“Carl von Rokitansky…reminding his colleagues that they must always regard their patients with respect rather than seeing them merely as guinea  pigs for their research” (84)

This is one of the most important quotes in the whole chapter, although there are many similar to it. This belief allows for human to human connection and as Rokitansky and many others including Sack’s believes that patients are not patients first, they are people. This concept is really important for the modern day study of neurological difference. I think all people realize whether they are neurotypical or atypical when they are not being treated like a person and when they are being treated unfairly. Especially with children, they are more intuitive and intelligent than we think. In the case of Goffried, because he was different and he was teased terribly, he was seen as stupid but really he just functioned on a different spectrum. When he was being studied, it turns out that the tests did not apply to him because he thought too logically. In this way he was very intelligent but did not have the capacity for imaginative thinking like a “normal” child would. Due to this recognition, Weiss was able to understand him better and was able to help him and diagnose him the way he needed to be. If more doctors or people were as understanding to take the time to actually observe and meet the needs of a “different” child then the way we see mental illness would improve. Society is so stuck in old practices that to this day those with mental illness are shunned and kept out for the neurotypical world because they are embarrassing or others cannot handle them being around. There are people who have compassion and the willingness to understand and learn how to interact and connect with neuroatypical people. Those are the people that need to work with them and at the same time teach others acceptance.