How do people react to the subject of your special interest?

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I'm not asking how people react when you talk about it at length, simply how they react when you express any interest in the topic itself... I never talk about my interest in public, but even if someone simply sees me reading a book on the subject i will get odd looks and will be asked why on earth i am reading this book.

Do people ever seem disterbed simply by the topic of your specail interest, or do they seem interest, simply board, or something else?

My special interest is conjoined twins, which i know is fairly uncommon even in aspies...

Unless they share the interest, it's pretty obvious they are bored by it. I usually don't get much farther than explaining that it's music. Most just say, "Huh..." and I know right there they're not interested.

I watch for the eyebrows. They're a dead give-away. If they go up a lot, it's fair game and I know I can just dive in and start talking away. Music is a funny one, because Autistic or not, almost everyone into it loves to talk about it just as much as I do.

are there any specifics, or is your interest simply music in general?

One of my interests is cannibalism. I actually had a lengthy conversation with a fellow a while back about a series of paintings I was intending to do on the subject. He seemed kind of creeped out though initially he expressed interest in hearing about my art. (I'm actually a vegan; don't worry, I don't really eat people.)

Some people find my interest in squirrels to be cute, but others who dislike squirrels seem to have less patience. I've had several people tell me that whenever they see a squirrel they think of me. And sometimes people who know I like squirrels give me squirrel-related items! A girl gave me an acorn one time. I was thrilled.

People usually seem bored or a bit overwhelmed when I mention my main interest, Japanese history (focusing on the Heian era). Sometimes they will say something about samurai or ninja (wrong era!) but so far most people I've met have never even heard of that period of Japanese history. It was different in Japan of course. I once met a lady whose passion was the Tale of Genji (a famous novel from the Heian era) and we had a lengthy conversation on the topic. She seemed excited to have met a foreigner who was so passionate about her country's history. She entreated me to continue my studies and to return to Japan someday. Warms my heart.

When I was a kid, I often gobsmacked people at how much a little kid could know. But with other kids and people who knew me I was always told to shut up and that I needed to "widen my horizons". I still gobsmack people as an adult but since I am an adult no one has the right to tell me to shut up. But then there are some obsessions/special intrests I only share with people online who are also fans.

Specifically, song writing, composing. Though I have also spent many years listening, so as a fan of certain genres too sometimes, but mostly the former these days.

Most people are interested in my special interests when I mention them. There's the odd scum bucket Skinhead that will try to knock me down, but nobody can or will make me hate The Kinks. Not even the younger people on here.

I start talking about the math of change, get a look at me in confusion or jump. or ewwwww.

I love squirrels and I'm going to miss my squirrels when I move.

[img][800:734]http://i1123.photobucket.com/albums/l549/onezumiyoukai/027.jpg[/img]

When I talk about my interest in Johnny Depp movies, most of the people I've met react positively and have agreed that "he's a good actor" and can name a few movies that he's done. It always disappoints me when the only thing some people know him for is Pirates of the Caribbean though.

Even though I never bring up the subject directly, I like to wear my "Brony" (meaning adult fan of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic) shirt out in public in the hopes that a fellow fan will start a conversation about the show with me. So far I have only gotten puzzled looks.

When I bring up anime, most people will unsurprisingly only associate it with either children's stuff or hentai. Almost no one has ever heard of the series I like, even if they're popular within the online anime community. Like with My Little Pony, it's difficult to find adult fans of anime outside of the Internet (at least where I live).

It depends on the interest. People tend to think it's kewl & funny when I quote Family Guy but they think I'm a dork when I talk about comedy music & some think I'm a real creep or messed-up when i talk about Disney pop artist & iCarly; I talk about that very little offline because I don't like people assuming I'm a pedophile offline

I was going on holiday to Greece and I came across a book I had about Greek mythology. I took it into work to browse through at lunchtime. My colleague, sitting across from me, asked why I was reading it. I said, 'I'm going to Greece and it made me think I'd like to read it'. She said, 'You don't have to learn all about that, just because you're going there'. I didn't know how to respond. Of course, I didn't have to read it, I just wanted to. She obviously thought I was being a nerd, learning for the sake of learning. And she was right, but I can't see anything wrong in a little knowledge.

I don't talk about them much as people just roll their eyes like this Its better not to I remember whenever i said anything about ABBA people would say "But they're broken up now" I would just say to them "Well people still like the Beatles and they broke up ages ago" they would go quiet then.

Wow! What a wonderful photo!

I also love squirrels. The previous owner of my house must have as well. He built a little squirrel table and chair in a tree outside the kitchen window; the table has a spike sticking up, on which you impale an ear of dried corn. . . the squirrel sits on the chair at the table to eat the corn.

One of these days I will get a photo. I have never seen one eating there at the same time as knowing the location of my camera and charger.


When it comes to talking about my special interest(s) ~ I'm really trying not to do it anymore, except to the people who I know will be kind to me. (Which is to say, those who I have given birth to, and sometimes a friend or two. If any.)

I don't talk that much about my interests. Part of the problem lies in that I don't know how to have conversations about these things. It doesn't help that most people do not seem enthusiastic about most things (as I am) but only about a very few things that they don't even go into that deep.

That's why my experiences are usually limited to comments such as:

Awesome. I don't know that much about the Heian era but from what I know it is one of the most interesting periods.



Ao no exorcist! I need to watch the last couple of episodes.

"Oh, cool."

Yep.