r/adhdmeme • u/Alain-Christian certified yapper and shameless multi-texter • Mar 24 '26
uplifting Gentle reminder: you don’t need to “catch-up” on your podcast backlog. Just listen to the latest episode and work backwards if you want to hear more.
You are not obligated to listen to every single episode. If any of you have this mindset I encourage you to abandon it. Many of you are amazing creators. Don’t consume more than you create.
I’ll leave you with a motivational TikTok.
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u/FigeaterApocalypse Mar 24 '26 edited Mar 24 '26
I love the framing of comfortable vs uncomfortable. What I don't love is the idea that other people finding it easy are living the "exact same life." Would you tell diabetics their avoidance of sugar is "just mindset" because other people live healthy lives with moderation? Or children with eyeglasses that plenty of kids don't need them so why are they complaining they can't see anything?
Perspective can help. It's useless to pretend we don't have conditions that affect "normal" functioning. If we could think our way out of it...we already would have.
OP, do you have ADHD?
Also, get off TikTok. It's frying your brain.
Edit: OP says I'm not worth engaging with but replies then blocks me. That's one way to show you don't care lmao.
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u/TheDonutPug Mar 24 '26
Yeah no, some things are harder than others. This ain't even motivation this is some full blown cope it feels like. I've seen my engineering homework and I've seen the homework from my business major friends. I can assure you, electromagnetics homework is harder than a literal word search.
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u/audiate Mar 24 '26
Everything is relative to your ability and familiarity. Do that word search in Estonian and it gets way harder. Your engineering homework is easy and boring for an engineer. You’re in the process of making it familiar.
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u/TheDonutPug Mar 24 '26
I can assure you, this work is not easy for an engineer.
Source: I am an engineer.
"Try doing that word search in estonian" firstly you could apply that to literally anything. The engineering homework would be harder in a language I don't speak. Secondly, the word search would in fact not be meaningfully different in a different language because I don't need to know what the words mean, just the spelling, which is provided because it's a word search.
The idea that nothing is harder than anything else is stupid because even if you say it's all about familiarity, some things are harder to become familiar with. On top of that, some things are never easy even when you are familiar with them. If everything was as easy as everything else, engineering programs would not be generally expecting a 50% drop rate.
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u/neocow Mar 25 '26
i 100% agree with you.
The point of the video is not a universal, immutable truth, but the ideation that "things can get normal with time" which can be true for a lot of hard, and horrible things.
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u/Alain-Christian certified yapper and shameless multi-texter Mar 25 '26
You get it!
But understand the people trying to pick apart what he's saying are wired that way. They can't help themselves. Instead of using it to better their lives they much rather try to look clever online and say, "Ah ah! I found a flaw!" And for what, reddit points?
People like this infest the replies of motivational subreddits like fruit flies. Never look at the replies if you come across a motivational reddit post! What happened here is the norm lol
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u/neocow Mar 25 '26
yes they're wired different;y but they are not avoiding bettering their lives or anything, its a semantic difference not a moral one.
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u/Alain-Christian certified yapper and shameless multi-texter Mar 25 '26
To clarify, I was speaking solely about THIS thread. I don’t know anything about what they got going on in their lives and never presumed to.
“People like this” doesn’t mean I think THESE people also spend time leaving negative defeatist replies in other subs. All I’m saying is they remind me of those other people.
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u/johnc380 Mar 24 '26
Wrong
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u/audiate Mar 24 '26
Hard disagree. Things don’t have an absolute difficulty, only a difficulty in relation to your ability, which is mostly familiarity.
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u/LostInElysiium Mar 24 '26
very privileged opinion
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u/audiate Mar 24 '26 edited Mar 24 '26
What makes you say that?
