Are You Guys Open About Your Interests? Or Do You Hide Them?

[josolito]

At school I use to spend most lunches in the library reading (well looking at pictures really - I don't read that well)

Haha spanish was one of my great obsessions as well since a little kid until now. I learned it so well that can spell better than the natives and when I go to their countries they always assume I am from their country rather than America because of accent. Best advice to hang with mad spanish people then you will always enjoy the conversations

 

[artfull dodger]

I am open as far as I dont hide them from others, but lack very many friends to share them with. Would love to find a couple of local Aspie's that also share my hobbies/obsessions. Mike

 

[LgndKllr24]

In general, I keep to myself fairly often, and that includes my interests. In particular, my love for professional wrestling is something that I don't really discuss with most people. Now, I know this forum site is different, but I doubt me talking about wrestling with most people would not end in something like "oh, you like that fake stuff." Oh yeah, "fake" is probably the word I dislike the most that people use to describe pro wrestling. I prefer things like "scripted" and "pre-determined." I feel like telling those people "Yes, it is a performance, but it's not 'fake' like movie special effects" or something like that. So yeah, it's not really worth the time to mention it to most people.

Along the lines of that, I tend to develop an obsession about my wrestling video games too. I'm a bit strange because I like to "sim" wrestling matches, by having CPU controlled wrestlers face each other, to find out who would win. Kind of defeats the purpose I guess of a video game, as the playing part is what it is supposed to be about, but watching wrestling matches is even fun to me in the video game world.

 

[DarkLady]

I have been hiding mine because I don't want people to take them away and I feel ashamed for people to know even though I love my interests.

 

[Ste11aeres]

Another one is mental illnesses. I keep that one private too. I bite my tongue when I hear people saying incorrect things about medical or psychiatric diagnoses.
.

I read an article on Wilkepedia that blatantly misquoted two psychiatric association, an American one and a British one. I found the original statements, and amended the Wilkepedia article, with correct citations. That same day, someone switched it back to the incorrect version.
(They then sent me an email saying that my changes had been "biased". (It was in an article on the psychological effects on women of abortion. Both Psychiatric associations had basically said they were unable to come to a conclusion/make a statement about such effects at the present time. The incorrect quotation had said that the associations said there were no negative effects. This shows how-when it comes to a "political topic" people will always accuse you of being biased. Even when you are merely correcting an incorrect quotation).
This is why I hate Wilkepedia.

 

[Structrix]

I'm pretty open. Even about video games. Which is an odd hobby for a grown woman but who cares.

 

[Dirtdigger]

I'm pretty open. Even about video games. Which is an odd hobby for a grown woman but who cares.

I'm a 67 year old woman who plays Farming Simulator 2013, Digger Simulator 2011 and 2008 and I have to say I love playing these games that boys and men would normally play. But I do a lot of things that most Aspies don't do making them look almost normal. However, a lot of what I do is very personal and I just don't talk about it because most Aspies wouldn't even understand. So, no I'm not very open when it comes to my personal life.

 

[Saragrl]

I am open about my interests. It's just to bad I don't know anyone who knows anything about them. So when I accomplish something I feel excited and want to share, but I have no one to share it with. I think that makes me feel more alone than anything else.

 

[musclecarman]

I'm open with my interests I might have moments when I bore someone with my interests. most of mine are ones that appeal to a large audience for example dolphins well almost everyone likes them except people who have a phobia on it for example Tyra Banks or people that kill them (including some Japanese)

 

[113]

I tell people about them. I don't talk about them if they aren't interested, but I try to think of things to say that will get them interested. Otherwise I have nothing to talk about.

 

[Anon88]

I don't necessarily hide my interests but ppl I know don't seem to share the same interests so I just prefer not to discuss them since I know they'll be a lack of conversation.

 

[Kari Suttle]

I hide mine because i know that at least for me no one is going to give a damned. And if they do, they'll eventually get annoyed by it but never tell me until its too much. Some stupid social rule where you don't say it if somebody is annoying. Growing up as a kid i would rant at length about whatever i liked at the time at the dinner table not realizing no one was listening. As years went by eventually mom would just turn to me and say "Are you done yet?" cause she was trying to watch tv. Half the time all i wanted to do was tell her about my day. It taught me nonetheless to not rant about anything cause no one wants to hear it. The person i thought cared my former best friend eventually got fed up with it though.

 

[musclecarman]

I hide mine because i know that at least for me no one is going to give a damned. And if they do, they'll eventually get annoyed by it but never tell me until its too much. Some stupid social rule where you don't say it if somebody is annoying. Growing up as a kid i would rant at length about whatever i liked at the time at the dinner table not realizing no one was listening. As years went by eventually mom would just turn to me and say "Are you done yet?" cause she was trying to watch tv. Half the time all i wanted to do was tell her about my day. It taught me nonetheless to not rant about anything cause no one wants to hear it. The person i thought cared my former best friend eventually got fed up with it though.

that sucks at least my mum tries to listen

 

[AsheSkyler]

There are some interests I keep exclusively to myself, and the rest I'm open about in varying degrees depending on who I'm around. Crochet and needlework I save for little old ladies, science and stars I can get away with around geeks, artwork I mostly keep to myself since there aren't many I know in person who are really into it, and so on and so forth. My poor mom had to be guinea pigged for a lot of technical details it's okay for me to share and which ones I should hide or use different terms for so as not to confuse somebody to no end.

 

[clg114]

I have always made my living from my main interest, so no, I do not hide it. As for my other interests, if someone were to ask me about them I will tell them all about it. I don't get asked about much of anything, so I rarely talk about them.

 

[Harrison]

I have always made my living from my main interest, so no, I do not hide it. As for my other interests, if someone were to ask me about them I will tell them all about it. I don't get asked about much of anything, so I rarely talk about them.

Same here.

 

[ThatSkyWing]

I usually don't mention my obsessions much unless someone asks me about them. I find that when I just babble about my obsessions people act disinterested, so I figured that in the long run it's better for me to keep it to myself.

 

[Cinnamon115]

I don't really express my obsessions, mostly because I'm very sensitive to what other people say, especially criticism. I'm afraid of being made fun of for my obsessions, because that would take the joy out of doing them. Like all of the criticism I got whenever I expressed my joy in climbing trees sucked the fun out of it. Another reason I don't tell people about my obsessions is because I don't want people treating me differently because they find it weird (people act this way when I talk about my love of sewing) or odd that a girl likes that sort of thing (my love of video games has caused a few insults). I wish people didn't judge others so much.

 

[Dirtdigger]

I don't really express my obsessions, mostly because I'm very sensitive to what other people say, especially criticism. I'm afraid of being made fun of for my obsessions, because that would take the joy out of doing them. Like all of the criticism I got whenever I expressed my joy in climbing trees sucked the fun out of it. Another reason I don't tell people about my obsessions is because I don't want people treating me differently because they find it weird (people act this way when I talk about my love of sewing) or odd that a girl likes that sort of thing (my love of video games has caused a few insults). I wish people didn't judge others so much.

It's really hurtful when we get criticized by especially others on the Autism Spectrum. If you ever need some one to message, I'm here for you, since I know what it's like to be criticized for expressing my obsessions as well.

 

[Grumpy Cat]

I just came out of the closet actually. My name is Angie and I like to color. Yes, that's right. I read a thread here called "Colouring Books" that was about adult coloring books. I always did have good memories from childhood when I used to color, so I looked on Amazon and found some adult coloring books. They have tons of them in every subject you can imagine! I even found my biggest interest of the Victorian Era! So I got a few of those and some crayons (deluxe set of 152 colors!), some colored pencils that I haven't tried yet and I now have some markers ordered. Anyway, I told some people I work with about my new special interest and got a few weird looks. I bet they think that I'm trying to go back to my childhood days and in a way I am because of the good memories, but it's also very calming. Whenever I am coloring, I find my mind isn't thinking of anything else other than the colors I'm using and staying in the lines. I also knit to relax, but knitting also gives you time to think about EVERYTHING. It doesn't matter what reaction I get, I'm secure enough in myself that I don't care what people think - I'm still going to color! So there!