no hate at all because i know you need to make money and that you’re a supporter of palestine (not to mention that of all the youtube sponsorship subscription services scentbird is the only one i’ve considered actually trying), but i wanted to mention that scentbird’s ceo is a zionist and just generally shady, she’s involved with culty stuff, i just wanted to say something because it doesn’t seem like the type of company you’d want to support. you’ve spread so much awareness for palestine and you’ve brought so many things to my attention so i wanted to bring this to yours!!
for anyone considering signing up for scentbird- it’s notoriously difficult to cancel your subscription with them. one of those things where you have to directly contact their support team to cancel & go through multiple confirmation emails before they’ll actually stop charging you
Yeah to what Dr. Price said that special interests are typically deemed “special interests” because others find it odd so it sticks out but if the special interest is socially acceptable then it is a hobby.
I’m on the spectrum and I totally related to the special interest you shared in the video!! For practically my whole life, I’ve been fascinated with the idea/fact that every other person on this planet thinks, feels, and processes things differently than I do. I specifically like thinking about how colors and light could look totally different in others’ eyes than it does in mine, or how we may think we see the same color, but really we’re seeing vastly different shades of it or different colors entirely.
Haha I am a stop and smell the roses and also take a snapshot of the rose to try and work out the cultivator and the history of how it was developed kind of person.
for sure! i (autistic 20yr old female) am by no means always happy but i feel like i have the capacity to experience the world more deeply (the good and bad) so when i notice beautiful things about life (literally whatever my eyes just happen to land on and analyse at that moment) it just fills me with immense joy that i wish my friends could empathise with. I remember a question on an autism questionnaire asking if I liked watching running water and yes I do, i find it fascinating genuinely !!!
28:56 Devon's comment about "showing our enthusiasm in the wrong way" really hits home for me. The thing that really got me invested in the Nerdfighter (Vlogbrothers) community was the quote, "[…] nerds like us are allowed to be unironically enthusiastic about stuff. Nerds are allowed to love stuff, like jump-up-and-down-in-the-chair-can’t-control-yourself love it. Hank, when people call people nerds, mostly what they’re saying is ‘you like stuff.’ Which is just not a good insult at all. Like, 'you are too enthusiastic about the miracle of human consciousness.'" I don't think John Green is autistic, but that quote really captures the experience of special interests.
@@CalvaryCatalyst John's main characters are late teens and any intimate scenes are not explicit, consenting, between similarly aged participants and relevant to the themes of the story. Hank's characters are all adults and I can't remember any intimate scenes at all. Can you cite something specific?
@@CalvaryCatalyst while your concern comes from a good place i will note that I learned to wank off in middle school and internet discourse has long had a problem with distinguishing between depiction and endorsement
@@CalvaryCatalyst there's a difference between sexualizing kids and writing the reality that some teenagers have sex. I read Looking for Alaska, Paper Towns, and The Fault in Our Stars when I was still a "good Christian girl" who abhorred anything sexually explicit and nothing in them offended my sensibilities.
I actually think of my friends and myself as nerds with a positive connotation but I don't say that to them because they are likely to assume I mean it negatively
i saw a youtube video recently condeming disney adults. i mentioned that while the aggressive, entitled behavior some display is wrong, it may be a special interest for many diagnosed and undiagnosed autistics and we shouldn't be so quick to judge an adult who collects/loves disney. so many replies said "we need to bring back bullying" and "it's not okay to like something for children if you're over 18" someone even hinted that if you like "children's things" over a certain age, then you're doing so for nefarious reasons. it was heartbreaking. i kept trying to implore people that we shouldn't make fun of people for loving something and i got dozens of responses telling me it's justified and they're "just weird so it's okay" and idk when society got like this so badly. like 10 years ago people let people just be. disney was huge on tumblr. now everyone's worried about things being "cringe" and gets so aggressive.
I think it's less about how many bullies there are now vs then and more about what part we are being exposed to. I think you're right though about people trying to righteously bully these adults. Honestly, I think it's really sad that people spend time trying to get everyone to fit into the right boxes :( it resembles something of the middle ages.. but since it happens I think the best way to react is to let them talk and try to find our what they are saying deep down and address that. But at the same time, I hate to say but I avoid people who are quick to judge mostly because it makes me feel really uncomfortable, but it makes me wonder if I shouldn't shy away so quickly, because in a way, that is me being quick to judge. Haha, cheers.
