Dyslexic and Proud: Finding the Hidden Strengths in a Different Way of Thinking

In this short, energetic and visually vibrant video, Foudnder of Divergent Thinking, Nathaniel Hawley turns one of the most common stories about dyslexia on its head. Instead of treating dyslexia as a weakness to overcome or a flaw to hide, The Positives of Dyslexia makes a much stronger argument: a different way of thinking can carry real strengths, and those strengths deserve to be recognised.

This is not a naïve “everything is a superpower” message. It is a more grounded and practical reminder that the same mind that struggles in one kind of system may excel in another. For anyone who grew up feeling judged by school, labelled by test scores or quietly convinced they were not intelligent enough, the video offers something deeply important: a different interpretation of the struggle.

You can watch the full video here: The Positives of Dyslexia | Nat Hawley

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-tFqvMzrQQ

When school teaches the wrong lesson

Nathaniel begins by reflecting on a familiar experience for many dyslexic people: being placed in the “bottom set”, struggling to read or retain information, and slowly absorbing the message that this must mean something about your intelligence.

That is one of the most damaging myths around dyslexia.

Traditional classrooms often reward speed, memorisation, neat written output and ease with text-heavy learning. If a child struggles in that environment, the conclusion is often that they are weak, slow or not trying hard enough. But the deeper issue is often not intelligence at all. It is that the system is measuring a narrow range of skills in a narrow way.

This same idea appears across Divergent Thinking’s work: when people are judged only through one dominant model of success, difference is too easily mistaken for deficiency.

Dyslexia is not a lack of ability

One of the strongest lines in the video is Nathaniel’s description of dyslexia as feeling like “hacking into MI6’s computer every time you want to search Google.” It is funny, memorable and precise. It captures how ordinary tasks can require extraordinary effort.

That image matters because it explains something many people miss: dyslexia often involves a great deal of hidden labour. Reading, spelling, processing or recalling information may take far more energy than other people realise. The result is that dyslexic people can spend years being judged only on the visible result while nobody sees the invisible effort behind it.

That does not mean the person lacks intelligence. Quite the opposite. It often means they are working incredibly hard in a system that was not designed with their brain in mind.

Reclaiming the story through role models

Nathaniel then challenges stigma by pointing to a long list of well-known dyslexic thinkers, creators and innovators. The point is not celebrity name-dropping for its own sake. It is to show that dyslexia has long existed in people whose contributions shaped art, music, science and culture.

That matters because stigma thrives on isolation. When dyslexic people are taught only about what they find hard, and never about the kinds of minds they share space with, it becomes much easier to internalise shame.

Role models do not erase struggle, but they do widen the story. They show that dyslexia is not incompatible with brilliance, influence or creativity. In many cases, the very qualities that looked awkward in one setting became powerful in another.

The strengths hidden inside the struggle

A particularly compelling part of the video is the way Nathaniel reframes dyslexia in terms of strengths as well as difficulty.

He speaks about pattern recognition, storytelling and problem-solving — not as vague “positives”, but as meaningful capacities that can emerge from thinking differently. Because the world is not built for their brains, many dyslexic people become highly skilled at finding workarounds, spotting connections and approaching challenges from unusual angles.

That is a powerful shift.

The goal is not to deny that spelling, reading speed or memory may be difficult. It is to recognise that what looks like weakness in one context may coexist with genuine strength in another.

This is one reason Divergent Thinking’s blog keeps returning to the idea that support and strengths need to be discussed together. If all we do is catalogue what someone finds hard, we miss the fuller picture of what they may contribute.

Why problem-solving becomes part of the identity

One of the most interesting ideas in the video is that dyslexic people are often “trained to find solutions and overcome obstacles” from a very young age.

That is not because struggle is somehow good in itself. It is because repeated friction forces adaptation.

A child who cannot rely on the standard route may start building alternatives:

• visual memory strategies

• more creative associations

• oral explanation instead of written rehearsal

• pattern-based ways of understanding

• inventive workarounds that are less obvious to others

Over time, this can build not only resilience but a distinctive way of approaching problems. The person may become more used to working around barriers, thinking laterally or constructing their own route to the answer.

That is a very different story from “less able”. It is often a story of differently trained thinking.

Practical strategies matter

Another strength of the video is that it does not stop at motivation. Nathaniel shares the actual strategies he uses to navigate a text-heavy world.

These include:

• coloured paper to make text clearer

• pictures or symbols instead of conventional notes

• audiobooks to support focus

• speech-to-text tools to get ideas onto the screen

• creative mnemonics to remember spelling

This is important because dyslexia pride should not mean pretending support is unnecessary. Real confidence often grows not from denial, but from having tools that work.

That is also why practical support in adulthood matters just as much as in school. If a dyslexic employee is working in a text-heavy environment, the right support can make an enormous difference. A workplace needs assessment can help identify where written load, processing demands or workflow barriers are creating avoidable friction, and what changes would make the biggest impact.

Pride does not mean pretending it is easy

One of the most useful things about Nathaniel’s message is that it is honest.

He does not suggest dyslexia is easy. He acknowledges that you may have to read a page many times before it sticks. He acknowledges that some tasks are harder, slower or more frustrating than people around you realise.

But his conclusion is still one of pride.

That balance matters. Pride is not denial. It is not forced positivity. It is the refusal to let difficulty become the whole story.

To be “dyslexic and proud” is not to say every part of dyslexia feels good. It is to say that difference does not cancel out value, and struggle does not erase strength.

Why this message matters beyond school

Although the video draws heavily on school experiences, its message matters far beyond education.

Adults with dyslexia still encounter:

• text-heavy workplaces

• assumptions about speed and competence

• stigma around spelling or written accuracy

• systems that reward one narrow style of processing

• pressure to hide or overcompensate

That is why the deeper message of this video remains relevant in work as well as school: support matters, strengths matter, and identity matters.

A person who has spent years feeling “less than” because of how they process information may need more than coping strategies. They may need a different narrative. That is exactly what this video offers.

A better story for dyslexia

At its heart, The Positives of Dyslexia is about reclaiming the story.

Not by pretending the negatives do not exist, but by refusing to let them dominate the whole picture.

It invites dyslexic people to see themselves not as failed versions of a standard model, but as people with a different cognitive style — one that may require support, but may also carry real strengths. And it challenges everyone else to rethink the assumptions that have shaped how dyslexia is talked about for far too long.

That same challenge sits at the centre of Divergent Thinking: moving beyond labels that limit people and towards systems, workplaces and cultures that recognise the full range of human potential.

Final thought

Dyslexic and Proud is such a compelling message because it speaks directly to the people who have been taught the wrong lesson about themselves.

If you grew up believing that struggling with reading or spelling meant you were less intelligent, less capable or less likely to succeed, Nathaniel’s video offers a needed correction. Dyslexia can make some things harder. But it can also shape powerful ways of seeing, solving, creating and adapting.

That is not something to hide.

It is something to understand properly.

To explore more of Nathaniel Hawley’s work, visit Divergent Thinking, read more on the blog, or learn more about workplace needs assessments.