Do you chose your special interests/hyperfixations or did they choose you?

[TheName]

I think it was a love at first sight lol.

 

[SusanLR]

I don't decide to choose special interests.
Something catches my attention, and it just fascinates me without knowing why.

A couple of examples go back to when I was a toddler.
A neighbor gave my parents a big box of those single 45 rpm records with a mix of different types of music and styles. This was around 1960.
Parents had no interest in the records, but I saw them and wanted to play with them.
My dad bought a plastic kid's record player that played one at a time.
I could sit on the floor playing them all day.
Not for the sake of play, but rather for the sake of listening to the music and songs.
Listening to music has been a lifelong daily passion ever since.

Also, when I was old enough to walk, I had a daily ritual of taking a certain tablespoon outside with me after finishing breakfast and digging in an area of dirt.
I have no idea how that started, but I just knew there was something good waiting for me in that dirt. I don't know what.
But I've been a rock collector all my life. Was that the beginning?

I found a veterinarian book at my grandmother's when I was six.
It fascinated me and when I was older, I became interested in science and medical arts.

Certain life experiences led me to become interested in the paranormal.
Got an associate's degree in that field.
So, it looks like they found me.

 

[Neonatal RRT]

Special interests usually start with a general topic, then branches off from there,...and I will typically find some small branch of the "topic tree" and take a deep dive into that little niche. I exhaust the knowledge on that little branch, then move on to something else.

I am always searching for new knowledge on "my topics",...and will spend hours of my free time searching the data bases.

 

[Crossbreed]

For me, there have been three types of special interests:

1. those that excite a sense of wonder,
2. those that are therapeutic &
3. those adjacent interests that might help bring in income.

For me, #1 is a wide variety of STEM pursuits and some linguistics.

Eidonomy (external anatomy) & figure drawing were more #2; part of an effort to own my sexuality once I realized that I had been molested. It helped me to transition from shame to modesty. (The bulk of my drawing was amateur superhero comics.)

Ever since high school, I wanted to be a computer programmer, but I could not afford college. The military was my only available means for tech school and the only way that I could get training in programming was to learn electronics alongside of it. I later got a hardware patent* for Motorola, but I would have never pursued electronics if I could have gone straight into programming.

*Now owned by Google.

 

[Slime_Punk]

I think it was a love at first sight lol.
View attachment 92295

You and me both! Ableton and Bitwig are my home base(s) but I seriously can't wait to get lost in Patcher
(probably rewired too!)

 

[Mr. Stevens]

I don't think we choose any of them. Nobody chooses what they like. We respond to what attracts us or we don't.

 

[Misery]

Most of the time, I dont go searching for any of them... they come to me. But usually I can at least spot where/when they happened.

My interest in gaming, that's always been there. Always. My parents bought an Atari 2600 shortly before I was born (I've never been able to figure out WHY) and that became mine when I was like, 3 or so. So from as early as I can remember, I was a gamer. I still play those ancient games, by the way. I never stopped playing them, yay for emulation.

My aptitude with dogs and other animals also started early, I had a dog while growing up. I try not to talk about him too much though, I get all sad every time even after all these years. Overall though, a lot of experience and interactions with dogs. Eventually I had cats too, once I mysteriously (and abruptly) got over my original cat allergy. That still doesnt make sense but I learned to stop questioning that.

Some other interests are much more recent.

Cosplay came about partly because of my gender issues, but also because I tend to develop character obsessions. Now, why exactly I get attached to any given character, I've never been able to say (with like, two exceptions) but once that connection clicks, it's very strong.

