Special Interests that find us

[SRSAutistic]

Please reply to this thread. I want to know why our special interests find us.

1. What are your current special interests?

2. Do you like having special interests?

3. Why do our special interests 'find us'?

4. Why can’t we autistics choose our special interests?

5. Why do we autistics suddenly become fascinated with random topics which become our special interests?

 

[Gerald Wilgus]

1. What are your current special interests?
Geology/Paleontology.
Aguatic macroinvertebrates
Boatbuilding
Performance driving (Track days)

2. Do you like having special interests?
Most definately. They keep me engaged and feeling young.

3. Why do our special interests 'find us'?
They complement my interest in the natural world.
I like using canoes and kayaks so enjoy taking that to the next level

4. Why can’t we autistics choose our special interests?
???? My fundamental interest in the world and personal sports have advised my interests.

5. Why do we autistics suddenly become fascinated with random topics which become our special interests?
I dislike randomness. When I took a particular interest in Moroccan Trilobites, it was just an expansion of my interests in Paleontology and Evolution.

 

[AutisticMilly]

1. What are your current special interests? My special interest at the moment is anime and manga, specifically series released during the time frame of the 70’s-90’s.

2. Do you like having special interests?
For the most part, I do enjoy having a special interest, but it can be hard if you don’t have anyone to share it with. sometimes, I wish they were more applicable to real-life.

3. Why do our special interests 'find us'?
A lot of my special interests have a stem- for example, because I like anime, I might develop a special interest for one particular series. If there is something that I already like, chances are it may become a special interest in the future.

4. Why can’t we autistics choose our special interests?
I’m honestly not sure. There are times where I’ve tried to “get rid” of a special interest so to speak, and it doesn’t work. I would like to look into this more in the future.

5. Why do we autistics suddenly become fascinated with random topics which become our special interests?
Again, I don’t have anything to back this up except personal experience, but my special interests were always comforting to me when I felt like an outcast and didn’t belong in this world. They are a distraction from some of the struggles we have to face in life.

This is just based off my experience, and I look forward to reading everyone else’s responses!

 

[Fino]

The majority of every question you've ever asked is answered with, "Because we're autistic."

 

[Tom]

3. Why do our special interests 'find us'?

4. Why can’t we autistics choose our special interests?

5. Why do we autistics suddenly become fascinated with random topics which become our special interests?

I'll try when I have a bit more energy but first had to mention I think questions 3-5 are all based on presumptions. What evidence do you have to say we do not choose our special interests and they come from random topics? That might be true for some, but I doubt is the case for all. I know it is not so for me.

 

[Luca]

1. What are your current special interests?

Anyone who asks about my special interests is opening a can of worms lol. And you cannot put the proverbial worms back in.

My special interests have stayed consistent for pretty much my entire life. I'm a professional dog trainer (and I do pretty much anything you can think of involving dogs), an artist (visual arts like drawing and painting, as well as photography and videography/editing), a musician (percussion and electronic instruments, and mostly Eastern European and Nordic folk music, and various genres of electronic music), and I love traveling and travel photography, and outdoors stuff (particularly hiking, boating, and hunting/field trials.)
I also love cooking, and pretty much everything I eat, I make myself.
I collect a few different things, like dog figurines and statues, musical instruments, and books and magazines, particularly vintage ones. Reading is also a special interest and I love to learn things.
I'm in the process of remodeling and redecorating my house, and all the interior was designed and selected by me. So I guess decorating and designing things is one of my special interests which makes sense since I'm an artistic type.

I have other miscellaneous interests that are not as intense, like farm stuff, other animals besides dogs (horses, cats, etc), cutesy stuff like plushes and stickers, lots of different genres of music, paranormal stuff like ghosts and cryptids, and going to random events like concerts and festivals. I also like putting together outfits with clothes and shoes and I like to make everything match.
Don't know if this counts as a special interest but I like making people happy and helping them (animals too.)

2. Do you like having special interests?

Yes!
The real question is whether people in my life like it or not
I like it because I end up developing expert-level skills in things that interest me, and that makes those things more fun for me and encourages me to keep learning and improving.

3. Why do our special interests 'find us'?

I think some of my dogs "found" me, or chose me.
But since I believe in God, I feel like I was given interests and skills in these areas for a reason, and it gives me a sense of purpose. It also helps me improve my own life and bring joy to people around me which also makes me happy.

4. Why can’t we autistics choose our special interests?

Don't know, but I think the fact that our interests choose us is more interesting.

