Nts and their interests

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As in, I don't think I have an ASD, but I do have some other condition(s).

I think the intensity of the hobby/interest is often relative to the amount of stress (often psychological, but also physical) one is experiencing. As people with ASD often have sensory issues and communication problems, they often experience huge amounts of stress in their everyday lives. I think this is what causes both stimming and obsessive special interests, although only the intensity of the interest, not the obbject of interest itself.

The thing that decides the object of interests is probably mostly the skills the individual do possess.

Example: If you're good at math, but terrible at socializing, you will probably rather do math than talking to people.

NT's also experience stress (for different reasons), but they don't have the communication problems that we do (in general). Therefore many of them can release stress by socializing. Most of them also have to suppress or hide more obscure interests in favor of more socially accepted ones, in order to not be ostracized by their peers. Therefore they will force themselves to have the "right" interests, so that they can share them with their friends.

For most autistics this is not that important, since most of us suck at communication anyways, allowing us to have more obscure interests, and be more true to our personal preferences.

I've been readings through the responses and find it very interesting. I agree with it for the most part. I do think NTs may hide more obscure interests in favor of more acceptable ones. And, I like the fact that it is intensity of interest that is the issue. However, I do feel that Nts who are football fans do obsess about football quite intensly and national pride also becomes important (which i dont really care about!).

I'm not actually sure I have interests whereby I am actually that intense about them. I don't often speak about them, and mainly sit in silence whilst my Nt ''friends'' discuss football or whatever, or wait for the odd chance it does turn to a topic which I can join in on.

xx

IMO special interests are likely just a symptom of perseveration, or difficulty 'shifting set' - an executive function.

I like football, but it has only been in the last few years that I've really grown to like it. I spent years in marching band not even paying the slightest attention to the games. Now I like to watch college football, but really only the local team, or any other SEC games that might affect the team's standing. There is a huge social world around here that revolves around the games and it's how a lot of people hang out and meet other people, even meet their partners that way, but I don't want any part of that. I like the idea of going to a game, but then I think about the crowds, the noise, the smells, the drunken behavior and the traffic and I know I couldn't handle it. I wouldn't want to hang out at a bar or restaurant watching a game either. I know lots of people feel the same way I do, they prefer to watch at home on TV and avoid the crowds, but I feel like other people get into it in a different way than I do. For me sports have a metaphysical significance.

I like watching World Cup Soccer, the Olympics and the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs on TV where I can see everything from a distance. I think if I was in the actual crowds and stadiums at those events, I wouldn't enjoy the experience of being there in person. I don't enjoy being in crowds of drunken yahoos.

I guess the NT's I know are different. My father for insistence. He only liked electronics ( Radios and clocks ) He also liked cars, but not as much. He spent every bit of his free time absorbed in these subjects. One time I asked him what he would have enjoyed doing if he had not got the job he had and he told me a salesman for a electronic store. When we would go out once a week to go shopping, we always ended up at a electronics store and he would spend over a hour talking to a salesman about a radio or a clock. My mom and I had to tell him we needed to go. He read allot of books and magazines about them and knew alott about them. When he talked to people is was always talked about electronics. He did this for as long as I know him. I guess maybe he really did have has AS. He was never diagnosed, he was 75 when he died.

My impression is that most people have narrow interests - ask someone what he likes to do beside job/family, and most people will have only one or two hobbies/interests.

Perhaps the "narrow interests" of autistics are simply an illusion - because autistics spend less time socializing, they spend more time with their interests.