Alarm of Justice

Lyrics

Something is not fair. You’ve witnessed or experienced something that violates what you know to be morally correct. You intensely feel the harm, and you cannot move away from this. You feel driven to make things right. You want to fight for fairness, equality and a world which is just. Sometimes this strong moral compass drives you to make changes, to campaign or to support those who need it. But other times it leaves you stuck, hopeless, spiralling inside your mind, as thoughts of the injustice repeat like an unending alarm call. You ruminate and you stay in a state of alertness, stress and frustration. It’s exhausting and meanwhile everyone else seems to have moved on. Injustice Sensitivity Many autistic people experience injustice sensitivity. This can be thought of as a strong internal moral compass, underpinned by high levels of empathy and rules around the correct ways to morally behave. This phenomenon appears so commonly in autistic individuals, that it featured in our White Paper: ‘Autism, Girls and Keeping It All Inside’ (2022). Here, we noted: ‘a strong sense of social justice or moral compass – likely to stick up for the underdog in whatever way they are able to’ as a potential indicator of an internalised autism presentation. Injustice sensitivity can mean autistic people are more likely to challenge hierarchical rules or assumptions, prioritising fairness and consistent treatment of all people, as well as animals and the planet. This may be valued more highly than sticking with the status quo or maintaining social norms. This has societal benefits, as well as benefits for autistic people themselves. A clear sense of right and wrong can allow someone to live a life which aligns strongly with their values, and which means they focus their energies on projects and causes which feel purposeful and important. Additionally, injustice sensitivity can fuel action, when others may otherwise sit back. For example, Greta Thunberg who was so distressed when learning about climate change at school, that she started the school strike for climate. This has gone on to trigger global protests, and Greta Thunberg has spoken extensively about the dangers facing our planet.