firsthand

There's an old saying about walking a mile in someone else's shoes in order to understand them. It's an accurate sentiment as there are things in life one simply won't grasp unless experienced personally.

For example, I've been very open about my autism in my writing.

My fellow autistic adults often share how similar our experiences are and how well we can relate to each other.

However no matter how descriptive I am, it's difficult for someone neurotypical to fully understand what it’s like to have a brain that's wired differently.

But on the flip side, my autism means there are things I'll never understand.

Like what hunger feels like or how people usually feel pain or easily recognize faces or eat spicy foods or visualize things in their mind or don't get physically ill because of noises.