The one difference between NT interests and specialinterests

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Context. NT interests have a lot of context. An NT could have an intense and “weird” interest if there’s a big enough story behind it. I’d consider NT interests high context interests. Whether it’s a more “normal” interest or a more unique interest, there always seems to be a story behind it. It reflects a lot about their personality and the rest of their life. That might explain why NTs ask about hobbies and interests to figure people out rather than just talk about the interest itself.

Autistic people tend to get interests more “randomly” than NTs do. That’s why autistic interests tend to be weirder. They won’t always be more unusual, it just seems to be more likely. I think the main thing is that there doesn’t need to be as much of a reason for an interest to exist. That also makes autistic interests seem too intense. There just has to be a reason. I think for NTs the more intense an interest is, the more of a reason there must be. That’s definitely not the case for me. I just get interested in whatever I get interested in and it doesn’t have to say anything about who I am. I’m just painfully aware of how much they might say about me to other people, so I often keep my interests to myself.

I think NTs tend to be interested in things that interest a lot of other people. As if it is "wrong" to be interested in things that don't interest other people. There seems to be a list of approved NT special interests (e.g., sports and celebrities).

There's a theory that that's one reason why girls don't get diagnosed as much or as early as boys: their special interests are often more stereotypically understandable to NTs, such as horses or dolls, etc.

That fits my theory pretty well. I’d say sports and celebrities are very high context interests. It’s hard to seem too interested in those topics.

While being interested in air filters is a low context interest. Even showing a mild interest in air filters would seem weird to people. Maybe it can seem somewhat normal if you’re looking for an air filter for practical reasons. Even then it’s easy to seem too interested. It’s also hard to figure out what type of person would be into air filters. Besides weird. It’s easier to figure out what type of person would be into working out. It’s not exactly socially acceptable to talk about working out all the time, but at least that makes you belong somewhere. That makes it a higher context interest.

Music is somewhere in between. It’s a fairly socially acceptable interest and most people are somewhat into music. It’s also easy to be “too interested” in music or the wrong type of music.

That’s somewhat true for me. Some of my interests are more understandable to NTs like going shopping. I struggle to even consider that a special interest. It’s just something I enjoy doing. Art is more of a grey area. I enjoy the process, but it’s not necessarily always what I’d consider a special interest. I’d say AI and AI art is a special interest. Before you start debating whether AI art is art, don’t. I use many other mediums. They’re just not a special interest.

Same with learning languages. Right now I’m learning Finnish. Which I’d say it’s a pretty low context interest. While art and fashion are more high context. They say more about me and the life I’ve lived compared to my more autistic and low context interests.

I don’t like being judged too much based on my more low context/autistic interests. They don’t really say anything useful about me to NTs. I’m still experimenting with mentioning more “harmless” low context interests like Finnish. I don’t really think mentioning I’m learning Finnish says all that much about me. If they ask why I can just be honest and tell them that I randomly tried it out and enjoyed it. I like that there isn’t any major political conflicts going on with Finland, unlike another language I was studying.

That's interesting.

I've noticed a trend that as escapist media like fantasy and superheroes get more mainstream, people online talk more and more about how they only like it because it's a serious, grown-up allegory for important real-life issues. I.e., "I like Superman, but not because he can fly! I like him because [real world issues...]! !! !!" As if enjoying the escapism for its own sake is unthinkable.

Likewise, I think some people like music because of real-life events where they heard it playing, such as a dance or a party, rather than for the music itself. This is one of my guesses as to why most local people seem to have the exact, precise same taste in music as all the other local people.

I remember when My special interest was all things hippies to the point of being one between the ages 16 and 19. My mum couldn't understand it because according to her, they did drugs, were work shy and they let their kids run around in filthy diapers. Something tells me that I didn't completely come out of that interest.

I feel like special interests are consuming. You constantly think about that interest whether you want to or not, especially when you are doing something mundane or not as exciting. You get this rush to FINALLY be able to partake in your SI. It's comforting, it's safe. You are in your space where things work out and it is okay, you follow the rules there.

That’s what makes NTs not understand them. They can be all consuming, but at the same time they often lack context. I sometimes lose myself to special interests and I feel like I lose my personality. I can easily make my special interest my whole personality, but at the same time it isn’t.

They are combined with most other Autism traits.

Interesting observation, BugsBunnyFan. Now that I think about it, NTs deffo seem more interested in why they're into something, more than what the interest is, and they do wanna know the same thing about you.

I wouldn't say I lose my personality, but I kinda agree. I strongly identify with my interests, and often regard myself in relations to them, they're a part of me. As a kid I would give myself nicknames based on whatever I was into at the time.

NT interests seemed to be more restrained, whereas autistic special interests can make a person lose sight of other responsibilities.

Yeah, I've heard of that. I have never understood why anyone would be into fiction for any other reason than its actual content. That's how I work anyway.

What real world issue makes someone like Superman?

I think the OP's description of the difference is spot on.

Special interests can be dangerous too.
One time when I was 21, I got really into this subject. Really Into it to the point where researching it was all I did. I woke up, turned the computer on and didn't log off untill the next day. Sounds fun right?
I ended up being hospitalised because I forgot to eat, sleep and go to work. I was living on packets of crisps and 3 hours sleep every night.
From my research this is a very rare but real occurrence in some autistic people.
Avoidance had something to do with it, but for the most part I really believe that this subject became my personality.
After that I had to set a rule that if I neglect self care, I am not able to pursue my special interests.

I believe the main difference officially anyway is autistic interests tend to be narrow and limited in scope.

For example camera cases rather than photography or different soccer balls rather than soccer as a game or actively following the sport.

Obviously the world of camera cases or soccer balls are very limited in scope but photography or soccer is unlimited and still growing.

It is also felt than autistic people will talk endlessly about their interest irrespective of the interest of others made to listen.

This is why it’s classified as a fault or pathology that contributes to a diagnosis along with other things.