How do people survive without special interests?

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I don't actually have a special interest all the time, and when I do they vary in intensity. But right now I have quite a strong one and it's making me wonder how people actually keep going without one? I don't know exactly what I mean by this but hopefully some of you will. I guess, while I have a special interest the aim of my life is to find out more about it (if it's an idea, or a famous person) or to talk to them/make friends with them (if it's someone I know). I also filter every experience I have through the special interest in some way. The idea of not having one makes life seem very pointless. Does anyone have any insight into how NTs do it?

I'm in between interests right now . My last one didn't turn out so well. Life is dull without one.

I have observed that aspies get depressed when in between special interests. The only solution to this is to find a new special interest.

As to how we NTs do it, we are mildly interested in a lot of different things. If you can imagine not being super interested in food, but kind of liking it. You'd be able to eat many things, but never have the intense enjoyment that some people feel when they eat. You wouldn't know what you were missing.

They manage, somehow.

We are spoiled creatures. We have so much more which could potentially hold our interest than previously--especially since the 1990s, with the advent of the Internet.

Before the advent of the Internet, we just didn't have the whole world (i.e., people from other countries, news from other countries, etc.) at our immediate disposal.

I don't feel too good right now--but I have enough perspective to realize that I could make my life less boring immediate--by typing in a few words on Google.

Before the 1990s, this ability was nonexistent.

I'm not sure how they do it either. My special interest is cars and right now one of the things that is keeping me going is the knowledge that in a few months time I'll finally be able to buy my own car. That is a day I have been dreaming of since I was about 4, words can't really express how excited I am about it.

I know that I have been in a bit of malaise as I am in between special interests at this time. I have had a lot going on, but, even before things got crazy, right after finishing the Batmobile, it's been vacillation time. It's like I've been collecting information on all of them (Physics, Paleontology (Dinos and Precambrian explosion), maths, programming, Model techniques, etc), but not landing on one. And, it has affected me greatly. But, when I get into gear here, It will all be information I can pull out.


1.) I'm sorry to hear you're not doing well at this time. I do hope you feel better.

2.) And, you are absolutely correct. I used to love being in the library. I hated like hell getting there though LOL So, that did make things difficult. But, now, all this information, ability to research and just learn is amazing.

And, it did finally let me start an important process that is beginning to unfold. It gave me clues that I never had access to before.


As for how NTs survive without one, I would turn that on it's head, and ask how we can survive when the special interest can block out everything.....forget to eat, in severe cases, forget to relieve oneself, forget to bathe, and all sorts of other things.

It's hard to understand an alien point of view. Especially when you don't even know your point of view is actually unique and not shared. That gets drummed into us growing up.

"You're not special. You're just like everybody else. You just don't wanna get with the program." Yep, heard all of that for all my life, and usually at the end of a strap of leather or wood. So, when you find out that you really are different (Not special), well, it has shown me just how out of step I am in the world.

And, I am not worried how anybody else does anything. I just want to learn how to do any of it at all. LOL

3.) But..Kraftie...hope you feel better dood

Thanks very much for your concern. It means a lot.

It's nothing major--It's the usual crap that happens in life.

I seemed to have obsessions to help deal with loneliness. Now I have a partner, and more of a social life too, the obsession I last had just faded, and now it's become just a casual interest.

Yes, life rears its ugly head many times. I like when I see people say "I will always keep my promise!" LOL

Life will prevent that many, many times.

Just know we're here for you buddy

They have each other.

Quite frequently I struggle with extreme feelings of boredom and apathy when my world hasn't been consumed by an interest in something. Right now I can't say I am interested in much at all.

I personally prefer much more passive ones, and when I don't have a current one it doesn't bother me too much. The very intense ones frustrate me intensely. My current one is perfect, it's more of a collecting one and I prefer those as they are never as intense. My long term (10 years or so) is perfect as I've gone through the intense bit and it's hung around and is quite nice and relaxed now, its Friends (the telly show) and I'm more than happy to watch them over and over now just on the telly if there is nothing else on. I assume NTs have actual friends they spend time with instead.

I literally just started a thread about my experience with this last night.

I definitely get depressed when I have nothing to obsess over, and it's super boring. I suppose that this obsessiveness replaces what I'm missing out on by not socializing much and generally not enjoying it when I do.

I was on ADHD medication for a while to help with my inattention problems and although it did help it made me less obsessive. I just couldn't take it any more and I had to stop using it because I was getting depressed.

I don't survive without a special interest. I can't. I can be very miserable between special interests or without one.

One of my special interests is in Languages, Geography (i.e. Learning about different countries, I know all capitals of Europe and I can name them on a quiz and listening to Tiziano Ferro (Italian songwriter and singer) has been a special interest of mine for 1 year and 6 months, I love him so much and I have bought all his music and some of his merchandise (Phone case and 2016 calendar)

I don't think I'm ever without an obsession for very long. One thing ends and another begins. I will say that I get bored and sort of down in between. I feel as though there is nothing I want to do, so I might spend a lot of time sleeping.

But I often have multiple obsessions at once; usually one is the most intense. They usually burn themselves out after awhile.

Obsessions can make me miserable when I can't make myself do anything else. There seems to be a perfect amount of time to spend on something, and beyond that I feel physically sick if I can't stop.

I'm not sure what life would be like without them. They've always existed for me.

I don't know what I would do without my special interests- they literally give me life.
Like I got really really angry and depressed when one of my Special interests got blocked out at work- they didn't want me to ever mention languages other than English at work, and I got so depressed I just stopped going to work, and then I snapped out of it by switching (rather painfully) over to another special interest.
A more science-y one. I kind of forgot the languages bit as it is harder to practice now, but when I get into it again I feel so happy ~ especially if I have opportunities to speak any of the ones I like. < 3
But for now I will focus on these others. They are just as fun!
I've told my NT friends each special interest (for me) is like falling in love and having a source of comfort and relief always available- well as long as I have time and am able to engage with that special interest.
Although, I realize not all Aspies are gonna feel as intensely (probably) about their SI as I do. I love mine. However, they can be kind of a crutch I guess, and I do get guilty because my family HATES when I talk about anything SI related.
So, it's like SIs or family, and I almost always pick the former lol. SIs don't annoy the s**t out of me- quite the contrary sooooo not like it's a hard choice
I have absolutely NO IDEA what it would feel like not to feel this way about my SIs.
I think or guess this is why NTs are so social- they wouldn't have anything else to fill the gaps??
I just think about how horrifically boring life would be! I really do think that is why they do that so much- the socializing I mean.