38 pages • 1 hour read
Daniel TammetBorn on a Blue Day
Nonfiction | Autobiography / Memoir | Adult | Published in 2006A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Themes
Exploring and Accepting Differences
Ever since the author’s “differentness” became apparent to him, he had to cope with it and make decisions about if and when to try to adapt to various aspects of dominant society and culture. Teasing and bullying at school underscored that the author was, as he says in a chapter title, “the odd one out” (73). Attempts to fit in with his peers often went badly. He reflects on various behaviors he displayed, like standing very physically close to people, that made those around him feel uncomfortable. He altered such behaviors as he learned to understand and express emotions better, but he still had a mind and brain that set him apart from peers and provided both gifts and challenges in his life.
After his school days, his “differentness” functioned very differently in his life. When he lived abroad in Lithuania, he made friends who appreciated the author for who he was, like only a few children had in his youth. As he started taking on public challenges to test his brain power, he voluntarily displayed his abilities for the wider world to see, and he often enjoyed a very positive reception and interest and kindness from those around him. He noticed that the very things that isolated him in his youth were the things that attracted people to him in adulthood. Self-acceptance was a long and important journey for the author, but getting to know himself better through breakthroughs in independent living, taking risks, learning new skills, and even participating in brain science research all allowed the author to steadily know and appreciate himself more and more. He clearly takes pride in how he was able to come to terms with himself and shape routines that allow him to be productive and successful.
In addition to the self-acceptance narrative in the book, Tammet invites the reader to practice accepting others for their differences, whatever they might be. He occasionally talks about stigmas and the damaging effects that they have on the people they target. At one point, he talks about workplace discrimination against people on the autistic spectrum. He explains that there are many qualities that make people on the spectrum good workers—“Reliability, honesty, a high level of accuracy, considerable attention to detail and a good knowledge of various facts and figures” (148), for example—and yet, as of the time the book was published, “only 12 percent of those with high-functioning autism […] had full-time jobs” (147).
When the author meets Kim Peek, Peek’s common practice of touring and giving presentations for free to schools and organizations amazes Tammet. Peek, he says, spreads a “message of respect for difference” (202). Tammet never ignores the differences between people—he highlights them—but he, like Peek, makes the point that we needn’t all be the same to appreciate and respect one another.
In these ways, Born on A Blue Day is a tool for both self-reflection and acceptance of others. We see the troubling consequences of bullying—the way it shut down the author and caused him great distress in his youth—and we see the benefit of withholding judgment and getting to know a person, however different they might be.
Persevering Through Adversity
Many aspects of the author’s childhood and adolescence were struggles for the author and those around him. One of his overall messages, however, is that perseverance can pay off. One of the biggest examples of adversity that he explores at length in the book is his experience with interpersonal relationships, or, more accurately, his lack of these relationships. As a young child, he felt like his peers were on another plane of existence entirely. As he got older, however, he started to desire closeness and friendship. Achieving these things was difficult, and whereas forging friendships might seem natural to many people, the process involves a subtle set of skills that the author had to practice and hone over years.
There were other tasks that the author had to work harder on than his peers in order to master. Some of these were physical. He mentions swimming, biking, and even walking with his head up (87-88). Though the slow learning processes were undoubtedly frustrating and at times discouraging, the author reflects on his experiences positively for what they taught him and the confidence they gave him to move forward and keep trying new things despite their difficulty.
Tammet lives an independent life as an adult, and his ability to do so is the result of maintaining the perseverance required to overcome his challenges. At the very beginning of his memoir, the author says that one of his purposes in writing the book is to encourage others with similar challenges (he mentions his younger brother Steven specifically, as Steven is also on the autistic spectrum) to have hope that they can establish happy and fulfilling lives, even if that process will be tough.
The Importance of a Support Network
Though the memoir centrally focuses on Tammet himself, the important people in his life occupy crucial roles in the narrative and in his life. Tammet’s parents were the first people in his life to support him, and that task was very difficult for the new parents, because their baby was constantly crying. They soothed him in whatever ways they could and consulted with specialists about how to provide a happier life.
Tammet’s world extended beyond his home when he started nursery school. He did not connect with the other children there, but he enjoyed the various stimuli of the facility and thinks he must have been treated kindly by the staff. His teachers in grade school were similarly understanding of Tammet’s preferences, and he notes that some teachers were extremely kind and patient, even though many also scolded him for various behaviors. When the author started desiring friends, only a few children in grade school and secondary school befriended the author, but those relationships were critical for his development. His best friend in secondary school introduced him to many sites and activities around London, which may have provided a taste of independence before Tammet sought it in earnest.
His support network grew considerably when he lived and worked in Lithuania. There, he made friends who appreciated both his abilities and his efforts to take risks and learn new things. He also embraced his sexuality and connected with other gay men who provided support and examples of gay relationships. Tammet’s own relationship, which he developed after his return to the UK, became one of the most important facets of his entire support network. At the time of publication, his partner, Neil, provides both comfort and companionship.
Even for a person so absorbed in their individual world, a steady support network was necessary for Tammet in attaining and maintaining happiness and confidence. The people in the author’s life know him well and are careful to make plans that will be comfortable and fun for the whole group. While the author has particular sensitivities and triggers for stress, the negotiations he makes with his partner, family, and friends are typical of any functional and mutual interpersonal bond.