5. Why do we autistics suddenly become fascinated with random topics which become our special interests?

Can't speak for everyone, but I think I have been fascinated with dogs basically since I was an infant, and everything else was a matter of what I was exposed to and which of it I found interesting and wanted to pursue more.
I have never been interested in anything that was super popular with other people my age, and that's not intentional, I just find a lot of mainstream things really uninteresting and I'm not into pop culture stuff. A lot of people get annoyed that I don't understand referential humor or most memes but I kind of live under a rock and I'm not on social media (I find it really silly and pointless and egotistical, and it messed up my life at one point so no thanks.)
I can't stand video games and have no interest in them, and I don't really care for movies. I don't mind if other people are interested in those things or want to discuss them, but it's not for me.
I was never interested in dating or talking about how attractive people are, or gossiping/rumors. And celebrities and "celebrity crushes" are at the very bottom of the barrel for me.

 

[Slime_Punk]

I can't stand video games and have no interest in them, and I don't really care for movies. I don't mind if other people are interested in those things or want to discuss them, but it's not for me.
I was never interested in dating or talking about how attractive people are, or gossiping/rumors. And celebrities and "celebrity crushes" are at the very bottom of the barrel for me.

I'm mostly like this too and I wonder sometimes if it's because those special interests are just 10,000% cooler (to autists) than the stuff everybody else seems to find fascinating.

 

[Ronald Zeeman]

In some ways it just happens, For example I have known of the band AC/ DC for years , They just hit my radar a week ago, always liked their music now due to U-tube they have become somewhat a special interest, I guess it's curiosity and just insatiable need for knowledge, it goes away after a few weeks. they are a much higher quality band, really like the lead singer, better than the former singer who passed and Angus Young what a musician, under rated for all this time.

 

[SPEED RACER]

Feeding wildlife and watching sports

 

[Forest Cat]

In some ways it just happens, For example I have known of the band AC/ DC for years , They just hit my radar a week ago, always liked their music now due to U-tube they have become somewhat a special interest, I guess it's curiosity and just insatiable need for knowledge, it goes away after a few weeks. they are a much higher quality band, really like the lead singer, better than the former singer who passed and Angus Young what a musician, under rated for all this time.

Have you seen this series with Brian Johnson? It's very good.

Brian Johnson: A Life on the Road (TV Series 2017– ) - IMDb

 

[Ronald Zeeman]

watched a lot of Utube videos in the last while, liked the way the band lost members over the years and still keep going since 1965 amazing.

 

[Shaddock]

I have another question: when a "normal" interest becomes a "special" interest? how do I know that my interests are special interests?

I think that I have no special interests, but how can I be sure? I heard that every common interest can not be a special interest. video games for example, because many people play video games.

what do you mean with "current special interests?" do they change?

 

[Ronald Zeeman]

Their is a huge difference. my interest in physics has lasted for the majority of my life, other interests come and go, some months, weeks or even days. Some are useful for employment, so like everything else in life it's on a continuum. for me the interest has to have meaning or be useful, move my life forward. years ago I was obsessed with Myers Briggs personality profiles it faded when I started seeing holes, even then it lasted for a few years, same with IQ. Then at the beginning of my career I found colour theory, a book at my first job got me into it. Lasted for the remainder of my working life. My gained expertise turned into my career. So the answer is not that simple.

 

[FlowerFlo]

1. What are your current special interests?
I have a lot. Some more wierd than ohters. Many overlap each ohters. (Like history, poltics and art ) Some ohters are dolls/dollhouses, poverty, crime drama books.

2. Do you like having special interests?
Sometimes yes, sometimes no. Some special interests can be pretty helpful in every day life (like politics ) . Ohters are pretty much useless (dollhouses).


3. Why do our special interests 'find us'?
4. Why can’t we autistics choose our special interests?
5. Why do we autistics suddenly become fascinated with random topics which become our special interests?
For the last three i dont have an answer

 

[Ken]

Please reply to this thread. I want to know why our special interests find us.

1. What are your current special interests? Electronic Circuit Design.

2. Do you like having special interests?Yes. It is my life.

3. Why do our special interests 'find us'? I don't know, but if it didn't find me I would find it.

4. Why can’t we autistics choose our special interests? Don't know. See #3 above.

5. Why do we autistics suddenly become fascinated with random topics which become our special interests? Don't know. I never felt my special interest was "random".

 

[Rodafina]

1. What are your current special interests? Electronic Circuit Design.

2. Do you like having special interests?Yes. It is my life.

3. Why do our special interests 'find us'? I don't know, but if it didn't find me I would find it.

4. Why can’t we autistics choose our special interests? Don't know. See #3 above.

5. Why do we autistics suddenly become fascinated with random topics which become our special interests? Don't know. I never felt my special interest was "random".

I really enjoy the aesthetics of electronic circuitry! I know nothing about it, but it is beautiful to me.

 

[Ronald Zeeman]

If you rally want to understand special interest, researching savant syndrome might be more useful.

 

[Ken]

I really enjoy the aesthetics of electronic circuitry! I know nothing about it, but it is beautiful to me.
View attachment 81170

Thanks @Rodafina,

Me too. I also enjoy, and consider the schematic of circuits beautiful! That is explained on my website in the Art section. The schematic to electronics is like sheet music to musicians.

A little snippet of a schematic: