Interest? Special Interest? What's the difference?

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Good day,

If you have read the title of what I wrote (if not, I seriously recommend reading it), then you just might have a clue to the question that I am trying to get answered here.

OK, enough pretending to be the CinemaSins guy. Lets cut to the chase. I have read plenty of posts where peeps here list their special interests... but a much smaller number of posts where they list just boring old interests. Based on the information I'm getting I am drawing one of three conclusions...

Conclusion 1. Those with ASD are either really interested in something and will go out of their way to pursue that interest. Everything else is about as interesting as watching paint dry.
Conclusion 2. The terms "interest" and "special interest" are entirely synonymous on this forum and within the Asperger's community.
Conclusion 3. A "special interest" is any interest that is stronger than socialising. By this definition the special interest of NT's is sociailsing.

Do you agree with what I have to say, or do you say "Glflegolas doesn't know a thing about this subject."?

It's the difference between being "interested" and being "fascinated".

I find astronomy an interesting topic. / I find epic space-opera a fascinating topic.

I find women interesting. / I find beautiful women fascinating.

I find music interesting. / I find classical music fascinating.

It's all a matter of intensity of interest.

I've also had trouble differentiating between the two. I've kind of accepted the notion that special interests, like so many things, exist on a spectrum. On the far left end would be interests that are clearly "autistic" in nature, such as those that hinder our ability to function like NTs. If, in your enthusiasm, you struggle to keep your mind off of it and focus on necessary tasks like schoolwork, that would definitely be a special interest. Or if you were only willing to experience things through the limited scope of that interest. Then there would be interests in the middle of the spectrum, which don't prevent you from functioning, per say, but are still markedly prominent. Those might be the kind that lead you to gush over the subject involuntarily. Every conversation will end up with you spiraling towards the subject, against the will of the person you're talking to. You might also lack real interest in engaging in activities that are not somehow related to your interest. These examples are clearly special interests.

On the far right end of the spectrum, however, there exist interests that do not affect a person externally but still fit the "narrow and/or obsessive" pattern that strictly defines a "special interest." That's the area that is confusing, because everyone's definition of those terms differ. Maybe one Aspie considers "American history" narrow, although I would not. And maybe they consider "thrice a week documentaries" obsessive, although I would not. When it comes to a spectrum, there can't be clear-cut definitions and applications. Which I hate, to be honest. I prefer strict boundaries, or else is the term useful at all? I would not mind if the term became limited to interests that affect a person's actions outside of recreation or career.

As far as your conclusions go, I mostly agree with 1 and 2, but I think number 3 sweeps too broadly. Most introverts I know have various interests that they consider more important than socializing. Since introverts make up such a large portion of the world (by most estimates), it wouldn't be particularly useful to treat such interests as distinct from your run-of-the-mill hobby.

AceofPens wrote: I prefer strict boundaries, or else is the term useful at all? I would not mind if the term became limited to interests that affect a person's actions outside of recreation or career.

You know you hit the nail on the head. It annoys me when people (especially new users, but many have done it here) essentially call anything they like their special interest on this forum, which is part of the reason why I don't list anything I'm interested in as a special interest.

The examples you listed in the first paragraph are what I think are examples of what I would consider a special interest. The examples on the far right are definitely not special interests -- my interests, even my most intense ones, tend to fall in that camp.

I'm interested in music means that music is an interest of mine.
I'm fascinated with The Kinks means that The Kinks are a special interest of mine.

To me, my "special" interests are the ones which are compulsive.

I begin doing them when I firmly believe that I had no intention to, and don't recall how I came to start, nor when. I tell myself at intervals that I'm going to stop now, even make bargains with myself ("no more until I've showered and dressed"), then find that hours have passed, which only seemed minutes, and don't recall how or why I managed to get nothing else done. They will persistently distract me from comprehending or speaking in conversations. When they're on my mind during a journey, I may not be able to recall where I went or which route I took - the mud on my shoes, or my rain-sodden coat, will be the only way to know that my body went anywhere at all. I don't notice my hunger, my thirst, my temperature, the position of my limbs, nor the significance of external stimuli. When I'm lying awake at night unable to sleep, I will lecture imaginary people about them in exquisite detail, night after night after night. But the contentment (not euphoria, not ecstasy) of the hyper-focus, being in the "flow state", is a better sanctuary from the anxiety brought on by the world outside than anything else I've ever known.

Conclusion 1-Describes me well, at least the first part. I have a wide variety of interests because I read about a wide variety of topics.

Conclusion 2-To a point, yes. As for me, I can't be casual about any of my interests, especially pets and animals.

Conclusion 3-Doesn't describe me anymore. I use my interests as a way to find social outlets.

I almost lost a job because I had to have a new Sonic the Hedgehog game on release day and I took a company car without permission to get it. I did fan art, fanfiction, wrote internet guides about the game, participated in forums, Halloween costume as a character, had a stuffed toy of Sonic etc...

Birds, I went to college for birds and my past jobs all involved birds somehow, I still read about birds on a regular basis.

Pokemon has been a special interest too.

I say it gets into special interest territory if it significantly intefers with your life...

Special interests are stronger than things you simply like.

For instance it is different to like chocolate, of which anyone can do, and
Eat chocolate everyday, know all the steps of chocolate production, know the differences between brands, and talk about chocolate all the time without being hormonal. It is the scale.

My own special interests drive me, I cannot imagine a life without special interests being anything but boring, passionless, misery.

My dad is NT and is heavily into football. I suppose it is a social interest, but he has put football before his family in the past, and has always taken times off work when his favourite team is playing. His whole bedroom is even themed with football (he is single), and he has a big chart up on his wall to mark down the dates of the scores or whatever, and he also keeps years and years of records of scores and players in his closet. But he is not on the spectrum. He doesn't talk about football to us. I've even tried to be a little interested in his favourite team just to see if he would talk about it, but he still doesn't talk about football to me.

Is this a casual interest or a special interest? What if an autistic man had football as a special interest? Would he be like my dad, or more obsessive/intense?

Special interests can be seen as especially odd behavior too. Like most people buy a bird guide then page through it when they see a new bird. As a child, I would memorize the field guide to the point I could name every bird in the book by sight, but back then I cared little about other details about the birds, that's bizarre behavior for a child to do.