Do All of You Have a Thing???

[acstar]

I can relate to a lot of the Aspergers symptoms, but I'm not sure if I have an "obsession" or not? I have an idea of some things I look into a lot. Maybe i just haven't found one special interest so bouncing between them? But I'm beginning to wonder if having deep interests is an essential part of aspies. Is there anyone with Aspergers without an obsession/deep interest? Is this a tell sign?

 

[ExplosiveTMT]

I am unsure myself whether I have any obsessions.

To answer your question, every aspie is different. Some have deep interests, others do not. We're all different.

 

[Rocco]

I have various intense special interests. Some times they are seasonal, sometimes longer. They vary from numismatics, painting, reading, history, Camaros, investing, etcetera. I have always had a specific interest to occupy my free time / mind.

 

[acstar]

Thanks guys, I actually did not know some aspires didnt have interests. maybe i also have interests that vary nd change

 

[Vanilla]

You'll find that interests can vary. Some people can have a life-long obsession, some can change one obsession for another, and some can have multiple obsessions, which they jump between, depending on mood. Some have no obsession at all, and some have lost theirs.

I find obsessions don't even need to be of a topic; some are obsessed about the simplest things; such as routine, or the taste of a certain food, etc. there's one artist, I forget his name, who was so obsessed with a certain shade of blue, he would paint hundreds of canvases, of nothing (no image), just that one shade of blue, occupying the entire surface of the canvases.

 

[Randomperson]

You'll find that interests can vary. Some people can have a life-long obsession, some can change one obsession for another, and some can have multiple obsessions, which they jump between, depending on mood. Some have no obsession at all, and some have lost theirs.

I find obsessions don't even need to be of a topic; some are obsessed about the simplest things; such as routine, or the taste of a certain food, etc. there's one artist, I forget his name, who was so obsessed with a certain shade of blue, he would paint hundreds of canvases, of nothing (no image), just that one shade of blue, occupying the entire surface of the canvases.

Picasso's blue period perhaps?

 

[Vanilla]

Picasso's blue period perhaps?

No, Ereth thought the same thing when I brought this up too in another post, lol, but no, this artist didn't paint figures, or objects, or even abstract art, just flat, blue, canvases. It was like going to a hardware store, and picking up a whole pile of swatches of the same sample. Ive tried looking him up, but haven't been able to find him since I first heard of him, years ago.

 

[AsheSkyler]

I don't think I really fall into the obsession thing. I do love to draw, but I'm clueless about many techiques and histories. The closest thing I have is my enthusiasm for webcomics, but mostly the process of maintaining them.

 

[OdinTheAardvark]

there's one artist, I forget his name, who was so obsessed with a certain shade of blue, he would paint hundreds of canvases, of nothing (no image), just that one shade of blue, occupying the entire surface of the canvases.

Yves Klein? He even has a blue named after him - International Klein Blue.

 

[Vanilla]

Yves Klein? He even has a blue named after him - International Klein Blue.

Yes! That must be him! Thanks

 

[Etzelaire]

My obsession is about learning, I need to learn everything I can everyday and this last year nearly left me without a single sinapsis to spare. When I have a moment to relax I just look for something New I can add to my storage. I play chess while eating, I watch a movie in a foreign language while studying literature, I watch a TED talk before going to sleep... I just can't stop if someone wants to tell me how something works and I don't know it, he can go on for hours and I'll be most grateful. I can't cope with the feeling when I don't know something and have to surf the net to understand it.

 

[Hedgehog Instigator]

I can relate to a lot of the Aspergers symptoms, but I'm not sure if I have an "obsession" or not? I have an idea of some things I look into a lot. Maybe i just haven't found one special interest so bouncing between them? But I'm beginning to wonder if having deep interests is an essential part of aspies. Is there anyone with Aspergers without an obsession/deep interest? Is this a tell sign?

I have more obsessions than I have time to keep up on. Think of it as something you can do for hours, you forget to eat, you have to ask people what they said because you register that they 'wah wah wah' -ed at you 20 minutes ago. It doesn't have to be one thing, and it doesn't have to be a life long interest, it's more about the level of focus.

 

[Nadador]

I have had a single, all-consuming obsession since I was a child, and have based my entire life around it. I have other things that interest me, and I tend to dive in further than most when I take anything on, but one way or another, everything ends up tied into my passion in some way. Some connections come on their own. If they don't, I find them. Looking in from the outside, others have wondered if this could possibly be healthy, but I couldn't be happier.

 

[Hedgehog Instigator]

I have had a single, all-consuming obsession since I was a child, and have based my entire life around it. I have other things that interest me, and I tend to dive in further than most when I take anything on, but one way or another, everything ends up tied into my passion in some way. Some connections come on their own. If they don't, I find them. Looking in from the outside, others have wondered if this could possibly be healthy, but I couldn't be happier.

I wish I could find the time and energy to do that with my own obsession

 

[clg114]

I have more obsessions than I have time to keep up on. Think of it as something you can do for hours, you forget to eat, you have to ask people what they said because you register that they 'wah wah wah' -ed at you 20 minutes ago. It doesn't have to be one thing, and it doesn't have to be a life long interest, it's more about the level of focus.

That's it, that is a very good description of how it is for me. Thanks Hedgehog.

 

[Judge]

Actually that's a good question. I mean, what exactly is the threshold that takes something from an interest or hobby to an obsession?

Time? Having the same passion over a lifetime might account for something well beyond just interest. Or a measure of intensity perhaps? Turning a hobby into a profession? I once did that website design...but it only lasted a few years. Yet I was involved in plastic modeling from 1963 to 1984, and from 2009 to the present.

And photography from 1986 to 1996. Resumed going digital in 2008 ever since.

And the Third Reich and totalitarian systems (my university major) in general have fascinated me since 1965 to the present day.

Go figure!

 

[Harrison]

I had one obsession that I used to build my business empire whilst running another alongside it that would destroy it. Both worked very well.

Nowadays, like Hedgehog Instigator said, I have many small obsessions that occupy my time. Generally it will be a series of books, a scientific concept, or a question that arises and seeks an answer.

 

[trekkijl]

I had a,to of different childhood obsessions, I like watching the same video over and over again I also like going for a walk with my lovely dog Rosie RIP she was my rock

 

[Licorice]

I was diagnosed in childhood, and haven't had special interests since I was around 13-14. I have dedicated pastimes, which aren't the same things.

 

[AspieAngel]

I have always had an obsession with horses, ever since I was a little girl. However, my other interests come and go, or change completely. In an effort to force myself into more social situations, I will take up a new interest. I actually went to my church's ballroom dancing classes for two years. After that, it got to where I was too tired from a really busy week. Which is bad. However, now that I'm pursuing a Fine Arts degree, I'm surrounded by people who share my interests, and it makes it a lot easier to socialize. I had honestly never considered if other Aspies didn't necessarily share this trait. That's very interesting.