jaycee
Butterfly
Joined: May 12, 2010
Posts: 15
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 Posted: Tue Feb 21, 2012 12:18 pm Post subject: The supposed 'special' area of interest we have.. |
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So I don't post here much and only come by on occassions when Im feeling down
I just have a question related to the supposed 'special' area of interest that those with AS are suppose to have. I recently watched this video on the net about some dude with AS in the UK and he just went on and on and on about his "special internet" in caves/rocks. And I got a bit jealous! I wish I loved something that much.
I just wanted to make it very clear that I'm not a full AS, when I was diagnosed with it over a decade ago, I just had traits of it (apparently) -But I can relate to many of the symptoms outlined by it.
I havn't done much research into AS even though I wrote a 2000 word essay about it a few months ago.. as a requirement for my nursing degree im doing (was pretty akward doing it... come across something and I'm just like.. ahh yep, thats classic me) but anyway. Im 22 years old now and althoughout life I've always just felt this ambition to be really really really super amazing at something that no one/very few people could do/achieve. But all through highschool and up until now I have been a pass average student with absolutely no special interest in anything particular... even though I enjoy in small amounts, many different things. It's just like hmm yeah science/chem/physics/sports/computers/programming/literature/history/math etc, I like them and all, but I could never pick them up straight away and I have never had the motivation to get good at them or strive for improvement when seeing other people excel greater with littller effort is extremely demotivating :/
As an example- history, I love history. I have spent at times, 5 hours straight just reading about all the wars on Wikipedia (im sure im not the only one here). yeah its interesting and all and I enjoy reading it. But do I remember anything after reading it? A little. Do I have any desire to delve more into some certain apect of the histroy? No. Do I want to write an essay about the history I have read? Absolutely not. Do I want to visit the places where said history took place? Heck yeah!
I know thats a fairly weak example because we all like history (I think?) but the point is I just havn't got any special connection with anything I have ever done before...
The question is.... am I suppose to? Or Im a just destined to have a little bit of interest in many things and be a big noob for the rest of my life =|. I worked in IT for 3 years because I am always on the computer and figured it was something I'd probably be good at. Turns out I don't like it at all, and although I can build PC's, work out most PC problems, I have no desire to pursue a career slaving over a computer.. and I was never really that good at it.
So I decided to study nursing, because, well I needed to make a decision in life and do something (and the oppurtunity presented its self). Im in 3rd year now and I guess for the past 2 years I've been lying to myself that I am enjoying it... I only grasped the idea of how AS effected me just 18 months ago, so if i knew more about how it effected me I wouldn't have started studying it in the first place. Good job parents! But in all honestly, I don't have much trouble talking to people and I do anjoy talking to patients and seeing them get better. But as a whole, Im just not feeling it and I don't want to kill anyone by mistake. I just wish someone grew a pair and came to me early in the peace saying "Look bud, with consideration to your OBVIOUS aspergers, I would probably advise against, you, the person with AS, studying something like nursing." But yeah such as life. I am going to finish the degree because its not worth pulling out now, plus the degree could come in handy later down the track.
But yeah the point of this is to explain that in my 22 years of trvial existence, I am yet to find something that I have clicked with and thought "wow this is me".
So is it a case of (A). I am just lazy or (B). I lack the AS trait that eables one to have a special area of interest. And finally (C). Its out there and Im still looking for it.
Is aynone else ifeel as though they are in the same boat as me?
Discuss!!
Thanks for taking the time to read. |
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Jtuk
Phoenix
Joined: Jan 22, 2012
Posts: 732
Location: Wales, UK
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| Posted: Tue Feb 21, 2012 1:29 pm Post subject: |
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Hi Jaycee,
I am lucky enough to be employed in my area of interest - computers again, while I am pretty natural and an expert in so many areas, this expertise came through continued practise. I must have spent at least 40,000 hours in front of a computer screen so far in and I'm in my early 30s.
From the outside I would have appear to have near savant computer skills, but that is a result of obsessive practice. John Robison said as much in his Be Different book. It is the power to immerse yourself in your interest at the expense of your social life, family, health and appearance that gives aspies the potential to do amazing things.
People say I have natural ability with some things, but my natural ability is to practice something that interests me. Don't expect to be a natural expert, but you can become an expert.
Jason |
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MagicMeerkat
meerkat
Joined: Jun 12, 2011
Age: 26
Posts: 1347
Location: Kalahari Desert
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| Posted: Tue Feb 21, 2012 2:23 pm Post subject: |
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Obsessions, "special intrests" have always been my strongest autistic trait.
