This is a little passion piece of pop-culture analysis. I bring two of my favourite topics together and explore how one can be used to explain the other. So let’s talk being neurodivergent, and Mandalorian culture!

Yes, I know I have posted about The Mandalorian before. Last time I was talking about how the TV series showed Din Djarin’s path through positive disintegration. This time we’re going wider on the culture. Besides, neurodiversity is an important and rather hot topic.

In the vastness of the Internet Galaxy, there can be a lot of negativity when people declare themselves as neurodivergent. Some people think it’s a trend. But for many of us, it is ‘The Way’ to find others to connect with. It’s also a label filled with nuance and individuality.

This post will look at what it means to be neurodivergent, why people may use the label over others, and then explore Mandalorian culture and how it is a great analogy for neurodivergence – how it can explain difference within community.

What does Neurodivergent mean?

First let’s talk about what we mean when we say Neurodivergent (or ND for short). 

Neurodivergence is when someone’s brain processes, learns, and / or behaves differently from what is considered typical.

So “ND” can mean someone with overexcitabilities (OE). It can mean ADHD or autism. Giftedness is also a form of ND. Sometimes ND can mean acquired conditions like PTSD. It can also mean HSP, dyslexia, dyscalculia, and a number of other things. 

Importantly, a person who identifies as ND may be referring to a number of these things all at once. The term “twice exceptional” or “2E” means gifted and another form of ND. It is not uncommon for people to have multiple forms of neurodivergence.

ND is not a “medical term” or a synonym for “disorders or diagnosable things”. It is a non-medical, and non-pathologising, umbrella word. It is meant to help us express the wide variety of humans and how our brains operate in ways which are not typical.

Why people identify as neurodivergent

I understand why people use ND seemingly with abandon. Why people might think it is trendy. The answer is easy – it’s because it’s easy!

For me, it’s much easier to say “I am neurodivergent” rather than “I identify as gifted, OE, possibly a bit ADHD, with a side-serving of dyscalculia”. ND is just so much easier than going into the nuances of all the ways and forms you are different. Particularly in the gifted community, people can see themselves in many frameworks all at once. These frameworks can be on a sliding scale, and everyone’s configuration is different. 

There is even difference within any given neurotype. So what ADHD means for one person isn’t the same as the next. Within overexcitabilities, not everyone has all five, or to the same degree. Specificity is longwinded, and it doesn’t really give you all that much insight on the individual anyway.

It’s also counterproductive (and unnecessary) when trying to find connections and mirroring. Instead of creating commonality, going into specifics just creates further states of difference. For most of us, we’re not looking to be more different!

If your aim is to find community, it is much easier to declare yourself as “neurospicy”. It conveys the simple message of “my brain isn’t typical” which people can easily grasp without the specifics. You can then move onward with forging interpersonal connections.

The Star Wars Universe

My first and best memory of going to the cinema was in 1983 when Return of the Jedi came out. Dad took me to see a marathon where they played all three OG Star Wars movies back to back. I immediately and irrevocably fell in love.

However, the Star Wars universe is not without faults. It has been criticised repeatedly (warranted criticism, mind you) for various acts of cultural appropriation, racists depictions, and homogenous cultures. But the homogenising of cultures (where everyone on the same planet looks and acts the same) gives us a basis of comparison. That is, it tells us how we shouldn’t view ND people as a whole. Just because we are from Planet Neurospicy, doesn’t meant mean our experiences are all the same.

On the other hand, while individual needs and experiences vary, being ND does give us some common ground of understanding. Example – we know what it is like to operate in a world where we don’t fit. We are living in a “round peg, round hole” life, where none of us are round pegs. So whether we are square pegs, triangular pegs, star-shaped pegs, or little rectangles, the standard round life can be an uncomfortable fit for us.

This lead me to wondering – are there any examples in the Star Wars universe which more accurately represent ND? Yes, in my absolute favourite character Din Djarin, and his culture. This is The Way…

Mandalorian Culture and Identity

If you haven’t gathered by my continual references to it (and my giant crush on Pedro Pascal) I am a huge fan of The Mandalorian TV series. I’ve also dabbled in researching Mandalorian culture, and have picked up a few pieces from watching other Star Wars things (like The Clone Wars, Ahsoka etc.). So what I outline below comes from various Star Wars media sources, and my rabbit-hole deep dives on Wookiepedia.

The one thing I have gathered from my exploration is that there is a common Mandalorian culture. But within that culture is a huge scope for difference. Particularly when it comes to beliefs surrounding the traditionalist warrior culture, “The Way”, and their gods.

At one end of the scale we have Din Djarin’s tribe – the Death Watch remnants. They are religious literalists (called “zealots” by Bo-Katan). Death Watch firmly believe in the Mandalorian gods, and honour war and combat (as Din says “weapons are part of my religion”). They live life to a strict code (The Way) based on the Resol’nare – the traditional ‘Six Actions’ of Mandalorian life. Their literalist approach means they do not remove their helmets, and live a very combative lifestyle. They are also very selective in who they would consider a “proper Mandalorian”.

At the other end of the scale is Satine Kryze, who was a pacifist. She was trying to actively move away from their warrior culture traditions. Satine is always depicted in The Clone Wars series without a helmet, and without armour, and actively tries to avoid conflict. She is the complete opposite of Din Djarin in so far as beliefs and behaviours. But she is no less Mandalorian, and has the same level of concern for the plight of her people.