I think I know what video you're talking about. As an adult who enjoys "childish things" (animation), I definitely felt like crying after reading the comments for a bit. There are absolutely things to critique Disney for, but don't use that as an excuse to bully others.
The disturbing fact is that those types of comments used to come from edgy high schoolers and mean millenials. Now they're coming from the mouths of alternative journalists and right-wing political supporters.
Never ask a man about his salary, a woman about her age, or ME about my team fortress 2 themed wall (the autism made me do it!! actually it’s not the only special interest wall i have)
I'm on the autistic spectrum, and funny enough, the English language has been my special interest since 3rd grade. It's my second language. Right now, I plan to work on translating from English to my native language. I'm excited.
Finally someone like me. I got obsessed with English and it’s my second language, so much so that I became an English teacher. English is my whole life hahaha
Oh my gosh yes, that's a wonderful calling! There's so much very cool stuff written in English that haven't been translated to languages past the top 5 that I'm sure people who speak your native tongue would love to be able to read.
My special interests cause me to: 1. Paint at random times well into the night 2. Cut up clothes on a whim to upcycle them and alter them (sewing by hand, so it takes awhile) 3. Have wayyyyy too many photos of scenes, items, and random background in zelda games on my switch as reference. 4. Wander
For real. Like a bit ago I ordered a nice dress second hand, accidentally cut it while opening the package, and it didn't fit. It will be a shirt, lol.@@arabellasartworks
I used to get made fun of for my special interests. And I suppressed them for a while. For years. And I totally lost touch with who I am, and what made me great. Suppressing my identity simply made it impossible to function in every day life, for years, because regular people just don't want to accept that not everyone is passionate about TikTok and football.
Really football? Isnt football really commonly talked about and even annoyingly so. Dunno here talking about football is just , a thing, avery guy thing but a thing.
I really feel that. Suppressing my identity for most of my life I now have to figure out who I am and how to function and it's so painful to go through that process. Most of my old special interests are gone because I "killed" them off and I have to rediscover myself because I'm a different person now.
kazakhstan is a very interesting region with a very diverse cultural history, very cool hyperfixation; as another autist (audhd to be specific), i encourage and support this - if you have any cool books or videos about kazakhstan to recommend (i hyperfixate on plants a lot, so if you have any "ecology of kazakhstan" books then that would be awesome) i will def look into it.
Honestly the biggest problem I have with my own special interests is that I feel like I'm being pulled in too many directions. There's so many individual things I feel like I really want to pursue in depth but I don't feel like I can get particularly good at any of them if I have to split the time between them and if my interest in them keeps coming and going.
omg, i’ve never met anyone who felt the same way i did about this. ever since i was a kid i’ve been super into a lot of stuff and have wanted to do literally everything i found interesting. i haven’t been diagnosed with autism but i have been thinking about getting tested for adhd. i’d constantly hyperfixate on things that i wanted to learn how to do. but like you said, it’s very hard to become good at something when you’re bouncing back and forth between interests.
The youtube channel Jan Misali has helped me stop worrying that I'm too many different things. Their youtube channel covers so much stuff from all over the place and it's really inspirational to see that you don't need to focus on just one thing
Add on that you have to be productive to normal human stuff (for me it's applying to college and getting my scholarships) and I don't want to do that because my love for the other thing is too strong. Wish it wasn't so hard to get myself to do stuff I need to do
Yes I feel this and I think the way my combo of Autism and ADHD plays out it’s never just one or two things!! The overarching themes are often related. RUclips is kind of great for this!! (Watching it I’m not on it…) it can be frustrating though!!
this is kind of a vent, but also related to the subject of the video; when I got therapy a few years back my therapist identified my special interests as "obsessive unhealthy coping tools", I was doing things like enjoying minecraft content, and it was an everyday thing, my therapist insisted I needed to remove those coping tools (without helping me replace them with anything else). I know now minecraft and the like were just my special interests, and though they consumed a lot of my life, they were as healthy and wholesome as any kind of stress relief can get. It's hard when you're in crisis to identify where people are leading you astray, and when you're undiagnosed how easy it is for you to be perceived as "wrong" or "weird". I'm not wrong (I am weird) and I'm not obsessive about minecraft, or art, or the ocean or anything that has ever been a special interest. But I can't get back into it like I was, it's been a slow heal, I use to have panic attacks when I even heard minecraft music, sometimes I still get anxiety shakes when I play, still can't watch the people I use to enjoy daily. I watched less then 3 minutes of one of them today and though it made me happy; I felt like screaming. Yes my main interests have changed to other things, but the old interests never really go away.
