--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Criticizing people, winding them up…" description: "\"Criticizing people, winding them up, making idiots of them or fooling them doesn't make people with autism laugh. What makes us smile from the inside i..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/40b/naoki-higashida-10961_autism_criticizing-people-winding-them-up-makin_1272539.png" --- # Criticizing people, winding them up, making idiots of them… ![“Criticizing people, winding them up, making idiots of them or fooling them doesn't make people with autism laugh. What makes us smile from the inside is seeing something beautiful, or a memory makes us laugh. This generally happens when there's nobody watching us. And at night, on our own, we…” quote by Naoki Higashida](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/40b/naoki-higashida-10961_autism_criticizing-people-winding-them-up-makin_1272539.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/40b/naoki-higashida-10961_autism_criticizing-people-winding-them-up-makin_1272539.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/40b/naoki-higashida-10961_autism_criticizing-people-winding-them-up-makin_1272539.png) > “Criticizing people, winding them up, making idiots of them or fooling them doesn't make people with autism laugh. What makes us smile from the inside is seeing something beautiful, or a memory makes us laugh. This generally happens when there's nobody watching us. And at night, on our own, we might burst out laughing underneath the duvet, or roar with later in an empty room ... When we don't need to think about other people or anything else, that's when we wear our aural expressions.” [Naoki Higashida](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naoki-higashida/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. True joy for autistic people comes from internal, private moments of beauty or memory, not from provoking others. **In simple terms:** Private moments of beauty bring genuine laughter. Key Takeaway Seek quiet, personal joy. Themes autism joy privacy Mood reflective introspective Type personal neurodiversity When to use this quote - alone time - personal reflection - creative activities - mindfulness Key Concepts neurodiversity emotional expression Questions to Reflect On - How can we create safe spaces for authentic joy? - What private moments make you smile? A Different Perspective Laughter may be limited by social anxiety or misunderstanding. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Autism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/autism/) [Autism Laugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/autism-laugh-4084666/) [Beautiful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beautiful/) [Comedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedy/) [Criticize](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/criticize/) [Duvets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/duvets/) [Empty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/empty/) [Expression](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/expression/) [Idiot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/idiot/) [Laugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/laugh/) [Laugh Generally](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/laugh-generally-780709/) [Laugh Makes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/laugh-makes-1067397/) [Laughing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/laughing/) [Laughter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/laughter/) [Memories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/memories/) [Might](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/might/) [Needs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/needs/) [Night](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/night/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [People Autism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-autism-447970/) [Rooms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rooms/) [Something beautiful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/something-beautiful/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [“Among people who have autism and speech challenges, I think there will always be individuals whose “verbal blocks” come from the same place as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naoki-higashida/among-people-who-have-autism-and-speech-challenges-i-think-there-will/) [Naoki Higashida](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naoki-higashida/) > [“The neurotypical public needs to know that the failure of people with autism to communicate doesn’t stem from inner self-imprisonment: it stems from a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naoki-higashida/the-neurotypical-public-needs-to-know-that-the-failure-of-people-with/) [Naoki Higashida](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naoki-higashida/) > [“People with autism might need more time, but as we grow there are countless things that we can learn how to do, so even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naoki-higashida/people-with-autism-might-need-more-time-but-as-we-grow-there-are/) [Naoki Higashida](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naoki-higashida/) > [“Any given therapy method might well work to some degree for some people with autism, but no approach will work across the board for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naoki-higashida/any-given-therapy-method-might-well-work-to-some-degree-for-some/) [Naoki Higashida](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naoki-higashida/) > [“The best reaction to our mistakes will vary from person to person, and according to his or her age, but please remember: for people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naoki-higashida/the-best-reaction-to-our-mistakes-will-vary-from-person-to-person-and/) [Naoki Higashida](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naoki-higashida/) > [“I think that people with autism are born outside the regime of civilization. Sure, this is just my own made-up theory, but I think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naoki-higashida/i-think-that-people-with-autism-are-born-outside-the-regime-of/) [Naoki Higashida](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naoki-higashida/) > [“So how do people with autism see the world, exactly? We, only we, can ever know the answer to that one! Sometimes I actually…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naoki-higashida/so-how-do-people-with-autism-see-the-world-exactly-we-only-we-can/) [Naoki Higashida](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naoki-higashida/) > [“... for me the number one reason is that us people with autism love the greenness of nature. ... Our fondness for nature is,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naoki-higashida/for-me-the-number-one-reason-is-that-us-people-with-autism-love-the/) [Naoki Higashida](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naoki-higashida/) > [When you see an object, it seems that you see it as an entire thing first, and only afterwards do its details follow on.