The Bright Side of Executive Dysfunction

Hearing so much focus on executive dysfunction in recent years has been enlightening. I haven't always known the term, but executive dysfunction has been my thing since my inception. In the first through third grades, my pencils were held on my flip desk by a ticky-tack. The reason? Every time I had an impulse to grab something, I'd flip my desk open, and everything on it would fly across the room—executive dysfunction. At age eight or so, I gave my friends a rosary and asked them to use it to hypnotize me into being a good kid. My definition of a good kid was someone organized and with good handwriting.

It didn't work.

As much trouble as inattention and executive functioning challenges caused me in grade school, I have come to appreciate a few aspects. I think that being a little (or a lot) disorganized by conventional standards has a few surprising advantages in addition to the obstacles chaos can create. Here are five benefits of executive dysfunction.

1. Resistance to the Routine

Routine is key when following the traditional rules of organization. While routine can be orienting, too much routine can turn into a rut. Whether intentional or not, executive dysfunction can cause a break in routine, moving us away from the same old.

2. Thinking Beyond the Group

Convergent thinking is a type of reasoning where people tend to come to the same conclusions. On the contrary, divergent thinking allows for creative problem-solving. We need convergent thinkers. Some might argue that such is the stuff of common sense. Yet, divergent thinking breaks away from groupthink tendencies with new ideas. Research shows that people with ADHD, a condition marked by differences in executive functioning, are often gifted in the realm of divergent thinking (Taylor et al., 2020).

3. New Experiences You Might Not Otherwise Have

Getting distracted, losing things, and forgetting things can be frustrating. Still, these wanderings by nature can lead to meeting people you might not have met, having new experiences you might not have had, and even gaining fresh skills. Novelty has many benefits in terms of well-being and happiness. The novelty granted by executive dysfunction is rarely appreciated.

4. Humility

There is something particularly humility-inducing about forgetting your planner at the coffee shop or giving someone a spare set of keys just in anticipation of the one time those sneaky things might disappear forever. For me, at least, executive dysfunction is a constant reminder of my imperfection and humanity. Embracing our fallibilities gives us a space to connect with others. It is a virtue.

5. Innovation

I do not believe it is any coincidence that so many great inventors and innovators have been neurodivergent. Executive dysfunction naturally lends to carving new paths. Be it in business, engineering, medicine, or relationships, this can be an asset.

Closing

While executive dysfunction can make many tasks in life more difficult, I believe that there are positive sides to this style as well. Rather than addressing executive dysfunction as something to be uprooted, I believe that we can do well to work alongside different kinds of minds, accommodating challenges and featuring strengths.