@@CC3GROUNDZEROThe way you're starting this conversation already shows me what you assume I'm lazy or was neglecting responsibilities. Did you read the part where I stated they were not teaching me any replacement coping skills only removing them or are you fixated on some other idea about autistic people? Honestly, don't answer that. The reality is I went from having a few things that kept me from drowning to having nothing and making several attempts on my life. Listening to some minecraft let's play videos while I worked on art commissions or was going to sleep wasn't stopping me from my uni work. But the overwhelming anxiety, panic attacks, and suicidal ideation with no way to cope sure did stop me from being able to work or finish school. Honestly, I'd rather be alive, doing odd jobs, living with my family for support, then not alive at all, or planning on dancing with death when everything "aligned". I know you probably don't care either way, judging by how quick you were to assume that I'm not the "never shuts off" worker that I am. But I'd really rather not be gone. Thanks, and I hope you have a better day.
@@CC3GROUNDZERO For example making art to get out your feelings instead of self harm is a positive coping skill, not all coping skills are negative, you wouldn't say these things to someone who needs to take a bath / shower every night before bed or make a cup of tea to relax, you're just upset because it's a videogame that you don't see the creative value in. Therapy's goal isn't to "drag you out of your comfort zone", it's goal varies between person to person depending on what they need. This is the second time you've seemingly decided to compare a special interest to something like "self harm" and wanted to dictate how much interest is "to much" despite me never saying anything more then "daily interaction" (watching a 30min. video while I'm starting my day and making breakfast is a daily interaction btw). I am no longer going to continue this conversation, you obviously think something of me that's quite negative and this conversation isn't constructive in the slightest. Waste your time somewhere else
Fuck being interested in anything in life am I right? Being boring is healthy! DO JOB CONFORM TO SYSTEM. You're saying what gives someone a reason to exist is only worth it if it pays the bills, did you watch the fucking video? no you didn't. If you had you wouldn't be saying this shit. @@CC3GROUNDZERO
@@CC3GROUNDZERO As you yourself stated, coping strategies are better removed when they are maladaptive. But if you are given no recourse from the issues you face and are miserable 24/7, that is an even worse state of affairs. Replacing them with habits that are healthy is the most important part of the process, so you can live a healthy life. Nothing else in the original comment suggests these coping tools were unhealthy aside from the therapist insisting that their enjoyment of Minecraft content every day was bad. You are suggesting (even if implicitly) that this pattern was maladaptive, and it was a good thing that they stopped because they "got over" their obsession and "out of their comfort zone". There was nothing in the original comment to directly suggest this habit was impairing their function in society in any way (which is what makes a coping strategy maladaptive), but you saw someone's special interest in Minecraft and thought "but did you have a job?" as if their employment was the main issue, not their mental stability. Getting "out of your comfort zone" should not be leading to suicide attempts, which IS self-harm. Nor should it result in someone panicking just for hearing music related to an interest previously in said comfort zone. It sounds to me (based on this person's account) like this approach failed, and aside from decoupling them from one of their few lifelines, led to an irrational anxiety over partaking in an otherwise positive experience. It's not "coddling" or "endorsing self-harm" to play or watch fucking Minecraft more than average. Everyone has problems and we all cope in different ways. Some cope in healthy ways, others don't. "Coping" in and of itself is just about dealing with issues in life, it's not always a bad thing (this stigma against the term "coping" is another effect of discussion of mental health in general being stigmatized). The treatment we're talking about was terrible because they identified a benign if not beneficial symptom as a cause. There are much safer and healthier ways to help someone grow and manage their struggles than telling them to take away something that contributes to their quality of life and then "see what happens next" as if you're experimenting with their mental state. If the therapist was aware of the anxiety, panic attacks, and suicidal ideation, they should know that usually requires an intricate and delicate approach, not playing fast and loose with potential points of support. It's like putting a person who can just about tread water in the middle of a lake and hoping they figure out how to get to land.
