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- MAKE DYSLEXIA SEXY
Dating apps let you judge a whole human in a swipe.
But despite being a judgmental swipefest that wasted time and gave me the "icks", I did learn one thing from them.
The word Sapiosexual, pronounced SAY-pee-oh-SEK-shoo-ul.
A sapiosexual is someone who's attracted and aroused by intelligence. While not necessarily blind to looks, sapiosexuals find the intellect of a potential partner more important than their appearance.
It's literally about how smart someone is.
Sounds noble, right?
But here's the problem…
How do we actually measure "smart"?
Most people default to the most visible evidence…
Writing, spelling and grammar because these stay on the page or screen for others to criticize.
Which means…
Society swipes left on dyslexics the exact same way we swipe on dating apps.
One glance at spelling mistakes becomes instant judgment about your intelligence.
DYSLEXIA’S OPENING LINE
"I thought I was stupid."
It doesn't matter if they're a PhD or never made it past high school.
That's the universal dyslexic opening line.
You hear it from executives, entrepreneurs, creatives and everyone in between.
Accomplished people who've built careers, raised families, solved complex problems still lead with it.
Meanwhile, ADHD'ers might say "I'm scattered" or "I can't concentrate".
But they’ve flipped their narrative into harnessing the Hyperfocus…
And the public domain is now filled with books, podcasts and productivity coaches selling this competitive advantage because of this rebranding.
Some of the autism community might express not fitting in or struggling with connection and belonging.
But they've built a massive self-advocacy movement, hiring initiatives at major corporations (Autism at Work), and representation in media through acceptance campaigns shifting the conversation from "fixing" to "understanding."
Dyslexics?
We’re still leading with questioning our intelligence!
PINK ELEPHANT
I challenge you…
Go find 3 pieces of content on dyslexia.
A book, social media post, webinar - whatever…
1 out of every 3 will start with a version of "being dyslexic doesn't mean being stupid" or “being dyslexic isn’t a sign of low intelligence”.
This disclaimer has had the opposite effect.
Every time we say "dyslexia doesn't mean you're stupid," we're reinforcing the connection between dyslexia and stupidity in people's minds.
It's like me telling you - "Don't think of a pink elephant".
What are you picturing now?
By constantly saying "dyslexia doesn't mean you're stupid," we're only making matters worse.
We’re lobbying against our own interests and smearing our own marketing campaign.
ON DISPLAY
But why does this Stupid Shame exist in the first place?
Think about it…
Speaking errors disappear.
When you misspeak, you can clarify and move on.
But writing errors?
They linger and become lasting evidence.
Every email at work.
Every social media post.
Every text, form and report.
It’s your intelligence on display for all to see, scrutinize or share.
AUTOMATIC ASSOCIATION
For dyslexics, mistakes hit different.
Why?
Because these mistakes live in the building blocks taught in elementary school.
To onlookers, grammatical mistakes say:
“This person didn't learn basic things"
Which in their minds means…
“This person isn't smart enough to learn basic things”.
The world links dyslexia with lack of intelligence because the first exposure is always spelling and grammar.
It's in the actual definition: Dys = difficulty, Lexia = with words.
But here's what gets missed.
Dyslexia shows up in over 50+ different ways with spelling and grammar being just two.
Each dyslexic experiences their own unique combination.
And despite the focus on what we can't do, some of the world's most successful business leaders and innovators are dyslexic.
The Intelligence has always been there.
Writing is just the measuring stick that never fit.
THE 1/8th PROBLEM
Writing is literally one-eighth of the intelligence spectrum!
In 1983, Harvard psychologist Howard Gardner identified 8 distinct ways the human brain processes and demonstrates intelligence.
He called them The Multiple Intelligences:
Linguistic Intelligence
Logical–Mathematical Intelligence
Spatial Intelligence
Bodily–Kinesthetic Intelligence
Musical Intelligence
Interpersonal Intelligence
Intrapersonal Intelligence
Naturalistic Intelligence
But society measures "smart" almost exclusively through writing.