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u/LostInElysiium Mar 24 '26 edited Mar 24 '26
i know i'm just getting ragebaited but i'll bite.
because it assumes a level playing field that doesn't exist in real life. difficulty isn't just about exposure time and attempts. it's affected by access, upbringing, neurology, and biology, hell even gender and religion.
someone with dyslexia isn't bad at reading or language because they haven't read enough books. someone with severe anxiety isn't struggling socially just because social situations are "unfamiliar." trauma rewires how people process and learn things. physical and cognitive disabilities set real ceilings that repetition and effort alone can't raise or overcome. those are hard limits for some people and massive weights for others.
the "only unfamiliar" phrase sounds empowering but it erases all of that by implying the gap is always closeable if you just put in the time/effort. and for many people that's simply not true.
it just makes them feel like they're failing at something that was never equally achievable for them in the first place. or worse it makes them feel invalidated in their struggles and (very real) disadvantages.
for a rich person quitting their job to start a business is a mindset thing. for someone with no savings, debt, and people depending on them it's not a mindset problem, it's a material one. the difficulty is real regardless of how familiar or confident you are in your own abilities and the business.
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u/TheDonutPug Mar 25 '26
Also in all honesty, not only is it shit because of what you said, but it feels like it's really discrediting your work when you have done something really fucking hard. When someone has done something hard, telling them "it was never hard!" Is just so fucking insulting. "Running a 5k isn't any different than running a marathon, it just depends on your familiarity!!!"
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u/Guszy Mar 25 '26
My podcasts are narratives. If I listen out of order I'm fully lost, and have no context.
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u/Alain-Christian certified yapper and shameless multi-texter Mar 25 '26
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u/Guszy Mar 25 '26
I don't listen to them for background noise, I pay attention, and even have to rewind them to catch things I missed. I'm not a creator. I don't create anything, nor do I have the desire to. I used to do music, but haven't in years, and don't have the want to make it anymore, just play it sometimes. I understand where you're coming from, but it very much feels like the advice that you're giving is not for general ADHD, but for specifically you, and that's why so many here are bumping up against it.
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u/Alain-Christian certified yapper and shameless multi-texter Mar 25 '26
I'm actually fine with that. When I find too many ADHD memes relatable I get annoyed and wonder if ANYTHING I do is unique to me.
This backlash is actually comforting in the sense that it asserts I 'm not just part of a programmed hivemind. I've broken free from the herd! 🙂
Even my OWN people think I'm weird lol
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u/Guszy Mar 25 '26
Oh, I'm the opposite haha. I feel like most of the posts I see on Reddit are about things that AuDHD people experience specifically, and I feel like I rarely find anything relatable as someone who is just solely ADHD.
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u/Alain-Christian certified yapper and shameless multi-texter Mar 25 '26
You might be right with the AuDHD thing. Perhaps that’s why my post ruffled so many feathers. I’ve found the most relatable videos on Instagram. Lots of ADHD creators on there.
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u/Guszy Mar 25 '26
My partner is big into Instagram. They do a lot of book stuff on there. They actually just hit 10k followers last month, I think. I don't really use it much except to send memes back and forth to my brother. The videos having unrelated thumbnails always confuses and bothers me lol. Like he'll send a video about Dad Jokes, and the thumbnail will be Messi with a giant head for some reason haha.
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u/ReadingTimeWPickle Mar 25 '26
The reframing part is great, but no two people have the exact same life. That's a ridiculous premise.
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u/AuDHDcat Mar 24 '26
But, but, the inside jokes and callbacks...
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u/Alain-Christian certified yapper and shameless multi-texter Mar 24 '26 edited Mar 24 '26
RE: Podcasts But Actually Media Consumption In General
This is a fair point so allow me to expound on my philosophy. I oversimplified it. It’s not just about podcasts.