@@thedontpanic That, likr the most he should havesaid is in moderation, what the hell is wrong with playing minecraft. Its why i like fantasy scifi, its good to have an escapatist room to go to to chill from realsm and thatout while still engaging with something. Through i found the best still tackle the darkewr and real stuff. Maybe trhe same can minecraft do?
my special interest is my ocs (original characters) they mean everything to me more than anything else and I spend so much time thinking about them, drawing them, as well as writing things with them. What does suck a lot is that I also have really bad anxiety with them, so it has caused me to be unable to talk about them with others (mainly online), I would talk about them when I was younger with my friends and strangers online, but as years went by and my anxiety grew I came to regret it everytime, it would sometimes also accidently slip out in conversations which I also regretted afterwards. I sometimes wish I could speak about them without intense fear but for the most part I do love that my own creations is the thing that I indulge in the most.
I'm the same way! [Also fellow arospec, and I like your BF profile picture :] I've been thinking I might have a FNF Corruption special interest myself.] My special interest is more characters in general-- being, their dynamics, their designs, basically all characters and how fleshed out and human they can be. My own characters are an /especially/ strong special interest, though. The art in my profile picture is actually art I've made of one of them. I'm used to being talked over or infantilized or mocked for my special interests and my hyperfixations, and in being shamed for having them, so I avoid talking about them outside of my closest friends. But, yes, it does feel cool to have such an interest in something you yourself made. One of the beauties of Autism, I suppose. Just know there are people out there who will take an interest in your creations too, and who will encourage you.
the problem i have with one of my special interest is that now everyone expects me to become a doctor and its like i don't want to i just like to read about stuff 😭
I find myself "abridging" my speech all the time in conversation. Someone may bring up something I know a lot about, but years of being ridiculed for info-dumping has programmed me to simply say "...But you probably don't want to hear all of that," "It's a lot more complex than that," "I don't want to bore you with the details," and other similar phrases. It's really hard though. Sometimes I quite literally have to bite my tongue to _not_ talk about something at an inappropriate time and/or manner. I digress. I agree with Dr. Price and the crisis of movements being disintegrated by an individualist mindset. Autistic liberation (and by extension, neourodiverse liberation) requires mass power to enact radical change in spite of the enormous forces against us and the other groups we occupy as people. We are much stronger together than apart. Fighting to be accommodated and accepted all on your own is extremely difficult, but as a collective, it is much easier (although still difficult), and ultimately more lasting and thorough. Capitalism thrives on atomization of the proletariat and its many subgroups. We _must_ organize on many fronts. This an existential issue.
7:12 Describing a topic as a "landscape" is so relatable to me!! That's exactly how I feel when I have a special interest. It feels like there is a whole world of information to explore. I would also describe it as feeling magnetic. It's like my brain is being drawn into the the interest and it never stops.
exploring a special interest is like being a wanderer in a new landscape, as you wander through the floral and fauna, or lack there of, you paint a unique masterpiece of everything around you and its always amazing
I could listen to people talk about their special interests for HOURS man, there’s nothing better than listening to someone talk about something they’re passionate about
Saaaame. It’s just hard to talk back… I love talking about it, I’m just so terrified of being judged that I’ve been having trouble talking about it to anyone outside of close friends…
My special interest is definitely people. I started college at 15 through dual enrollment and couldnt get enough of the social sciences. I majored in psych and anthro, briefly worked as a teacher, and then got my master's in counseling. I've been a therapist for 10 years now which is enough time to have deconstructed and unlearned so much of what makes this field an arm of the police state. It got me fired from my last job. We were going through DEI trainings that the director of the counseling center really used as a tool to sus out who would be performative with it (those were his keepers) and who would want to burn everything to the ground (me and many of the other BIPOC staff). It's exhausting being in this field with a cross-cultural, cross-time zoomed out view (as well as a detailed understanding of today's context) of what makes for a happy, healthy human and community, and essentially having your hands tied behind your back because of all the systemic barriers. This is why collectivist, systems approaches are so desperately needed. I'm curious, optimistic, fearful, excited, afraid to see how things will unfold in my lifetime, how people will make sense of these systems and information over time. Because, while many of us are coming to the same conclusions about capitalism, abilition, etc., many others are coming to the exact opposite conclusions and working toward a more fascist reality.
