I recognized him instantly. (My Reality TV → Real Life Nightmare)

2026-01-28

Download

I recognised him instantly.I’d never met him before.Hi, I’m Lauren Howard. You can call me L2. Like other people do.In this episode of Different, Not Broken, I tell the story of going to a startup funding event in Miami and unexpectedly sitting down next to someone I knew far too much about… despite never having spoken to him in my life.It turns out reality TV, social conditioning, and a neurodivergent brain make for a very specific kind of social experience.This episode is about what it’s like to hold a straigh...

I recognised him instantly.

I’d never met him before.

Hi, I’m Lauren Howard. You can call me L2. Like other people do.

In this episode of Different, Not Broken, I tell the story of going to a startup funding event in Miami and unexpectedly sitting down next to someone I knew far too much about… despite never having spoken to him in my life.

It turns out reality TV, social conditioning, and a neurodivergent brain make for a very specific kind of social experience.

This episode is about what it’s like to hold a straight face while your brain is doing cartwheels, why masking often looks like politeness, and how much effort goes into pretending you don’t know what you know.

You’ll hear:

Why recognition doesn’t always come from real relationships

What masking actually looks like in everyday social situations

Why being “polite” is often a survival skill

How neurodivergent brains process people and patterns differently

Why explaining yourself gets exhausting fast

Once you’ve been inspired to brag, here’s where you can do it!

https://differentnotbrokenpodcast.com/voicemail

Useful stuff

Stuff that helps you become awesome even if you’re different: https://stan.store/elletwo

My grown up job: https://lbeehealth.com/

Chapters / Timestamps