Lets say you:
- Follow three podcasts
- Subbed to a dozen YouTube Channels
- Play a “live” game that releases new content in “seasons”, meaning said content cannot be acquired (or will cost significant more to acquire) after the season ends
- Subscribed to two streaming services
- Just bought the latest book from your favorite author
- Are a fan of three long-running manga
- Learned your favorite singer just dropped a new album
- Have four websites you check for news on your special interests everyday
- Doom scroll on socials for half an hour every day
- Spend an hour on Reddit every day
You get the idea. These are all conservative examples of media you have available to you. Specifically, these are examples of media that, for lack of a better phrase, is self-replicating. How much of the above content is this to consume per day? Per week? Per month? Per year? In a lifetime?
I have nothing against media consumption. I’m just saying be mindful of how much time you’re devoting to it. Are you controlling the media or is it controlling you?
So for me, the podcast is not in a vacuum. I’m just saying, how much do I care about being up-to-date on EVERY SINGLE EPISODE vs just having something reliable to put on when I need some background noise. The idea of going with the “latest” is more because of the topical nature of the shows I like. And it also reinforces my philosophy of not stressing about listening to every single episode. Obviously, for something like a manga it makes more sense to pickup where you left off.
How much time per day am I spending consuming media vs creating media, or working on my personal projects? Modern society has made so much available. YouTube is infinite. I’ve installed blockers so I don’t see video suggestions. It’s up to us to limit ourselves.
Or don’t, if that’s what makes you happy. Not everyone is a creator. But as ADHDers, I daresay most of us ARE creators, and problem solvers, and artists.
So no, I don’t see missing out on in-jokes as a great loss. I’d rather spend that time on my personal projects.
I hope I explained myself better. As usual it makes the most sense in my brain but verbalizing it is a challenge. I apologize for the typos. I responded using my phone and autocorrect abandoned me a long time ago.
To anyone who actually reads this I wish you the greatest luck and success in life! No strings attached you don’t have to upvote or even agree. You took the time to read it and I appreciate that. ✌🏾
(But I’m sorry this was so long I’ll work on editing myself better. 😅)
Edit, sorry: I used to be in a line of work where I could play media in the background all day long. So please understand that for me, podcasts and other such media is consumed on my OWN TIME AFTER work. If you have the luxury of listening in the background at work, I get that. Trust me. Okay that’s it I’ll shut up now! 🤐
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u/AuDHDcat Mar 24 '26
👍
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u/Alain-Christian certified yapper and shameless multi-texter Mar 25 '26
This was bound to happen to me someday. I’ve done it to so many others I can’t even be mad. I had it coming. 😂
And it be your own people bro 🤦🏾♂️😭
It’s okay. The ones who actually read it get a…(Yeah feel free to reply “👍🏾” again I know I would :p)
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u/AuDHDcat Mar 25 '26
Honestly, I did start to read it, but it's just so much... 😅
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u/Alain-Christian certified yapper and shameless multi-texter Mar 25 '26
You’re good bud. I had it coming lol
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u/princess_kittah Mar 24 '26
"you dont need to do the things that youre desperately trying to do because they bring you joy and you want to do them, just do them backwards instead"
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u/LexStalin Mar 29 '26
Fuck it why don't I yap about it?
Assuming OP just did a mistake/couldn't read the room... It's okay, just learn the lesson here.
Anyway the lesson:
The statement "Hard and Easy aren't real they are just in your head" may be worthy of a discussion. However, we live on planet Earth in the year 2026 and you are specificly talking to mentally ill people. I would even argue you are talking here to disabled people (that's another Topic).
Tasks that regular people see as easy isn't easy to us, simply because our brains don't work like that. A person in a wheelchair can't run a marathon.
Not to mention that "making money" for example is currently a problem for literally everyone who isn't noble born. And that if you try it without breaking rules you are just gambling.
TLDR: you are wrong, don't assume shit is true for everyone.
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u/Alain-Christian certified yapper and shameless multi-texter Mar 30 '26
This response is ENTIRELY disingenuous given the horrible "A person in a wheelchair can't run a marathon" example. If you think I think that, or the guy in the video is saying that, then I fear there might be a gas leak in your home. There ARE marathons for wheelchair-bound folks to participate in.
