Couple quick questions to help me out

[Adora]

I have interests that have been lifelong but can have a interest that’s changes to another one,I’m not a fan of sports and yes embarrassingly I do look in the mirror I also have a older brother who is autistic and he looks a lot in the mirror.

 

[Datura]

I have to laugh about the mirror thing. This one time I was making out with my partner and she caught me looking at my reflection in a window. From that point on I made an effort to not stare at myself so obsessively. It mostly stemmed from insecurity.

I have also look at myself in mirrors to practice facial expressions. I am especially interested in my natural expressions and weather or not they read as normal or sincere. I kind of think I show too much gum when I smile, so I have tried smiling smaller, but it tends to look odd in photos.

 

[Jdeisher]

Recall looking at my face in a mirror to see how I felt, and what my face looked like at the time, so I could attempt to understand what my reaction was to something. That might show on my face.

Oh and sorry Jdeisher for derailing your thread, with gymnastics, it gets so exciting when you discover others with the exact same interest, that I tend to forget the point of the thread. It happens here sometimes.

No worries at all!

 

[Jdeisher]

I have to laugh about the mirror thing. This one time I was making out with my partner and she caught me looking at my reflection in a window. From that point on I made an effort to not stare at myself so obsessively. It mostly stemmed from insecurity.

I have also look at myself in mirrors to practice facial expressions. I am especially interested in my natural expressions and weather or not they read as normal or sincere. I kind of think I show too much gum when I smile, so I have tried smiling smaller, but it tends to look odd in photos.

Yeah my mom and everyone who always saw me looking thought I was conceited but I wasn’t looking for that reason

 

[Chance]

hey everyone! I have just a few quick simple questions to clear my head. Ok here goes:

Is it common to switch between special interests often? Or kind of go through stages? Like cars and army men at 3 years old, space and weather at 5 and so on.

Is it common to have a special interest in a certain sport? Like you really love soccer so you play on the team but don’t socialize or you interact as little as possible with your peers.

Is it common to be into yourself? Like always looking in the mirror or something like that.

Hey J...

Here is an ASD moment for you...
I will maybe answer a question, and wake up wishing I gave up a totally different answer.
So apparently I must have been mulling this over in my sleep???

I posted previously about special interests (here).

Maybe we are so absorbed in some of them, that we don't even see them as special interest anymore...
They are just so much of a special interest, that they are a massive part of our LIFE...

I made the list and left off THE ONE that I have had all my life. I walk, drive, live, eat, sleep, and dream with music.

I would be lost without it... Mostly all types, but within it there is always a search for a hidden common thread... Something that moves me, shapes me, explains me...

TV could drop off the face of the earth and I wouldn't care... (except for maybe Baseball when I have time, and maybe the History or Discovery channel - but even they are seeming to loose their focus and going off into mainstream junk a lot)

MUSIC - its so much a part of me, that I wouldn't want to live without it. I even hope that after my life is over here, that there is music in whatever we are after death... and I even worry about that (sick mind)...

Thats an obsessive special interest in my twisted heads version of things... : )

 

[Jdeisher]

I completely agree.... I left quite a few things off too, and music it HUGE!!!! I need music in order to do anything!!!! Literally!!! Maybe that’s why I can’t stand my job, I’m not allowed to listen at work! Ugh

 

[Bella Pines]

Is it common to switch between special interests often? Or kind of go through stages? Like cars and army men at 3 years old, space and weather at 5 and so on.

Yes, different interests, different durations. For example,

neuroscience - off and on for 6 years
sim games - 4 years
randomly browsing rightmove - 3 months
photography - 5 years
graphics, childrens books - 8 years
cars - 6 months
marvel - 3 years
physics - intermittent 20 years

No set pattern, but all the same level of all-consuming intensity.

Is it common to have a special interest in a certain sport? Like you really love soccer so you play on the team but don’t socialize or you interact as little as possible with your peers.

Yes. I don't really like talking about my special interests unless it is someone I can learn from, it's not small talk. I like to then know EVERYTHING about the subject.

Is it common to be into yourself? Like always looking in the mirror or something like that.

Not really, that would be just you

 

[Mattymatt]

hey everyone! I have just a few quick simple questions to clear my head. Ok here goes:

Is it common to switch between special interests often? Or kind of go through stages? Like cars and army men at 3 years old, space and weather at 5 and so on.

Is it common to have a special interest in a certain sport? Like you really love soccer so you play on the team but don’t socialize or you interact as little as possible with your peers.

Is it common to be into yourself? Like always looking in the mirror or something like that.

