Who We Are and Who We Are Not by Chidi Anagonye

All of his posters and action figures growing up were somehow tied to famous thinkers, and he always finds a way to insert moral philosophy into conversations. Not only is this a natural process of his mind, it is also his special interest! Chidi has shown a laser for philosophy and ethics since he was a child, even giving his parents a lecture on why they should not divorce. (Side note, the name Chidi is Igbo for “G-d lives”, which is the most hilariously ironic name for a philosopher).īack to the fixation on doing the right thing. Chidi is shown to have this problem from birth, when he gets achy and fussy after his mother asks if he likes his name. Gastrointestinal distress is a common comorbidity with autism, especially when compounded with anxiety.

These moments of anxious indecision are accompanied by stomach aches, and he has also had anxious diarrhea at least once during the show. Another social thing that Chidi has trouble with is lying, which a lot of autistic people find uncomfortable or against themselves. He is afraid of making a moral blunder, of crossing a line in the world, so he must analyze until he is absolutely sure of a decision. Being concerned with being “right” and not breaking any rules is also an autism thing, which is the main drive behind Chidi’s indecisiveness. We prefer to choose in advance so we know what to expect when it happens, and Chidi gets flustered by surprise forks in the road. Autistic people sometimes encounter decision paralysis, also known as analysis paralysis, when they are forced to make a choice on the spot. He weighs every outcome of every option in order to make the “right” choice, even for something as small as what color hat to wear or which muffin to eat for breakfast. Chidi is an adorkable nerd, and upon rewatch, I noticed some headcanonable traits in him too.Ĭhidi’s most obvious and focused-on trait is his indecision. One of these humans is Chidi Anagonye, a moral philosophy professor who grew up in Senegal and was teaching at an Australian university before he died. Over the winter break, I rewatched The Good Place, an NBC comedy that follows four humans in the afterlife.

Who We Are and Who We Are Not by Chidi Anagonye