Special Interests, causes of

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I hope this doesn't offend anyone, because I have special interests too. Currently "single" and hoping for a new one.

I kind of resent the idea that special interests take the place in the brain where "theory of mind" would otherwise be.
I am sure I have "theory of AS mind", I just don't have much "theory of NT mind"

It seems to me that if someone is part of a very small minority who think differently from those around them, and needs
time to recover from the strain of dealing with a world where everything is set up for the other way of thinking, that special interests would naturally develop to stop boredom and loneliness.

If I lived in a world full of aspies who thought like me, I don't know if I would find time or emotional space for special interests. Just like NTs don't.

I'm new to this, so please correct me, ever so kindly, if I am wrong. It has happened before.

Interesting supposition!

I'm not sure anything can take the place of my interests. I've had times in my life where I was very social and it had little to no effect on my interests. Any 'skill' I've developed in social etiquette had definitely been learned and applied knowledge. So, I have no clue what is going on in my 'theory of mind' region.

Worth a discussion I think!

Makes sense.

One thing I have noticed about my special interests is that the amount available on the subject affects how long my interest lasts. For example, I may really get into the backstory of a video game, but there is not much (being a video game) and so I lose interest after a few weeks.

However, my interest in history has lasted since a very young age, and in the last few years I have discovered philosophy, which has forced history to take a back seat (still really into it though).

It is likely that special interests are created out of boredom if you ask me. That boredom is generated by lack of interaction. I personally find parties to be unbearably boring, not just because there is nothing to do, but because the noise and people stop me from thinking.

Now then, why can we not interact well? Sure, I have read studies into the autistic brain and stuff, but what causes those mental differences?

I am an archaeologist and I have been developing an evolutionary theory of aspergers. I believe that is there was a mostly aspergers community that almost all the side problems of aspergers would disappear. especially the problems related to stress like repeatative motions, emotional outbursts, etc. I think that if a community like that could be found and studied that professionals may actually take aspergers off the autism spectrum and give it a separate classification. I honestly think that aspergers may be similar to what we would classically call a racial grouping but one with mental markers rather than skin color or eye shape. I do not think that the special interests would disappear however because this seems to me to be a very useful evolutionary survival trait.

I need to do a bit more work before I start sharing more of what I think is going on with aspergers.

I've never heard the thing about special interests replacing our theory of mind. If that's true, does that mean the better theory of mind each individual aspie has, the less obsessive that individual is about their special interests/the less special interests they have?

I think for me my intrest in stop-motion animation started for me because I understood how it was done at an early age (7). I figured it out from watching a documentary about how Disney did their animated cartoons. When I saw the Seventh Voyage of Sinbad and I saw the Cyclops walk across the screen I figured out it was a puppet that moved one frame at a time like a drawn cartoon. I was able to figure out how it was done but did not understand how people worked. I have never been unintrested in stop-motion since I was 7 in 1977.

I've always been under the impression that we Aspies develop SIs as both a replacement for friends and out of our love for "systemizing" and categorizing information. Very true for me on both accounts.

I have some problems with the "theory of mind" concept. I think that NTs have a part of the brain that is dedicated to reading body language and facial expressions, and I lack that. NTs can more easily communicate feelings with each other, which makes them a little more aware of what others are thinking. I do not think that the "theory of mind" is much more than that.

I do not think that the special interests develop as a reaction to anything. I have had a special interest as long as I can remember. Even when I was in first grade, I was constantly drawing rockets and looking at pictures of rockets. At that time, my social problems did not cause me much distress. I was not very social, but I got along well enough with the other children. I was not an outcast yet.

My special interests also predate any social distress. My mother tells the story of how at three years of age I told her I was going to be an archaeologist and that interest never faded.

I am not so sure shyness as suggested by the article is the right word. For instance I am pretty sure I am high up on the spectrum but I'm not shy at all. I am however very bad at socializing even though I talk to anyone that will listen. I think shyness is a symptom of rejection and not as much a symptom of aspergers. I could be wrong thats why I am promoting alot of time to this recently to learn everything I can.

I think what we see as Aspergers could be built on a quite small initial difference, just like skin colour becomes this huge thing.
Rejection, yeah.

If something makes me happy, than it becomes my special interest. As much as I enjoy my special interests and they make me happy, I find it a little eery how they all seem to be London related.

London
Routemasters
Swinging London
Carnaby Street
The Kinks
Pearly Kings and Queens
Cockneys
The Tower Bridge....

Do you guys want me to stop now? lol