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sacrip
Phoenix
Joined: Oct 18, 2008
Age: 39
Posts: 667
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| Posted: Tue Feb 21, 2012 2:34 pm Post subject: |
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Not every aspie has an overriding special interest. In my case, I'll get very interested in some particular thing for a certain amount of time and think about it constantly, and then either drop it entirely or move it aside in favor of some other thing.
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CockneyRebel
Mick Avory, Sensitive brown-eyed Sweet Pea
Joined: Jul 18, 2004
Age: 38
Posts: 87175
Location: In a quiet and peaceful garden, where gentle Mick Avory-like Sweet Peas grow.
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diniesaur
Phoenix
Joined: Sep 03, 2011
Posts: 639
Location: in the Ministry of Silly Walks
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| Posted: Tue Feb 21, 2012 2:55 pm Post subject: |
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| I can relate to not having a single special interest. My problem is different, though--I have too many! I have a passion for writing, math, biology, paleontology, anthropology, languages, ancient history, chemistry, physics, my religion, music...I was so disappointed when I found out that people are expected to only have one career in their lives! I'm going to try to fit in as many of these interests as possible into my adult life, but it will be hard; the world just isn't built for people like me. |
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jaycee
Butterfly
Joined: May 12, 2010
Posts: 15
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| Posted: Tue Feb 21, 2012 3:24 pm Post subject: |
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| Thanks for the responses, particularly JtuK, that gives me some food for thought. |
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CyclopsSummers
tunnel visionary
Joined: Jun 22, 2008
Age: 26
Posts: 1902
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| Posted: Tue Feb 21, 2012 4:02 pm Post subject: |
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I used to have a special interest (animals), but in retrospect, I honestly never became all that knowledgeable on the subject. Sure, by the time I was 9, I had a lot of specific information and factoids stored inside my head, but in my teenage years, the interest waned.
Ever since, I really haven't had a single special interest I immersed myself in. I go from interest to interest, each getting about 6 months to a year or so of attention. But I never become an expert in any of my special interests.
I haven't found the thing I am good at, or could really go for, either, though in the past I would love to have found one. For myself, I have found peace in the notion that I don't have anything special for myself. and I just live my life with what I have and what I know, and I'll see what comes on my path today and tomorrow.
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Callista
Phoenix
Joined: Feb 04, 2006
Age: 30
Posts: 9818
Location: Central USA
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| Posted: Tue Feb 21, 2012 5:24 pm Post subject: |
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Not every Aspie has special interests. You could be one of the ones who doesn't. ASDs are quite variable and it would probably be hard to find anybody who was a "textbook case" with all the symptoms exactly the way they're written. It's more of a general definition and most people are probably missing a few such traits. You do have to have restricted/repetitive behaviors/interests, but that can express itself in other ways--like, you're fascinated with small details; or you didn't get pretend play or enjoy stories; or you have stereotypies (stimming, performing actions over and over like rocking or handflapping or whatever).
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Sora
away away
Joined: Sep 16, 2006
Age: 25
Posts: 5645
Location: Europe
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| Posted: Tue Feb 21, 2012 5:30 pm Post subject: |
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I'm also one of those few (?) autistic people that can identify with the phrase "Jack of all trades". I'm interested in about everything but not in obsessive ways. I do not experience the expertise of mastering a subject or pursuing it long-term but that fortunately means I also pass up on the narrowing and (timely) restriction that a few selected field(s) of study impose on the motivation and curiosity of a person.
Jack of all trades - really, the term deserves far more appreciation. I like it.
But you sound more as if (C) you're "still looking for it" because reading five hours about history... seriously? That's not exactly non-obsessive as far as I'm concerned.
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CyclopsSummers
tunnel visionary
Joined: Jun 22, 2008
Age: 26
Posts: 1902
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| Posted: Wed Feb 22, 2012 1:56 am Post subject: |
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| Sora wrote: | I'm also one of those few (?) autistic people that can identify with the phrase "Jack of all trades". I'm interested in about everything but not in obsessive ways. I do not experience the expertise of mastering a subject or pursuing it long-term but that fortunately means I also pass up on the narrowing and (timely) restriction that a few selected field(s) of study impose on the motivation and curiosity of a person.
Jack of all trades - really, the term deserves far more appreciation. I like it.