In between those two, we have Bo-Katan. In the Mando TV series she is declared to “walk both worlds” between the Death Watch tribe and the more modern factions. Bo-Katan Kryze also happens to be the sister of Satine Kryze, but their beliefs are quite different in many respects. Bo-Katan was also of the opinion that being Mandalorian required heritage. She refused to recognise Darth Maul as a “self-identified” Mandalorian leader, despite the fact he claimed the Dark Sabre.

But being Mandalorian is not something which needs a bloodline. Case in point is Darth Maul, who was recognised as a leader through tradition (in claiming the Dark Sabre) but had no Mandalorian roots whatsoever. We also have Din Djarin and Jango Fett who were both foundlings, brought into the fold as children. Same applies to Grogu, who is now an adoptee of Din Djarin.

We also get other characters whose status as Mandalorian is a matter of discretion and debate.  Boba Fett is the most notable of these. His father, Jango Fett, was a Mandalorian foundling. But although Boba had a rightful claim to his father’s armour (and could have considered himself a Mandalorian) he did not see himself as one (and George Lucas said he wasn’t). Boba is a case where others might see him as Mandalorian – even other Mandos – but he doesn’t view himself that way.

You also have Sabine Wren, who was born to a Mandalorian clan, but didn’t want the Dark Sabre. She was disowned by her mother, and instead followed the life of a Rebel and Jedi… and yet would still consider herself Mandalorian.

Sabine highlights another difference – career. Some, like the Kryze sisters, are only ever Mandalorian, and nothing else. Din Djarin took on employment with the bounty guild, and prior to the time in the TV series, ran with an outlaw crew under Ranzar Malk. Jango and Boba Fett had similarly dubious careers. But Sabine and Grogu were gifted enough to have the opportunity to pursue the life of a Jedi. Like the mighty Tarre Vizsla before them who forged the Dark Sabre, their Force sensitivity allows them a career available only to the very gifted.

I also want to point out that not all Mandalorians are born and raised on Mandalore. But it is a gift for them to come home. Some, like Bo-Katan had the privilege of being raised there. Din Djarin, however, was raised on Concordia, and never set foot on Mandalore until he was middle aged. His awe in season 3 is palpable, and it must have been an experience of gravity, when he finally “comes home”.

So the whole Mando culture is a little murky in some respects. Who is and isn’t a Mando, what they believe, how they act – is all vastly different and individual. But they do have tradition, leadership, and gods (whether one follows them literally or not). They have a common plight of their people, a language, history, unique foods, and cultural norms. 

They also have the distinctive armour and helmet style (the T-shaped lens form), and an aesthetic sensibility which is distinctly their own. And yet, unlike storm troopers who are unable to be differentiated in their armour, each Mandalorian’s armour is unique to them. You can tell who is who within any given clan or tribe, and you can tell the different tribes from each other. While some can take off the armour and walk among others unseen, where others can’t, when the helmet is on they still retain their individuality.

The Neurodivergent Mandalorian Community

What can we learn from the Mandalorians when it comes to discussing ND? 

If I were to explain to someone what it means to be ND, I would be doing it in the same way I would explain to them what it means to be a Mandalorian. 

Each individual within our ‘culture’ can be very different. We are all unique. We have different tribes and sub-cultures (ADHD, gifted, OE etc.). Some of us walk between those worlds and tribes. Who does and does not identify, and how they identify (through diagnosis or self-identification) will be different. How we walk our Way will be different. In short, being ND means something different to each of us.

We have different views on whether we consider ourselves disabled. Some may choose to not identify as ND, or don’t find the label particularly useful or fitting (like Boba Fett). We have a vast variety of career opportunities. Some of us are gifted and have unique talents (Jedi style). And some of us walk among you every day and you wouldn’t even know it, whether it’s because we mask, or simply because you just can’t differentiate us.

Funnily enough it takes a long time for some of us to “come home” too. Some find out about being ND as a kid, but many of us discover it in middle age. We then have to go through the process of readjusting our identity and sense of self, but it is always awe inspiring for us to finally set foot on our home world.

The good thing is, that within our culture, we can express our differences (to the galaxy, and each other) but we can also find community and mirroring. We can speak a common language, because we can share experiences, and find others who understand those experiences. Our helmets may be unique, but we all know what it is like to have blind spots in our visors. We know other people who are viewing us from the outside will always have their preconceived ideas about what they think being ND is like. We all live life through a T-shaped (or more aptly, ND-shaped) lens.

On Planet Neurospicy, you will find a vast mix of different people, but you will walk in a world where you will see yourself in others. If you are Death Watch, you will find others like you. If you are a pacifist, you will find others like you. Even where those two tribes are vastly different, there will be some who walk both worlds. You will find others in the ND community who will accept you into their tribe. 

We may or may not follow the Resol’nare. Some want to engage in combat, and others don’t. We come from different clans and factions. We may be foundlings or have heritage. There is nothing we can guarantee we have in common, except for the fact that we all identify as ND. But in that identification we can find community, and we can create history, culture and language. We can also work towards better understanding of our experiences across the galaxy, and act as ambassadors for Planet Neurospicy.

Importantly, we are all concerned about the plight of our people, even if we sometimes disagree on how to best defend the planet.

This is The Way.