Which is why we need to flip the script.
MAKE DYSLEXIA SEXY
You're not 1/8 deficient.
You're 8/8 human.
Different ratios and combos on different days.
Maybe it's 4/8 on Tuesdays, 7/8 on Sundays.
People don't need to know your number because your number isn't your value.
What matters is choice.
YOU CHOOSE your intelligence and how it's shared.
YOU CHOOSE what you emphasize about yourself.
You decide where the focus goes.
You decide how you're seen.
BRANDING
SEXY is subjective.
SEXY is dynamic, a moving target.
It’s where you direct attention…
It’s your attitude.
The sexiest people aren't always the most traditionally attractive.
It's often their humor, creativity, compassion and confidence that makes them sexy.
Right now…dyslexics are fixated on 1/8 while ignoring 7/8.
In a roomful of compliments, we’re locked in on the Hater.
Dyslexics are begging the world to judge us on ONE thing (writing) instead of seeing the full spectrum of who we are.
The world thinks we're dumb because we've made our weakness the headliner.
People treat you the way you ask to be treated…
And dyslexics…
We've got all lights pointed towards our #1 weakness and we’re wondering why the world keeps noticing.
What happens next is up to us.
Think about how ADHD’s been rebranded.
ADHD stopped apologizing for its distraction and started celebrating its hyperfocus instead.
It shifted where people look.
Plus, Focus is SEXY
Why?
Because it gets shit done!
TIMING
Here's why this matters right now.
AI just changed the game for dyslexics.
Writing, spelling, grammar - the 1/8 that's been holding you back?
AI can handle that now through apps like:
ChatGPT, Claude AI, Gemini, Wispr Flow, 11 Reader, Grammarly and many more.
The barrier that's defined dyslexia for generations is disappearing.
Which means your 7/8 - the things AI CAN'T do - just became your competitive advantage.
AI can't read a room.
AI can't thrive in chaos.
AI can't spot unspoken tension.
AI can't build trust in five minutes.
AI can't feel the answer before explaining it.
That's all you!
So the question isn't "when will the world stop judging me on my weakest 1/8?"
The question is: "What do I want to lead with instead?"
WHAT’S YOUR SEXY?
Your Sexy isn't the same as anyone else's.
Are you the person who walks into a room and instantly reads the energy?
Are you the one who sees the solution in 3D while everyone's still stuck on the whiteboard?
Are you the problem-solver who thinks in patterns others miss?
Are you the one who connects with people in five minutes because they feel seen?
Are you the hands-on learner who figures it out by doing, not reading instructions?
Are you the one who understands the why behind someone's behavior before they explain it?
Are you the person who spots what's missing in the room - the unspoken tension, the overlooked solution, the gap no one else sees?
Are you the one who builds trust without trying because people sense you get them?
Are you the connector who sees how seemingly unrelated ideas fit together?
Are you the adapter who thrives in chaos while others freeze?
Are you the person who feels the answer before you can explain it?
That's YOUR Zone of Power.
Once you know what it is…
Lead with that.
PUT SOME RESPECT ON IT
Look, I'm not going to lie to you.
Thirty-plus years of "I thought I was stupid" doesn't disappear because you read one article.
The world won't suddenly respect dyslexia just because YOU changed your attitude.
Some people will still judge you on spelling mistakes.
Some will still assume writing equals intelligence.
This isn't about convincing them.
It’s about you deciding what you emphasize about yourself.
It's about recognizing what's always been yours beyond the writing mistakes.
The truth about dyslexia is it’s yours to create.
You teach people how to treat you.
Your attitude, your choice, your focus…
That's the sexy.
Start with one thing.
Not a complete overhaul but a strength that you’ve got on lock.
And the next time someone asks about your dyslexia…
Try leading with your Zone of Power.
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