Nobody likes what I like, so I just don't talk anymore.

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I have developed a wealth of knowledge over the years as my special interests typically only last weeks to a few years at most, and I'm also often juggling several at once. As I've gotten older (I'm 27 now), my interests have gotten more broad and varied. I think many of my interests are quite normal! However, I've found that a) 90% of people really only engage in conversation so that THEY can speak, b) people don't actually care about learning anything ever, and c) few people seem to be interested in any of the things I'm interested in. Because of this, I've adopted the "strategy" of just not talking any more. Any time I try to have a conversation with people they either interrupt me before I've said 4 consecutive sentences, have no idea wtf I'm talking about, or show they have zero interest in anything I say even when it's on topic, so I just don't talk. I find it pretty hypocritical of people actually, because I've spent significant time with many people who will talk AT me for literally an hour straight with virtually no input from me at all but then more or less tell me to shut up if I try to talk for even 5 minutes allowing for input from them. It's both frustrating and disappointing.

I can relate to what you've said in some aspects. I deal with different people in my job, and the majority of them don't really care about anything I do. I find it amazing that they don't even have hobbies, let alone appreciate something enough to understand why I care so much about my interests.. I've stopped trying some time ago. They're apparently happy like that, and I'm happy in my corner, so that's a great deal, if you ask me.

Yeah, that definitely is frustrating. I generally avoid talking about my special interests too much with NTs. I wouldn't say that they have no desire to learn, it's just that they only have so much mental energy to devote to it (or something like that). Most of my friends are the kind of people who are simelarly clueless as to how this works, and that makes everything a lot simpler. Wrong Planet does have some helpful articles about this kind of thing that I have been reading through, if you havn't been checking those out then I do recommend it.

I guess that is a good strategy to have so you won't ramble on about them or talk about them all the time.

This bugs me too, really.

None of my friends share any of my interests, really. If I try to mention anything of my interests, they just dont listen. But they'll definitely ramble on about theirs, or about other things. It's like, why even have a conversation, when there's nothing to talk about?

Lately, I've barely even seen any of them. There's not much to do or talk about, so I've just kept to myself. Kinda tired of it really...

What is your special interest of the moment?

Torture and execution throughout the ages
Foreign language horror and extreme horror films
Jainism
Autism

Kraftie was asking the OP what the OP's special interest is.

Thats a good question.

Maybe there are ways that the OP can sneak his/her knowledge of the subject into conversations (make it relevent by relating it to other subjects that folks more commonly talk about).

The OP is upset that folks wont allow him to go "four consecutive sentences" with out them interrupting him. Most people (NT or otherwise) are lucky if others will allow them to go four words without interrupting them!

And here's the thing: would YOU allow someone else (who is not your teacher, or professor) go for four sentences without you interrupting THEM? Thats a lot talking for one person to do with out the other speaking.

I can pretty much relate.

I'm autistic and deaf, so yeah, communication, not my thing.

Then, when I do gain a bit of confidence, someone just stares blankly at me until I stop talking/signing and then goes to talk/sign to someone else..I don't really do well in the hearing or deaf world.

*Retreats back into the online world*

After reading a lot of the posts in this thread, and thinking about my experiences, I have found that there seem to be "levels" of conversation.
Like: 1, 2, 3

1 would be the simple back and forth level
2 would be the "add a little more interesting convo" letting the other person speak which enables me to engage in the conversation while analyzing what the other person is saying and adding to it
3 the other person is listening to what you have to say

The third is the least common for me
I try to not engage too much cause I go off on small tangents about how others are addressing the topics of the conversation.
I have taken a lot of interest in Psychology throughout my years (now 30) and have analyzed things like response times and body language before I was diagnosed (last week) to try and understand how humans communicate
If I run into number 3, I start to lose it then I go home and replay what I have said to the other person over and over in my head quietly. It's not good. It's probably insecurity because I feel the others around me (at work) do have any similar interests: would rather talk about shows I don't watch and who the hottest celebrities are (stupid)

I like art, and nobody around me at work likes art. It sucks. LOL