LET'S GOOOOOOO! I'm a late-diagnosed (last year, at age 30) autistic woman and was looked down on for the intensity of my special interests when I was younger. I felt weird and alienated. Now I'm leaning in to the nerdiness and intensity of my special interests and have found community through them. Hyped for this video. 🖤
for me, the difference between my hyperfixations and my special interests is how long they last. i also may have hyperfixations within a larger special interest. for instance, i may be super into using alcohol markers for a week or two, but then suddenly be obsessed with digital painting for a week, before then moving onto graphite pencils.
I still think that many of my special interests are not cool, but I truly don't care because they never existed for that purpose. Some of them are things that I deeply care about ideologically, and some are just things that I like to focus on to bring me comfort. I still like to feel cool from time to time, but that feeling is nothing compared to the happiness my special interests bring me.
I try to mute my passions (in public) because most other people don’t ‘get’ them like I do, so it’s a waste to talk art or music or psychology or aspects of my work or study with them. I like to get deep into my interests & people think I’m a bit intense. I call myself an introvert who loves learning. I have no idea if I’m actually autistic. My autistic work colleague said she really likes the way I communicate, especially in writing, because it’s so clear, organised, methodical & she recognises aspects of herself in me. So I wonder, …but at my age I’m unlikely to seek any formal diagnosis. I’m watching a LOT of YT content on autism rn so thank you for this video & the recommendation on the self diagnosis video. I find your content/ channel so interesting.
I know I'm a stranger, but just know I can somewhat relate to people "not getting" my special interests. Nobody around me shares the same level of love for things I really enjoy, although some do listen to me talk about them.
Autism/adhd absolutely makes it hard to differentiate special interest and hyperfixation as the two work in tandem to fuel eachother. I was a train kid, but only as a kid, I'd say thats a good example of both. Me being in the furry fandom for a decade at this point, definite special interest territory. Me thinking really hard about how martin luther was basically an incel and wanted to be submissive for god and thats why catholics are like that (and only for a few days), definite hyperfixation there. Another fantastic video and a great job at highlighting the voice of the community
@@tamalpaz I'll be honest, I didn't completely read the entire book I got my information from (I blame unmedicated adhd and general laziness) and I read a criticism that briefly described how luther grew up with a "cupioconsciousness" and a sort of misalligned submission for god that he felt other devout catholics didn't have. I am absolutely not an expert, just what I got from reading "the life and letters of martin luther"
I feel like the difference between a hobby and your special interests is the feeling, like Devon said, that you come to life when engaging with your special interest. And as Fabsocialism stated, can extend to other people or just another person, like a celebrity. Sometimes I can find one person very very interesting, and it helps during really emotionally difficult times to think of this person. Kind of like a wwjd moment. That is, if I can’t connect with any of my other special interests at that time. Sorry if this didn’t make sense.
totally relate. I became fixated on the good feelings associated with a particular singer. He was in my mind a muse. Pure escapism. I don't see it as a negative thing at all - harmless really!
I've always had certain special interests that I LOVE talking to people about. When I was younger, I got bullied for it, but now, it's how I make friends. I love talking to other neurodivergents. I want to hear your special interests and hyperfixations, and share my own. My long-term special interests are: Writing, Swimming, Psychology (got my degree in it) and the TV show Gravity Falls.
Writing you say? Same… Reading gothic lit and murder mystery/paranormal I get scared to share the paranormal parts of my special interest because it can be scary for some especially since I identify with being a Christain and like Buddhism.
I am moving to a new apartment soon and so my special interest has been based around that recently. Specifically, I want to create my living space to be adaptable and beneficial to my adhd. So I've been really into the idea of building spaces for movement, combined with a bit of japanese minimalism (which is another special interest). I'm planning on having a tatami floor where I can arrange it in any way I want based on my current needs. So I'd have a table with floor pillows for when I eat or use my laptop, a rug or blanket when I play games or just want to stretch, a play couch or beanbag for more comfort when reading or having friends over, and I'd be able to set up my shikifuton when I sleep. It feels like such a vibe and would help me be healthier and happier :)
This reminds me of how people treat my joy when I'm in a relationship with someone I adore: I can have a strong network of friends, a healthy set of interpersonal boundaries, yet still when other people see how much I light up around my partner, they pressure me (and the person dating me) to leave the relationship because it makes them uncomfortable to see me so visibly autistically joyous.
