Does this qualify as a narrow special interest?

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I have a hard time understanding what defines something as a narrow special interest. So I am unsure if I have any.

My special interest is very difficult to define. My main interest is in how everything around me works, and around the lives and stories of people in all parts of the world, and at all points in history.

I enjoy reading scientific articles, reading random Wikipedia articles, watching/reading National Geographic, Science Channel, and similar shows. This forum is part of my interest here I learn more about asperger syndrome, and just as important I learn about the lives and stories of those who have asperger, people like you and me.

A special interest can evolve from one of your wide ranging interests. For instance, you can see a National Geographic episode on the common crow which turns into a week or months long interest of their habitat, breeding, international dispersion, language, color perception (their eyes using 4 cones can also see colors our 3 cone eyes can't. Crows may look all black to us, but because of variations in color spectrum visible to them, they can tell the difference), their survival instincts, their recognition of "friendlies" and "non-friendlies", etc.

A "special interest" is usually defined as a single specific area around which virtually your entire life revolves, it becomes a part of your identity, and you'll stop at nothing to learn everything there is about the topic. You can have more than one interest at a time, but to be classified as "special interests" they all have to have that significant level of depth and single-minded focus.

I read all the time. I skip school to read. I miss parties to read. I ignore people to read. I read on the bus and while walking. I stay up really late to read and wake up really early to read. If I'm not reading, I get depressed. Is that a special interest? Umm... I chose one topic at a time. There was feminism for a while (my poor friends had to listen to me rant about that) although history (although which aspect of history changes) is usually what my main interest.

Well, I can only speak for myself, and I am not qualified to figure out whether or not you have a narrow special interest... But here goes!

To clarify what a narrow special interest is, I have described mine a bit (I have been told by both a psychologist and a psychiatrist that these constitute special and narrow interests).

Personally, I have interests on two different "levels", often simultaneously:


1. MAIN INTEREST

This one often lasts for several years, with various focuses, and is the most "pure" narrow special interest I think. An example would be my interest in Nazi propaganda minister dr. Joseph Goebbels: At one time it might be his personal life, another his clubfoot and a third his propaganda, but it always revolves around Goebbels. This form of interest is narrow, but IMO not obsessive, because I usually think of other things while being interested in for instance Goebbels. An example: I am right now reading about how to keep pet canaries, but I have 2 photos of Goebbels ready so that I can "switch over" to them if I need a moment of break from the canaries. I get no break from Goebbels; Goebbels IS my break!

2. INTEREST AT THE TIME

This one would be for instance the pet canaries. This form of interest usually lasts shorter than the Main Interest, but is more intense. I might spend hours reading about canaries, with photos of Goebbels ready should I get tired of canaries for the moment being. When I have a personal project, I might focus almost exclusively on it, not eating, drinking or visiting the WC for several hours on end. Such a project might for instance be "what species of parrots should belong in my virtual zoo Living Planet?".

I also have a third kind of interest, which might be termed "Savant Skills", this being my STRANGE ability to remember more than 300 scientific/binomial names for extant mammals (though it's a cool party trick: Just ask your peers to name an extant mammal and watch their eyes get bigger and bigger as they mention both 5, 10 and 20 different species which you correctly name scientifically!).

Hope this shed a bit of light on what a narrow special interest is - and good luck finding out if yours is one!