Geesh, I switch interests regularly. I have a few core ones that I go back and forth between: HAM Radio, OpenBSD (Computer OS), Attempting to learn web development, trains, and I am sure a few that I am missing. I don't know that I could quantify this as common but it is certainly a possibility that interests can switch.

LOL! I wish I could look into the mirror and like what I see - that would indicate a positive body image. Whereas when I look into the mirror I see a 40 y/o, 365 pound obese man that is stuck in a cycle. My therapist keeps telling me the key in life is to strike a balance. A healthy body image is important! But an unhealthy image is one that could be overly negative or overly positive. It's something of a fine line grey area.

 

[Ragnahawk]

hey everyone! I have just a few quick simple questions to clear my head. Ok here goes:

Is it common to switch between special interests often? Or kind of go through stages? Like cars and army men at 3 years old, space and weather at 5 and so on.

Is it common to have a special interest in a certain sport? Like you really love soccer so you play on the team but don’t socialize or you interact as little as possible with your peers.

Is it common to be into yourself? Like always looking in the mirror or something like that.

Let me ask you this? Assuming Adam Panda had a special interest in death... Do you think he could change his special interest?

 

[Ragnahawk]

hey everyone! I have just a few quick simple questions to clear my head. Ok here goes:

Is it common to switch between special interests often? Or kind of go through stages? Like cars and army men at 3 years old, space and weather at 5 and so on.

Is it common to have a special interest in a certain sport? Like you really love soccer so you play on the team but don’t socialize or you interact as little as possible with your peers.

Is it common to be into yourself? Like always looking in the mirror or something like that.

Do you think Adam Panda could have changed his special interest in death?

 

[Beguiling Orbit]

I have never settled on one special interest. I had a buddy who once told me, "You don't have hobbies. You have fits." I get totally engrossed on one thing for while, but it usually never lasts more than a few months. I even had a time when my special interest was special interests. I would imagine that most Aspies really get into one long-term special interest, but I can only speak for myself.

I really got into running for a few years. I got pretty good. Probably not uncommon.

I've never pined away at my reflection. I suppose there's nothing wrong with the act itself--it's your attitude that matters. Are you simply admiring yourself, or are you trying to understand your facial expressions?

 

[Jdeisher]

I don’t think I was admiring myself honestly. I’m pretty sure I was trying to see what everyone else saw, and trying to figure out why I had issues with friends

 

[Katleya]

I love the Korbut dismount. That must have been so fun. I never did it. It's a gainer full, correct? I could do gainers but not as a dismount. So you did the gainer full as a dismount (AKA Korbut)? Is that correct? If so, very awesome!

No I'm wrong OK Rad, I couldn't possibly have done that dismount, it's much too difficult, the more I look at it.

The Korbut was done for the first time at the 77' Olympics. Years after I did gymnastics, I did do something on dismount that seemed similar, holding on to the end of the beam with my hands and doing a V with my legs, but it wasn't a gainer.

This is one of those moments where I hate knowing the names in a language other than English (aside from those named after someone, of course).

(Sorry for the additional off topic post)

 

[Coupe]

Sure, I'd say it's pretty ordinary to "cycle" through different special interests. For instance, my biggest special interests have always been animated movies (Disney and Pixar ones being a favorite) and cetaceans (dolphins and whales). I might develop "smaller" special interests in other things for periods of time (such as Smurfs or My Little Pony), but I usually always return to my main ones. Basically, with things I like, I usually still always like all of them - I just go through periods of time where I'm more "into" one topic of interest than another, yet still enjoy/feel enriched by all of them. Hope this helps!

ETA: Sports have never really been on my radar, but I know they very much are for others, so yes, I'd say a particular sport or sports team can definitely be a special interest too!

 

[Beguiling Orbit]

I don’t think I was admiring myself honestly. I’m pretty sure I was trying to see what everyone else saw, and trying to figure out why I had issues with friends

What did you figure out?

 

[isthisreallife]

Recall looking at my face in a mirror to see how I felt, and what my face looked like at the time, so I could attempt to understand what my reaction was to something. That might show on my face.

Oh and sorry Jdeisher for derailing your thread, with gymnastics, it gets so exciting when you discover others with the exact same interest, that I tend to forget the point of the thread. It happens here sometimes.

OMG!! That jogged my memory, because I used to, and still do, look in the mirror to see what my emotions look like on my face.

 

[Jdeisher]

What did you figure out?

Not a thing

 

[Fitzo]

OMG!! That jogged my memory, because I used to, and still do, look in the mirror to see what my emotions look like on my face.

Yes! Just realized I do that too.

 

[Beguiling Orbit]

Not a thing

Oh, well. That's ok. You know what they say--in science, there's no such thing as a failed experiment.