Context Blindness

Have you ever been in a situation where everyone else seemed to understand something you didn’t? Like there was some invisible rulebook everyone had access to except you? You might have been experiencing context blindness — and you’re definitely not alone in this.

Context blindness is when your brain has trouble automatically picking up on the unspoken “rules” or hidden meanings in social situations. You might understand all the individual pieces — the words, the facts, the basic situation — but struggle to read between the lines or understand what’s really going on underneath.

You might relate to this if you:

• Miss sarcasm or hints — Someone says one thing but clearly means another, and you take them at face value
• Don’t pick up on mood shifts — The vibe in the room changes but you can’t figure out why or what happened
• Struggle with flexible rules — You know the rule is “be quiet in the library,” but somehow everyone knows it’s okay to whisper to friends
• Feel confused by social dynamics — There’s clearly some tension or subtext happening, but you can’t decode what’s going on
• Need things spelled out — You prefer when people just say what they mean rather than expecting you to guess

Here’s what’s important to understand: this isn’t about being less empathetic or intelligent. Your brain is just processing information differently. You might be excellent at understanding explicit information while finding implicit information harder to decode.

This experience is super common among autistic folks, but it can happen to anyone whose brain processes social information in a more literal way.

The frustrating part is that most people aren’t even aware they’re communicating in subtext — it feels natural to them. But here’s the thing: clear, direct communication is actually better for everyone, not just those of us who need it.