presumes that the flexibility resides in the symbolic layer - that if it isn’t there, it isn’t anywhere. But maybe that ain’t so. With a diagram, could flexibility at a higher (even if not symbolic) level be shown as allowing more options? Such as, perhaps, seeing over the wall?

Hold on a minute. Aren’t we autistic folks supposed to be particularly skilled at manipulating things? One commonly-cited example is the solving/assembly of jigsaw puzzles, in some cases with the pieces turned face-down. So suppose that reifying a symbol gives us a “handle” on it, a way to pick it up and manipulate it. I would suggest that perhaps my interest in and use of visual metaphors to illustrate points is done in a reifying manner; I literally see the principle or point being acted out in the metaphor, and would modestly suggest that some degree of creative thought is involved.

Last revised: June 23, 2007
(c)2007 Dave Spicer
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