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naoki-higashida/when-you-see-an-object-it-seems-that-you-see-it-as-an-entire-thing/) [Naoki Higashida](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naoki-higashida/) > [People with autism never, ever feel at ease, wherever we are. Because of this, we wander off - or run away - in search…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naoki-higashida/people-with-autism-never-ever-feel-at-ease-wherever-we-are-because-of/) [Naoki Higashida](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naoki-higashida/) > [When you really boil it down, what comedy does is you expect one thing, and you get a totally different thing that's humorous, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zoe-quinn/when-you-really-boil-it-down-what-comedy-does-is-you-expect-one-thing/) [Zoe Quinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zoe-quinn/) > [Sayings designed to raise a laugh are generally untrue and never complimentary. Laughter is never far removed from derision.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quintilian/sayings-designed-to-raise-a-laugh-are-generally-untrue-and-never/) [Quintilian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quintilian/) > [People who laugh together generally don't kill each other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-alda/people-who-laugh-together-generally-don-t-kill-each-other/) [Alan Alda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-alda/) > [You can laugh at somebody because they are innocent, and because they are naive or they are about to walk into a wall, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dylan-moran/you-can-laugh-at-somebody-because-they-are-innocent-and-because-they/) [Dylan Moran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dylan-moran/) > [“Tickling light falls over warm duvets, like the smell of freshly brewed coffee and toasted bread. It shouldn't be doing this. It's the wrong…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fredrik-backman/tickling-light-falls-over-warm-duvets-like-the-smell-of-freshly/) [Fredrik Backman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fredrik-backman/) ## More by Naoki Higashida > [“What I, as a person with special needs, longed for was to be taught what role, what purpose, I could have in society, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naoki-higashida/what-i-as-a-person-with-special-needs-longed-for-was-to-be-taught/) [Naoki Higashida](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naoki-higashida/) > [But I ask you, those of you who are with us all day, not to stress yourselves out because of us. When you do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naoki-higashida/but-i-ask-you-those-of-you-who-are-with-us-all-day-not-to-stress/) [Naoki Higashida](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naoki-higashida/) > [People with autism never, ever feel at ease, wherever we are. Because of this, we wander off - or run away - in search…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naoki-higashida/people-with-autism-never-ever-feel-at-ease-wherever-we-are-because-of/) [Naoki Higashida](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naoki-higashida/) > [The thought that our lives are the source of other people's unhappiness, that's plain unbearable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naoki-higashida/the-thought-that-our-lives-are-the-source-of-other-people-s/) [Naoki Higashida](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naoki-higashida/) > [“People can only understand their own pain. Even a genuine desire to help a person with a disability can become a burden or a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naoki-higashida/people-can-only-understand-their-own-pain-even-a-genuine-desire-to/) [Naoki Higashida](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naoki-higashida/) > [“Traveling with people who have special needs might present difficulties, but please, let it happen. We all need a break and a change of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naoki-higashida/traveling-with-people-who-have-special-needs-might-present/) [Naoki Higashida](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naoki-higashida/) > [When you see an object, it seems that you see it as an entire thing first, and only afterwards do its details follow on.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naoki-higashida/when-you-see-an-object-it-seems-that-you-see-it-as-an-entire-thing/) [Naoki Higashida](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naoki-higashida/) > [True compassion is about not bruising the other person’s self-respect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naoki-higashida/true-compassion-is-about-not-bruising-the-other-person-s-self-respect/) [Naoki Higashida](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naoki-higashida/) > [“Naoki is anticipating his audience’s emotions and manipulating them. That is empathy. The conclusion is that both emotional poverty and an aversion to company…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naoki-higashida/naoki-is-anticipating-his-audience-s-emotions-and-manipulating-them/) [Naoki Higashida](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naoki-higashida/) > [“I would like people to stop pressuring children to make friends. Friendships can’t be artificially created.