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

[Andrew206]

My interests include watching my vast collection of WWE DVDs and doing karaoke. I'm very open about what I like to do. It can help me find like-minded people.

 

[Sparticus]

I hide them from most "normal" people...and open up to sensitive and interested folk.

 

[Stacey]

My only interests in life are books. I used to buy too many. Now I've calmed down a lot. I own more books than I do anything else. I buy books when I'm supposed to buy new shoes.
Reading doesn't seem to be that unusual. It's the amount I read that I keep to myself.

 

[Kuribo]

It depends on the interest. I enjoy talking with people who share my interests, but if I know for a fact that no one else is going to care, I keep it to myself.

 

[SoylentHuman]

When I was little I used to go on and on about whatever I was interested in at the time. Since I was just a kid, most people would politely listen whether they were interested in what I was saying or not. Once I turned 11 or so I stopped doing it, mostly because people kept telling me that they didn't care and to please shut the hell up. I've been fairly reserved since then, but the switch to activate Full-On Aspie Geek Mode is probably still buried somewhere in my brain.

 

[I am that which I am]

Hello,

I do tell people about my interests but try not to go on an endless monologue about them. I do not downplay, but yes I do hide who I am and give short answers. That is unless I know someone is interested. One of mine is neuroscience, which I also do research and study in. It is quite fun when you can do one of your interests as a form of employment! And, yes I am also surrounded by people with similar interest so it is easier to discuss that with them. Granted I do not talk about some of my interests or obsessions since they can be too strange.

 

[grapesicles]

I try to hide mine, since it doesn't seem to be socially acceptable to go on about things I like too much - people seem to get bored. I've learned this the hard way!

 

[Warwick C]

at least they are not creepy Becky

 

[King_Oni]

In line with this subject I do wonder though; If you're secretive about your interests for whatever reason, what are you supposed to talk about with people when it's not about you or anything you're interested in? And why would it make it so that if it's not your interests that are not ok, but someone else's interests are.

I guess it fits in with the entire "I'm terrible at smalltalk" issue as well which seems to come up from time to time on aspie forums.

Though I guess, as I've said before in this thread; I don't know why I'd need people in my life who don't share any interest in something that I care for myself. The only people in my life that are beyond this category are my parents and I even notice how little I communicate with them besides the essentials.

 

[Judge]

I try to hide mine, since it doesn't seem to be socially acceptable to go on about things I like too much - people seem to get bored. I've learned this the hard way!

Me too. It sucks that so often people are unwilling to vicariously share our enthusiasm for things. Yet I still find myself bending over backwards for theirs. Hmmmm....

 

[Dirtdigger]

I'm going to be very careful what I share here now. Those here don't either take me serious, don't understand me or poke fun.

 

[Judge]

I'm just grateful if I can find even one person who shares some of my Aspie passions without getting bored silly of them. And a shout out to all you car buffs!

Speaking of which, Geordie....where have you been? Hope you're ok....

 

[Cuppa' Tea]

I share my interests with my very best friend. (My current obsessions are the Victorian Era and its literature with a huge emphasis on Sherlock Holmes) I rarely discuss my interests with others simply because when I get started, I find it incredibly difficult to stop and I can't tell when the other person is growing uninterested until they start talking over me or something like that. So I've learned to reign it in.

 

[atrocityexhibition]

It's a real challenge for me to downplay my interest in music when talking to NT people who might start me down that rabbit hole by accident. I find it easier to appear more blasé about these encounters as I get older, but inside, I'm ripping at the seams to jump in and give them a bunch of topical factoids I know about the subject that I might find interesting. So I guess my answer would be, "Sort of".

 

[dragonwolf]

For me, it depends on the subject and context. I've learned to keep things short for the most part, but my relatively recent interest in diet and health has found several opportunities to talk more in depth about it. I've actually earned a reputation in another forum for the help I've been able to provide others on a specific topic.

 

[Joel I]

I used to hide my interests my not talking about them and I just tried to be normal. As I got older it became harder to hide who I am, I had no idea about AS until late last year so I always just thought I was odd. My mother called me eccentric about the time I finished school. I took about 5 years after leaving school for me to embrace my eccentricities and let the people around me know who I really was. Now I know I have AS I don't actually have many friends but I never had too many.

 

[I am that which I am]

I used to hide my interests my not talking about them and I just tried to be normal. As I got older it became harder to hide who I am, I had no idea about AS until late last year so I always just thought I was odd. My mother called me eccentric about the time I finished school. I took about 5 years after leaving school for me to embrace my eccentricities and let the people around me know who I really was. Now I know I have AS I don't actually have many friends but I never had too many.

I guess one of the dilemmas I've been dealing with is whether it is more worth it to have friends that accept you and appreciate you for you or to have friends that do not really know you. I went from a popular "actor" in high school to a complete hermit as I saw no point in making friends that liked the act. Now I am starting to work on letting go of the act and just be myself in public and see what happens. Did you feel better after you embraced your eccentricities and let people know who you really was? Are the friends you have closer and accepting?

 

[Joel I]

I am so much happier now I'm not hiding all the time. If people like me they will have to accept certain things about me. My love of bats is a big one ATM, some people (not my closest friends) are complaining about how much I talk about bats and post bat related stuff on Facebook. But I'm not backing down I have loved bats longer then I've known them and bats are too important. There are several friends that accept all my quirks and seem to love me for them.

 

[Fox]

I know people don't really care about the things I do so no, I don't usually share my interests. Usually I don't even if I'm asked. My ex boyfriend made fun of all of my interests and things I liked and liked to do so I do t really like sharing with anyone period. It feels horrible being told that the things you love are stupid.

 

[Joel I]

I took quite a while to develop the thick-skin needed but I refuse not to promote issues that are important to me. Though most of the time I do that through Facebook, I don't have as much human contact as I used to.