But you sound more as if (C) you're "still looking for it" because reading five hours about history... seriously? That's not exactly non-obsessive as far as I'm concerned. |
I like that term too, "jack of all trades", especially when complemented with "master in none". I saw a poster on another forum describe herself as 'jack of all trades, master in none', and she spoke of her passing interest in dinosaurs. And I liked the phrase and its meaning so much, I've come to adopt it to describe myself as well. Though, for fun, I sometimes paraphrase it as 'jerk of all trades' in my specific case.
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Alohilani
Blue Jay
Joined: Feb 16, 2012
Age: 30
Posts: 81
Location: The northern capital
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| Posted: Wed Feb 22, 2012 9:09 am Post subject: |
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| CyclopsSummers wrote: | | 'jack of all trades, master in none' |
Excellent! I like that!
I also don't have *the* special interest, there are some things I'm very interested in and some other things that naturally come along with being very interested in some things. Ho ho! |
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Jtuk
Phoenix
Joined: Jan 22, 2012
Posts: 732
Location: Wales, UK
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| Posted: Wed Feb 22, 2012 5:06 pm Post subject: |
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| sacrip wrote: | | Not every aspie has an overriding special interest. In my case, I'll get very interested in some particular thing for a certain amount of time and think about it constantly, and then either drop it entirely or move it aside in favor of some other thing. |
There is another thread on a similar thing here: http://www.wrongplanet.net/postt190725.html compulsive researchers.. That seems to be more common than an absolute special interest.
I think that's the trick for an aspie to gain employment, find a role that offers the chance to make the most of those skills and focus.
Jason |
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Peter_L
Blue Jay
Joined: Jan 06, 2012
Age: 28
Posts: 97
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| Posted: Wed Feb 22, 2012 5:52 pm Post subject: |
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The entire original quotation is better. 
"Jack of all trades, master of none, though oftimes better than a master of one."
That said, a little more on topic I do wonder if intense interests are linked to having an exceptional memory. At one point I heard a group of people saying there was no point reading anything since the more they read the more they'd forget. Personally, I remember most of what I read. If I didn't though, i'm not convinced I would enjoy reading up on things nearly as much as I do so there could be some kind of link there.
I'm also not entirely sure how much detail it's "usual" to go into either. My understanding is that I should be going into very deep levels of knowledge in an intensely narrow field. I'm not doing this. I started off reading about military history in ww2, moved to ww1 having exhausted ww2, then the second hundred years war, and later naval military development of warships. Of course, you simply can't understand it all properly without having non trivial understandings of agriculture, chemistry, ballistics, physics, historical medicine (and therefore biology), logistics, manufacturing, engineering, economics, politics and the media so i'm covering developments in all of those as well. I think it would be a stretch to describe that bunch as a "narrow" interest since I don't actually think I could be much broader. |
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Jtuk
Phoenix
Joined: Jan 22, 2012
Posts: 732
Location: Wales, UK
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| Posted: Wed Feb 22, 2012 7:54 pm Post subject: |
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| Peter_L wrote: | The entire original quotation is better.
That said, a little more on topic I do wonder if intense interests are linked to having an exceptional memory. At one point I heard a group of people saying there was no point reading anything since the more they read the more they'd forget. Personally, I remember most of what I read. If I didn't though, i'm not convinced I would enjoy reading up on things nearly as much as I do so there could be some kind of link there . |
I wouldn't say my memory is better or worse than anyone else's. I still feel it is the ability to stay on a single track and not be so distracted by the need to socialise.. I have played a few online games like wow, MUDs etc. what I have noticed is where some people can spend all day on these (just like me), their play seems to be a lot more varied. Others would switch tasks or quests or focusing on many skills (spending more time standing around or travelling between game areas or facing around with teams/clans etc.), where I would just sit still and focus on one area if the game.. I would level far faster, but others would quickly be bored following the same strategy.
The same is true of any interest I have had, no matter how short lived. I occasionally pick up a new fantasy fiction series, I'll sometimes read an entire trilogy within a day or so, then go on and read the whole trilogy again and again. I have read Robert Jordan's wheel of time several times over and this is a 12 book series. Books are one thing I cant throw away as I know the ones I love, I can always pick up and read again. When I'm reading I'm reading, I won't pick up by other interest or pastime until the book is read, so you would find me whipping out the book during tea breaks in work, waiting in the car or the checkout line at the supermarket.
Occasionally I'll pick up a piece of sheet music which is way beyond my ability and persist until I can play it. This is real brute force learning., it's less efficient in all likelihood than regular lessons and practice, but I can't sustain interest in music over the long term..
Hmm rambling,
Jason |
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