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naoki-higashida/i-would-like-people-to-stop-pressuring-children-to-make-friends/) [Naoki Higashida](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naoki-higashida/) > [“... for me the number one reason is that us people with autism love the greenness of nature. ... Our fondness for nature is,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naoki-higashida/for-me-the-number-one-reason-is-that-us-people-with-autism-love-the/) [Naoki Higashida](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naoki-higashida/) > [“autism is more like retina patterns than measles”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naoki-higashida/autism-is-more-like-retina-patterns-than-measles/) [Naoki Higashida](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naoki-higashida/) > [“What brought you here isn't your fault. We human beings have to live each day to its fullest and do our best in whatever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naoki-higashida/what-brought-you-here-isn-t-your-fault-we-human-beings-have-to-live/) [Naoki Higashida](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naoki-higashida/) > [“So how do people with autism see the world, exactly? We, only we, can ever know the answer to that one! Sometimes I actually…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naoki-higashida/so-how-do-people-with-autism-see-the-world-exactly-we-only-we-can/) [Naoki Higashida](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naoki-higashida/) > [“We do take pleasure in one thing that you probably won't be able to guess. Namely, making friends with nature. ... nature is always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naoki-higashida/we-do-take-pleasure-in-one-thing-that-you-probably-won-t-be-able-to/) [Naoki Higashida](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naoki-higashida/) [Explore all 62 Naoki Higashida quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naoki-higashida/) ## More Autism quotes > [“We know that children with autism like order, that they are often very visual and that they can be quite literal. They deserve beautiful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adele-devine/we-know-that-children-with-autism-like-order-that-they-are-often-very/) [Adele Devine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adele-devine/) > [In fact, when we as neuro-typical people encounter a person with autism spectrum syndrome who's always been that way it is that we have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tamlyn-tomita/in-fact-when-we-as-neuro-typical-people-encounter-a-person-with/) [Tamlyn Tomita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tamlyn-tomita/) > [If you give us a safe vaccine, we'll use it. It shouldn't be polio versus autism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenny-mccarthy/if-you-give-us-a-safe-vaccine-we-ll-use-it-it-shouldn-t-be-polio/) [Jenny McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenny-mccarthy/) > [Autism is a big continuum, going from someone who remains nonverbal, all the way up to geniuses on Silicon Valley. And some kids are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/temple-grandin/autism-is-a-big-continuum-going-from-someone-who-remains-nonverbal/) [Temple Grandin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/temple-grandin/) > [Metaphor isn't just a fancy turn of speech. It shapes our thoughts and feelings, reaches out to grasp new experience, and even binds our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-richardson/metaphor-isn-t-just-a-fancy-turn-of-speech-it-shapes-our-thoughts-and/) [James Richardson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-richardson/) > [The position of Autism Speaks has been for quite awhile that we need to find out what's happening. We know there's a genetic component,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-emken/the-position-of-autism-speaks-has-been-for-quite-awhile-that-we-need/) [Elizabeth Emken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-emken/) > [Some people with autism who don't talk, all they hear are vowel sounds. Like if I said 'cup,' they might just hear 'uh.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/temple-grandin/some-people-with-autism-who-don-t-talk-all-they-hear-are-vowel-sounds/) [Temple Grandin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/temple-grandin/) > [Children must be taught how to think, not what to think.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-mead/children-must-be-taught-how-to-think-not-what-to-think/) [Margaret Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-mead/) > [Mild autism can give you a genius like Einstein. If you have severe autism, you could remain nonverbal. You don't want people to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/temple-grandin/mild-autism-can-give-you-a-genius-like-einstein-if-you-have-severe/) [Temple Grandin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/temple-grandin/) > [“The autistic mind is not the wave at the surface of the ocean, but the whole world that exists below.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krissy-bells/the-autistic-mind-is-not-the-wave-at-the-surface-of-the-ocean-but-the/) [Krissy Bells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krissy-bells/) > [In the person with autism, the brain may already be seeing the part and be less distracted by the whole, and in the person…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-baron-cohen/in-the-person-with-autism-the-brain-may-already-be-seeing-the-part/) [Simon Baron-Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-baron-cohen/) > [I think that the definition of autism is too broad. 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Self-diagnosed autistics and fakers were asking diagnosed autistics whether or not they had a diagnosis, and if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-d-taylor/unfortunately-by-this-time-it-didn-t-matter-self-diagnosed-autistics/) [Thomas D. Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-d-taylor/) [Browse all 621 Autism quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/autism/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Criticizing people, winding them up, making idiots of them or fooling them doesn't make people with autism laugh. What makes us smile from the inside is seeing something beautiful, or a memory makes us laugh. This generally happens when there's nobody watching us. And at night, on our own, we might burst out laughing underneath the duvet, or roar with later in an empty room ... 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