General Discussion

I'm glad I'm not the only one who hyperfixates on things. Reading this thread has made me feel a little less embarrassed, so, thanks for that. My hyperfixations change from time to time, but right now I find that I've been revisiting a lot of stuff I was obsessed with when I was younger. I'm fondly reading my old Gorillaz book Rise of The Ogre that I got in middle school when I was absolutely obsessed with them. Also just found out it's a fairly rare collectors item so that's cool too [emoji=pearlcatcher winking size=1] @Lillypurr also I love Splatoon as well it's so adorable

@VoidVision yeah, the aesthetic is really nice. I’ve put more than 700+ hours into both games at this point

[quote name="Lillypurr" date="2020-05-08 12:01:08" ] @VoidVision yeah, the aesthetic is really nice. I’ve put more than 700+ hours into both games at this point [/quote] I did a Splatoon cosplay back in 2015 and it was probably my favorite that I've ever done. The soundtrack always cheers me up. Here is a pic (I'm the purple one): [img]https://66.media.tumblr.com/8fa32799a8e73efab65ae295b3975f1d/0f9a267fe78be5f0-f6/s1280x1920/a78710a68d964ceaac165a2f40d4594769f63d70.jpg[/img]

I have a bit of a hyperfixation on space/fantasy/sci-fi/aliens, and all that good stuff... I've wrote a few short stories and am determined to finish a novel someday. Sci-fi, as you can imagine.
I am also practically obsessed with physics, I can recommend anything by Neil DeGrasse Tyson, and "Brief Answers to the Big Questions" by Stephen Hawking.

[quote name="PrehistoryMaker" date="2020-05-07 20:06:52" ] [quote name="somnambulist" date="2020-05-07 17:20:18" ] also generally just animals and random animal-related trivia. i used to amass useless animal facts when i was younger. i like stopping to observe every bird and arthropod i come across. i will obsess over their tiny little movements [/quote] ME TOO [/quote][font=American Gothic] YES (Still am hehe)

So am I to assume that hyperfixations are areas of intense interest that don't qualify as being full special interests? Perhaps all of what I call my "secondary special interests" are better described as "hyperfixations." As I said earlier, my big 3 special interests are really the only ones that really define who I am and are an integral part of my life.

I really wish more research would be done on special interests and their development. I think it's simply fascinating how topic "X" captures one person's attention, but topic "Y" captures another person's attention. There have been a handful of studies about the subject, but not nearly enough. Not surprisingly, technology and science are always at the top of the list for most common special interest subjects. But why? Because, as Simon Baron-Cohen believes, those of us on the spectrum are systemizers, not empathizers?

@Hypercoaster: I'm very empathetic. My primary special interests of biology and Pokemon do involve a lot of systematics, as does my current primary fandom special interest, but isn't it a thing that many autistic people are actually more empathetic than the average neurotypical? But I do wish there was more research about the how and why of special interests. It might not be any deeper than "I think these things are neat," but it could also have all sorts of deep and subtle reasons.

@PrehistoryMaker
Some studies have found those on the spectrum to be more empathetic, yes. I'm a systemizer for sure. I do think Baron-Cohen has some interesting ideas with the "extreme male brain", but I think he generalizes it too much and goes too far with it. I'm a caring, sympathetic person, but I'm not empathetic. I do feel that I have a more "male" brain than most females.

There's a good article called "Dinosaurs 24/7" (Google that exact term) that was about special interest development, and I wish there were more things like that out there. What I find especially interesting is why one thing will become a super extreme SI and something else won't. And with me, there are always super specific details about an SI that I'll get stuck on. Why those in particular?

@AllasBarron Me neither! Then again, I do not know a lot of autistic people irl. I go to a secular school where Latin is a mandatory class for four years, however most people in my school despise the subject and don’t want to talk about it. AP Latin was so much fun because the people in that class actually wanted to learn more. I have to say that translating is fun because it’s like putting a puzzle together, however my favorite parts of class were always about historical events and culture. When I was in Latin class I was so happy that I couldn’t stop grinning and stimming. I think people thought I was weird, though. :(

@kragnes I've been taking introductory Ancient Greek and I'm taking Latin next year. I've always wanted to learn it, particularly as I hope for a career in the natural sciences.