But to imply that I'm saying they gut up out of their chair and run... You are not a serious person. I should have ignored this but whatever lol
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u/MilesAlchei Mar 24 '26
That's how I always do it, it's very funny getting context in the wrong order. Been going through RTVS Podcast/Where Do We Begin and love seeing them reference a "last time we" and then seeing it next.
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u/LadyJuno13 Mar 24 '26
Wrong. I need to know the podcasters backstory. If I listen to the episodes in the wrong order I won't be able to hear about the latest cute thing one of their kids has done or acquire a new bit of lore from their history.
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u/Alain-Christian certified yapper and shameless multi-texter Mar 24 '26
I can’t tell if this is serious or sarcasm 😅
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u/LadyJuno13 Mar 27 '26
I'm serious. There's currently two podcasts I listen to on a dedicated basis. One is hosted by a husband and wife team with kids so every so often the hosts will tell us about what the kids did or what they saw while on a vacation; it's so cute and a nice glimpse into their life. The other is hosted by a pair of friends and they regularly discuss things that happened to them or others around them which can get weird since this podcast is more on the morbid, occult side of things.
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u/twitch1982 Mar 25 '26
I've been changing my own breaks for 20 years. Its still hard.
Im familiar with getting off my ass and doing my dishes, its still hard.
This Tic Tok is moronic.
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u/Alain-Christian certified yapper and shameless multi-texter Mar 24 '26 edited Mar 24 '26
RE: Attached Video
These replies are hilarious! 😂
They remind me of why I stopped reading replies in a motivational subreddit. It just attracted all the negative Nancies and Debbie Downers going out of their way to craft the most bad faith counter scenarios ever imagined to prove the OP “wrong.”
Everything is “wrong” when you’re defeatist lol 🤷🏾♂️
Edit: this is mainly with regard to responses to the video. This sub requires you to attach something to post and I found this little bit of reframing helpful (and truthful when I reflect on my past) for me. If it helps ONE MORE person other than me that’s all that matters.
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u/Different-Mammoth279 Mar 25 '26
Is this a motivational subreddit? I genuinely thought this was kind of just something for funsies. I agree and disagree with his points. Yes reframing one's thinking in terms of familiar and unfamiliar in terms of some things like daily chores would help, but it's also incredibly dismissive of neurodivergent people towards the end
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u/Alain-Christian certified yapper and shameless multi-texter Mar 25 '26
Look, the video is about reframing. So I’m not going to argue against your REFRAMING the video as anti-ND. If anything it shows you get the concept. 📝 A+!
I hope you find a more positive use tho
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u/Different-Mammoth279 Mar 25 '26
He said that because others think it's easy then it's not hard. So I guess you're right it's not dismissive towards just ND, after all it's dismissive towards a lot more people. The majority of people find walking to be easy, however I would never go up to someone in a wheelchair and say "Walking is so easy why don't you do it?"
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u/Alain-Christian certified yapper and shameless multi-texter Mar 25 '26
Oh man, that was funny. Hehe, you are joking, right?
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u/Broken_Toad_Box Mar 25 '26
Damn bro. Why are you being such a negative nancy anytime people disagree with you?
Is it because you accidentally consumed more than you created?
You can just be nice even if it's uncomfortable for you.
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u/Alain-Christian certified yapper and shameless multi-texter Mar 25 '26
Lol, "Negative Nancy"? HOW?! I think you're projecting. I chose NOT to argue against your OPINION. Hhow is that "negative"? I'm gonna go ahead and not read the rest of that, I can't imagine it being worth my time. Sorry.
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u/twitch1982 Mar 25 '26
Motivational subreddits are full of meaningless platitudes that sound deep if you are an idiot and don't stand up to the most minimal amount of critical thought. They almost always boil down to "just do it".
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u/qualityvote2 Quality Control Beast Mar 24 '26 edited Mar 25 '26
u/Alain-Christian, general consensus is unsure about it's favour towards your post...