AuDHD gal here! Metroid lore, linguistic relationships between dialects and languages of the west African diaspora, and spirituality of ancient cultures are my jam and I will squawk about them at any time I get the opportunity. Thank you!
i’ve never been diagnosed or been suspected of having autism but i relate to Fab heavy. Being that way isn’t easy if you’re black/poc bc then you come across as having an attitude or being confrontational, even though you’re literally just making observations and asking like any other person can. Being an observer and being quiet typically go hand in hand, bringing about the “mean” and “stuck up” allegations without ever speaking directly with you. hard times socially.
It's good to see people who are interested in really understanding autism as a complicated and multi-faceted condition that has both pros and cons and a lot of aspects that aren't good or bad, just different. That's something we need more of, especially fron neurotypical people.
It's so curious you're talking about autism because I actually found your channel because of your video about Hikikomori 😅 I was searching for info about isolation because besides my family I don't see many people often but I don't feel bad about it and well, I was looking into it to check if I should be worry or not. My special interest are tech and fiction btw. I love analyzing series, movies and books and I get obsessed over characters for years and years and I end up reading all the fanfiction I can get about my OTPs. And I like to play with technology and fix things so I often do the repairs at home driven by my pure obsession and refusal to stop 😂
before i start i need to say that dr fatima has re instilled my love for science after doing horribly at school. As an asian girl every new science youtuber motivates me exponentially
my special interest is linguistics, language learning and foreign culture - which i think of as the base for my interests, but obviously i have branches of it such as latin american culture, a latin american film called 'la sociedad de la nieve' (quite new), cooking brazilian food, and language analysis. it also feeds into my art and music as well and i'm just so happy to care so much about a topic
I have hobbies, crafty things I love and do frequently, but I'm fairly certain that my way of engaging them doesn't fall under special interests. So the part of this discussion that resonates with me the most is the freedom to do a thing for no other reason than it bringing me joy. I feel confident with that freedom with most activities I love except writing. I wrote a book. I thought up the story 20+ years ago when I was deployed in the Saudi Arabia. We couldn't leave the base and there was precious little to do. I used to just take walks at night around the base and talk to myself (talking to myself and playing out my thoughts is a big part of me). So I thought up a character and a whole universe and story was born from that. But all these years I've been writing have been with the idea I'm supposed to eventually publish this story, make it for public consumption. And the fear that it isn't good enough has put a years long pause on my editing process. I know I can just write because I like it. I know I don't have to publish it, that I don't have to try to monetize it. I know. But I'm still paralyzed and can't write. I keep trying, my characters are in my mind at all times, they are very real to me. Yet I'm still stuck. I really want that freedom.
My special interest is books! I love watching bookish stuff on RUclips, reading bookish websites and going to the library and bookstores every week. I also love finding books for people, I call it "weaponizing my special interest". I especially like organizing my books by genre and size, and I find a bookstore wherever I go on vacation. When I was a kid, I read voraciously and didn't really talk to other kids because I found my books more interesting, realizing that I was on the spectrum and that books are a special interest was so eye-opening!
This video really resonated with me. I always thought I couldn't really call it a 'special interest' or a 'hyperfixation' (whatever applies) because it's not helpful in the 'real world' (for me, its Fire Emblem: Three Houses and its Warriors spinoff specifically). Sometimes I found myself frustrated, like why I couldn't be interested in say the entire Fire Emblem franchise, or Nintendo games in general, etc. But I can't help what my brain latches on to, so its best to embrace it! Also after reading some of these comments, the 'coming to life when talking about your interest' sentiment resonates with me as well. When I start talking about FE3H, I actually lose track of time and I won't notice how long I've talked til something snaps me out of it. I'm very lucky I have friends that put up with my FE3H spiels!
@@chesspiece4257 no LOL, Warriors is a spinoff series of the Fire Emblem franchise; the original one was on 3DS mainly covering Fates/Awakening, but the new one is exclusively Three Houses. It plays more like an RPG instead of a tactics game, but the new one (like Three Houses) has three houses you can choose from to play the story of. The new one also has MASSIVELY improved on the game mechanics of the original, and is also much more playable since the Switch's processing power is much better than the 3DS!
