Socially acceptable obsessions

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I cannot view that social acceptability is determined by content. The fact is obsession at the level for clinical recognition as a symptom of AS, is just not socially acceptable. It does not matter if it is sports, or Harry Potter or this season’s hair styling trends.

I have been obsessive about gardening, not socially acceptable, obsessive about dancing and could dance the particular genre concerned proficiently, still not acceptable, I was obsessive at one point about hair dressing fashions, if any AS obsessive interest could be socially acceptable for a female, you’d think that would be it…. but it was not socially acceptable the way I do it….

alcoholic beverages

sex

partying


it's ALL MY COWORKERS TALK ABOUT

I'm a big sports fan, I think that's socially acceptable when talking to other sports fans. Problem is when you start rattling off about it to non-sports fans particularly women.

Pretty much anything that outwardly enforces the lack of any implied self-centeredness

I know some NTs who share my obsession with reptiles. So that must not be too unacceptable... It's just unacceptable to people who think they're "icky." In general, they don't try to work it into most of their conversations, even with those who aren't interested by them, though.

Here are mine:

Climate
Iceland
A certain TV show that is a little questionable
TV idents

The last one is probably the most aspieish of my interests. Zoom 2 FTW.

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Magnús Scheving is my Icelandic rose

Judging by his sig, it could be the Mighty Boosh?

Hmm... I don't know if any of my obsessions are socially acceptable, though they aren't offensive in any way. Reading and cleaning are probably the most 'normal' of the bunch but not considered cool.

I find NTs seem to have obsessions themselves, such as drinking/drugs, body image, social status, the opposite sex, parties, shopping... it's just that they fit in with the general consensus of normal and so they get away with them without being labeled weird.

Any subject, socially acceptable or not, practical or not, can become an intense interest for a NT.

What is so different between a "normal" strong interest and an obsession ? Not so much.

One point is an NT talking about his interest will feel when he is boring people and stop. He will intuively feel if others consider his knowledge or ability as weird or impressive, an know how to act accordingly.

Another point is NT are usually able to stop at will. An aspie interest is so intense that he ignores anything else and can't stop thinking about it. My main special interest is ontology, I stayed awake until 4 AM last night thinking about it.

If being obsessed involves talking about your interest more than other people are comfortable with, then no obsession is "socially acceptable". Some interests are less obscure than others; some common ones which are not necessarily associated with AS include popular sports, popular music, and alcoholic beverages.

My broad special interest in science and the Spanish language both are socially acceptable. Friends and family always come to me when they have questions about medical disorders or chemistry or my specialty field of neuropsychiatric disorders and their biochemistry. With Spanish, my knowledge often comes in handy when my mom needs to write to a Spanish-speaking person for her job, or if somebody is placed in a situation where they need to read Spanish instructions.

The science special interest comes in handy the most, though. I've been asked countless times by my friends and family things like how antidepressant medications help improve mood, what the difference is between bipolar I and bipolar II, and why saturated fats are bad for you.
-OddDuckNash99-