Board games, that's another thing, technically I always liked those but back when I was a kid, there was never anyone to play them with and they were a bit too simple in any case. You know... typical mass market games from like, Hasbro or whatever company makes them. Roll & move games. I discovered board games proper just a few years ago (maybe 5, I think). I ran into a game on Steam called Sentinels of the Multiverse... bonus points to anyone who recognizes that name. First time I'd ever seen a board/card game that could be played solo or cooperative, instead of competitive. The same developer also put out a digital version of a game called Aeon's End, but while Sentinels had ALL of the content available, Aeon's End only had the tiniest bit as the digital version was still in development. But I wanted all the content, and if I wanted that, I had to order actual physical copies. Being an impulse spender I ordered all of it at once (and there's a lot of it) and once I'd gotten the experience of playing that, I quickly found out what the board game hobby could REALLY be like. I now have a large collection of games, all of which are playable solo, and all of which have wildly varying amounts of content. I recently managed to get my hands on most of the physical version of Sentinels, the one that got this going for me. This hobby in particular has been very, very beneficial as it is something that encourages a lot of arm/shoulder movement (aka, it's good in that it helps with my physical issues) but also, it has a lovely tactile aspect that works as a great stim. And it keeps me mentally engaged. The only thing I dont like is the idea of sleeving cards. I do that only very, very, very rarely, and it's got to be a game that has cards which are shuffled REALLY often. And it cant have too many of them. No way I could sleeve Sentinels, there's multiple large boxes absolutely stuffed with cards, I dont know how anyone ever sleeves that without going insane.

Art, that one was sort of suggested by family... but while I've had art supplies for awhile now, it wasnt until very recently that I REALLY started going at it. Getting a proper art desk (you know, those tilting ones) and finally a PROPER lamp was what truly did it. The tilting table means I dont wreck myself hunching over whatever I'm making, and the lamp, well... the room I'm sitting in is/was a theater room. Like, the previous owners of the house were REALLY into movies. Giant wooden letters that spell "HOLLYWOOD" on the wall and a full-on theater curtain instead of a door. But also, the screwball lighting, deep dark red walls, and the ceiling is black. So, it's not conductive to making art. Finally getting the funky bendable lamp thing (attaches to the table) made a huge difference, finally giving me a proper light source (and an adjustable one, at that). So that put the hobby into overdrive now, and I'm loving that.

Drones, now, those were a suggestion from my father. I'm not sure WHY, but... I've got a whole bunch of them now. Didnt question the "why", you see, haha. They're fun, though they can be frustrating at times. I actually learned to fly them not in some big park, but in the basement of the house we lived in before this one. That basement was a freaking cavern, so there was plenty of space to use the one I practiced with at the start. That specific drone is bloody indestructible, I'm convinced of it. It crashed into everything. It is still undamaged. I dont understand. Best not to ask questions, probably.

And lastly, much like @SusanLR mentioned, a bit of an interest in paranormal stuff. That one definitely came to me, whether I wanted it to or not. As with many other things... I may as well roll with it, yeah?

There, sorry, that was super long, I'm done rambling now.

 

[Ronald Zeeman]

Laying in the hospital, no source of news with nothing to do almost drove nuts, and then something changed staff started acting different, I learned about Covid that it was killing people via stroke I has been sick just previous to my retirement, was taking vacation time did I contact covid.? or was it a reaction to the flu shot I had on the priors
Saturday, really confusing. So, When I was released from hospital, I had two objectives did I catch covid and I had to follow up on the weird experience I had on the night of the stoke what was information theory? the physics special interest was already their Covid was new my training in quality engineering was a no brainer, I knew when it started, with luck I could predict when it would end. My buddy gave me a clue to how it spread, I knew having a background in chemical engineering and microbiology would be useful in unraveling. I Did not expect to nail how it spread who it infected, and when it would end. I am still in shock how well no ability to figure out things came together. For covid I guess you can say it found me. I also had a weird dream about a year in I was told was the messenger, not sure what the message was supposed to be. I told my wife, at least Moses got a burning bush. Now I'm confused, physics or covid. they both happened concurrently, both got Nolel prizes within a week of each other
physics and medicine. It's been a strange couple of years.

 

[Luca]

Mine came to me naturally when I was very young, and they have never left

 

[Darkkin]

I grew up in a family of readers, but no one else writes or even reads poetry or has any interest in tessellations, prime numbers, or geometry. My weirdness is my own.

 

[GypsyMoth]

Has anyone here seen The Way, with Martin Sheen and his son Emilio Estevez? It asks a very similar question, do you choose a life or does a life choose you? It is one of my most favorite movies.

Before I started school, maybe around age 4?, we took in a hitchhiker walking to town. I think he just wanted to use the phone to call for a ride, but we had him stay for dinner. He was going to the university there to study the violin, and he had his violin with him. As thanks for the meal, he took out his instrument and played for us. I was entranced. I had never heard anything like it. It was like there was another world in the notes. Because we had been so kind, at my insistence he placed it on my shoulder and set the bow in my hand. (Oh, did he look worried!) I played 4 notes, then he took it away. He looked relieved by how careful I was with it--It was an expensive violin--and commented in a puzzled voice how unusual it was that a child wouldn't make a single screech but played the notes perfectly. (He didn't believe my mother that I had never been taught to play the violin before. He left in a hurry, too, as if he had just been made a mockery. I remember feeling sorry to see him leave so abruptly.) Following that, for years I had such a hunger to play the violin but never had the opportunity to develop it. I do presently own a violin--I've been told it's a 3/4--although the magic is long since gone. It comes back sometimes when I hear a good violinist, but I think the cares and worries of life snatch that desire away.

I never developed anything special as a child that other people valued. I spent a lot of time outdoors as a kid. By high school, I knew the scientific names of all the herbs of the field, had studied the nature and habits of the wildlife in the forest surrounding our home, and learned to identify trees by their bark and birds by their calls. No one else valued these things but I did and went on to earn an AAS that capitalized on these skills. Although it was an extended interest over many years that I cultivated, nothing ever came of it. I've worked in several greenhouses as a laborer & worked for an orchid breeder, I was also a state produce inspector for a short time, but other than that I've never done anything with it. Except perhaps join the ranks of overly knowledgable gardner and interesting hiking companion. When I was younger, I thought of becoming a landscape architect for a time. Sometimes something will still strike my fancy and here or there and I'll pull out my old identification books, but life has largely moved on since then. I am still surprised and saddened by how little most people actually know about the world they are surrounded by.

We had too much going on as a kid. In high school, books became my refuge. I read every day in class, often having no clue what was going on in class but somehow still passing. I used to want to be a novelist. There is a joy in writing I've found in few other places. I've found it also in painting and in studying dressage, and more recently, in learning to do philosophy. Pursuant to the study of philosophy, there is a required attentiveness to the text and its situational context within the historical conversation that I have found in no other field. It brings a joy of discovery and wonder, and even of camaraderie--even with thinkers with whom you fundamentally disagree--because there is at its heart the shared, general pursuit of truth, as well as the shared human experience within reality. Time stands still when you're doing something that resonates with you.

None of these were things I intentionally set out to learn in-depth. My vote is, your special interest finds you.

 

[Jeff T]

Personally no insight to how they started?
The original hyperfixation was, and still is, cartography. I must have a thousand road maps from those early days of my life (acquired free from the gas stations) period. Much more now. It does fit in nicely with my wandering desire to see 'what is over the horizon' impetus to travel.
The other interests, I don't know what triggered them- I have no insights to share with everyone about it. Maybe as 'Silhouette Mirage' says- a DNA derived orientation?

 

[Hylian]

I've randomly acquired all of my special interests. Something just "clicks" when I experience specific things and then I become completely obsessed with it. Right now I'm obsessed with Dead by Daylight.

 

[Gracey]

Largely stumbled across.

On strolling through life (when much younger) I might have heard or read something I didn't understand.
I made a point of understanding 'it' - whatever 'it' may have been.

In pursuit of understanding my curiosity may have been piqued by ideas surrounding or branching off from the original query.

If I was curious enough an almost predatory response was triggered.
Hunting down the data relentlessly. A unique 'buzz' was experienced. The thrill of the chase.
Until satisfied with answers found.

now I'm older, I've noticed I'm more accepting and less curious.
I don't need that buzz or those answers.

Sure, if something seems interesting I'll find out more about it but not to the extremes of past pursuits.

 

[SRSAutistic]

I never make a decision to choose my special interests. They always choose me. When I have a new special interest, I want to know everything about it for many years until the interest just disappears.

Right now, my special interests are time zones, electricity (plugs and voltages), the battery health (performance) of electronic devices, plane-spotting, and autism. No one cares about my interests, but I care.

 

[SRSAutistic]

There are 15 different types of plugs and sockets in the world. Type A is used in the US, Mexico, Canada, Japan, and Taiwan. Type B is used in the US, Mexico, Canada, and Taiwan. Type C is used in Europe except the UK and Ireland. Type D is used in India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan. Type E is used in France, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Poland. Type F is used in Germany, Austria, Spain, Portugal, Russia, and the rest of Europe except the UK and Ireland. Type G is used in the UK, Ireland, Singapore, Malta, Hong Kong, and Malaysia. Type H is only used in Israel, the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, and Palestine. Type I is used in Argentina, Australia, China, Fiji, and New Zealand. Type J is used in Switzerland and Lichtenstein. Type K is used in Denmark and Greenland. Type L is used in Italy, Chile, and Uruguay. Type M is used in South Africa and sometimes in India. Type N is used in Brazil and sometimes in South Africa. Type O is only used in Thailand.

220-240V is more dangerous than 100-127V. Most of the world uses 220-240V at 50Hz or 60Hz; countries that use 100V to 127V are greatly outnumbered. Europe uses 220-240V at 50Hz, and North America uses 100-127V at 60Hz. Japan is the only country in the world that uses 100V and two different frequencies: 50Hz in the east and 60Hz in the west. Brazil is the only country in the world that uses 127V and 220V at 60Hz; however, only one type of socket (Type N) is used. Some countries, like Taiwan, use 110V and 60Hz, and China uses 220V and 50Hz. South Korea uses 220V at 60Hz.

The only devices that can be used worldwide are phone and laptop chargers. These chargers can operate at a voltage range of 100-240V and 50-60Hz. The phone and laptop chargers are switch mode power supplies (SMPS). That’s how they can operate at a voltage range from 100-240V and 50-60Hz without any issues. The phone and laptop chargers heat up as they convert AC power to DC power. The conversion is not 100% efficient, which causes them to heat up. Branded chargers (Apple, Samsung, Motorola, etc) are compelled by safety certification agencies (UL, CE, etc) to operate with a rated (nominal/not exact) voltage from 100-240V with plus and minus 10% tolerance (90-264V). Aftermarket (fake) chargers may only work on 240V without any tolerance (no safety certifications) and can explode.

 

[Aspychata]

For some reason, l am fascinated by electronics and such. I have zero idea why. I also love researching stocks, and l also love computer codes and software, l assume its because it's a combo of numbers and letters which maybe a fixation. Also things that enjoy a overlap of patterns falls into the first fixation.

 

[BreaksOver]

For me sometimes a special interest will develop from something I learned about a while ago but then forgot about. For example, I might hear a new song in a playlist and it doesn't really pique my interest. But then after days/weeks/even years, the song might start playing in my head or I stumble across it somewhere unexpected. And suddenly I need to listen to it over and over. That's often how special interests develop for me. Almost like after a certain amount of buildup, it spills over into an interest.

Autism was one of those things. I learned about it several years ago and met some autistic people. Over time I read about autism here and there. Had autistic friends who helped educate me/combat certain ideas of what autism "should" be. But never did it sound interesting or relatable to me. Which is weird to think about in retrospect, but I guess I was so rigid in thinking that I wasn't autistic that even if autistic symptoms were relatable, I wouldn't allow myself to think it meant anything. And then this past year I stumbled across more information on autism and it suddenly grabbed my attention. I guess my brain was finally ready to potentially process this. And from there it became (and still is) a special interest.

Another special interest of mine is state municipalities. Specifically states I have lived in. Not necessarily facts about the municipality history (although that is certainly fascinating) but the names, ghost towns, census, demographics and location. I just like collecting a bunch of different town names in my head. I frequently visit these towns on google maps/google earth as well. I didn't realize this was a special interest for well over a year. I might just have terrible self-awareness when it comes to these things.

 

[Suzanne]

Chooses me. Never would I choose to become obsessed with EBOLA when that hit the news line and that was by far, the WORST one of all; not only due to the nature, but also because I TASTED THE WORD in my mouth and actually got excited - like holding my breath with pleasure when it was mentioned! Thankfully, only lasted two weeks.

My current obsession is South Korea. Due to got heavily into watching Korean Dramas. And I know it has become an obsession, because once again, I get pleasure when I see it written.

I start out getting curious about a subject and then, seemingly, out of no where, I get obsessed; however, doesn't happen with all things.

I can even get obsessed with mundane habits.

 

[mysterionz]

future me popping in to say infodumping is also okay as well! Whatever it is, go wild, provided the guidelines of the forums are followed (don’t want this thread to get taken down)