How should I act around people related to special interests?

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Balbituate
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30 Mar 2018, 11:56 am

I get a lot of special interests related to other countries and cultures. Since they’re special interests my intensity about them can seem weird to people. It’s one thing to be obsessed about trains or something. It’s another thing to be obsessed with a culture that involves actual human beings. It seems like people from my special interest countries are always able to find me. Like on a reddit thread for discussing what you’ve been listening to I reviewed some Israeli music I’ve been listening to. This guy from Israel found me, thought I was Israeli and asked me for recommendations. I told him I probably won’t be able to recommend anything since I’m a foreigner. He said he likes all sorts of music, but doesn’t like generic stuff. I’d consider the Israeli music I like generic pop rock.



kraftiekortie
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30 Mar 2018, 2:20 pm

You're "acting" okay, so far, it seems to me.

As long as you don't shove the interests down other people's throats, you're probably okay.

If somebody tries to change the subject, it means they're not "interested" in the "interest."



elbowgrease
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30 Mar 2018, 4:37 pm

Have you thought about doing any traveling? Going to some of the places your interested in?
Maybe find out where world travellers hang out near you and then go hang out there and see who you meet.

I have a similar special interest, I think. Long and ongoing. It's taken me to some interesting places so far.

Other than that, just try to be yourself and stay positive, I think.



Balbituate
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30 Mar 2018, 4:48 pm

elbowgrease wrote:
Have you thought about doing any traveling? Going to some of the places your interested in?
Maybe find out where world travellers hang out near you and then go hang out there and see who you meet.

I have a similar special interest, I think. Long and ongoing. It's taken me to some interesting places so far.

Other than that, just try to be yourself and stay positive, I think.

Yes. I just can’t afford it(not actually 27.) I already went to Iceland which was a previous special interest. I had a chance to go to Israel with my family, but it was a religious trip with a lot of walking and standing in line. My knees wouldn’t be able to handle it. My mom insists I wouldn’t have liked it since it was nothing too special to her, but I would have been happy to just feel the vibe. I didn’t quite have a special interest in it back then, but it was still an interesting country to me.



Fireblossom
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31 Mar 2018, 1:47 am

Oh yeah, I tend to wonder that too. I'm interested in Japanese culture and language and am really happy when I spot someone who's Japanese (it's pretty rare), but I'm always afraid that I'd end up bothering them too much and in the end I don't really make any contact at all.



Balbituate
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31 Mar 2018, 3:45 am

Fireblossom wrote:
Oh yeah, I tend to wonder that too. I'm interested in Japanese culture and language and am really happy when I spot someone who's Japanese (it's pretty rare), but I'm always afraid that I'd end up bothering them too much and in the end I don't really make any contact at all.

I notice I generally get special interests about cultures I don’t really come into direct contact with too much. I haven’t met all that many Nordic or Israeli people, so that’s what I get a special interest on. I do meet plenty of Asian people, so I’ve never had a true special interest in any Asian culture. I think I have the potential to get a special interest in Russian/Siberian Asians since I’ve had a mild interest in them in the past and I don’t meet too many of them. I’d be excited to meet one in real life and not nervous and awkward.



IstominFan
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01 Apr 2018, 8:31 pm

I find cultures, countries and languages fascinating as well. Objects and mechanical items never fascinated me. In fact, mechanical things were and are an endless source of frustration to me.