Chickens and Eggs
I'm frequently told that I explain things to Alex too much; that a child his age needs firm, simple directions like "yes" and "no" and so forth. The underlying implication, of course, is that my tendency to explain is the root cause of Alex's resistance to authority figures.

The thing is: Alex doesn't accept simple "yes" and "no". He never has. He forms his own opinions about the world based on his perceptions and understanding. Short of bullying, the most effective way to get him to obey rules is to make sure he understands why they're there. In detail.

I won't claim that I didn't do something during his infancy to trigger this mindset. I wasn't really paying attention to that aspect of parenting back then, so I can't recall which of us adopted which behavior first. I would, however, like to issue the following caution to all well-meaning advice-givers:

The next time you see an atypical behavior coupled with an atypical parenting strategy, take time to ask yourself which direction the causality flows. Parenting is a two-way street. Children shape adults just as much as adults shape children.