I remember wanting to upcycle a coat for myself and wanting it to be ready for when I went to an assessment for learning disabilities....I sewed for 9 hours straight. And again, when making another article of clothing I wanted ready for a vacation, I sewed for a good 14 hours straight. Hyperfixation on a special interest is kinda crazy, lmao.
Also, I was talking to my friend about this once, when your special interest is "everything" or "the universe" it can be hard for people outside of you to identify that's what it is, because I for sure just go from topic to topic, but that's because it's part of the universe, and so I want to learn about it.
yeah mines “sociology” but that can range from “has memorized part of the dsmv” to “has strong opinions about parking lots” to “obsessed with harry potter and mha” because people don’t realize that the reason i read all the warrior cats books as a kid and loved them is because of the politics. basically as long as i can put it into a sentence like “why did/do (person/people/being(s)) ____?” then it fits. why does deku want to be a hero? why is america obsessed with psychology? why do people keep building parking lots when they’re the worst? honestly my special interest could just be “why?” and it’d be accurate
So, this video really brought something I often wonder about to front of mind- are people actually “neurotypical”? Genuinely, I would love other people’s perspectives on this. As someone who is neurodivergent that makes art, I can’t fathom not having the same consistent waves of intense interest (if not obsession), or not having the drive to create things (at whatever level in a given moment)- but I understand that not everyone is “creative” in the commonly accepted sense. In my life experience, we all live in our own different realities shaped by our experiences, and that’s all valid and good! But, maybe because of that, I can’t fathom life as a “neurotypical” person. Like, do you get all the fun stuff, but get to skip all the shitty involuntary chemical induced destructive brain stuff? What do you do when you’re bored? Are you just emotionally regulated the majority of the time? What does being “neurotypical” actually look like?
to me, my special interest (social psychology and human behaviour) could be likened to a spider web with various sub streams of obsession, all marked interconnectivity to one and other with some connections more obvious and others more subtle. and im the spider, sometimes i am stuck on one part on the web, and that seems to be the lens i view everything through (my personal definition of a hyperfixation). special interests to me feel all consuming, it is an integral part of my identity, i feel my special interest in every last cell of my form. i notice i bring my special interest into a myriad of conversations and scenarios - sometimes at 'inappropriate' times. every segment of information that i engage with is filtered through the lens of my special interest.
40:03 [chanting] One of us! One of us! One of us! Elliot, you made an hour-long video that's a fairly comprehensive history of tea. If that's not a sign, I don't know what is. 😂 Also, Alexander Avila's "TikTok Gave Me Autism: The Politics of Self-Diagnosis" is one of the best video essays I've ever seen. So glad it was mentioned here.
I draw a minor distinction between my special interests and hyperfixations in that i consider special interests to be like, bigger or more important to the individual than a hyperfixation. As an example: I would consider two of my special interests to be pokemon and toki pona. I know almost everything relevant about pokemon and I study toki pona basically daily. I'd consider a hyperfixation of mine to be FNAF. I'm definitely more interested in it than the average person, but I'm not into it to the degree of "I simply must know everything there is to know ad uncover all the secrets" the way I do with Pokemon and the way I do with learning the nuances of toki pona. The border is certainly fuzzy and it's probably more of a spectrum than a dichotomy but I do find there to be some difference in which is which. Basically, the way I think of it as an AuDHD haver, anyone can have a hyperfixation, but a special interest is something that requires specific brain wiring.
I think about what fabsocialism is talking about, i think for me it's "seasonal change" , to me its a strong feeling of longing , because of the weather. But also a lot of core memory formed for me were in the fall (when grade school starts and you are just around a ton of strange new people)
Making other autistic friends is so much fun, cuz my favorite thing in the world is learning about what other people care about! They're enthusiasm is so wonderful, and it's extra rad when it happens that i have the same special interests cuz then we have conversations for years!
I really love listening to other people ramble about their special interests. I always learn something new! I frequently find myself wondering where the magic is in the world and then I hear people passionately talking about their different special interests and I realize that magic is everywhere.
as someone in the process of getting diagnosis, i really related to all these people. some of the most random special interests I have had are things like dalmatians, mermaids, chinese folding fans, beanie babies, cheese, vocaloids, pokemon, and Avatar the Last Airbender. For the last 12 years it's been kpop but now I think as I get older, my interests are maturing. For example, don't ask me about orientalism and the sociology of Asian diaspora or I won't stop talking. I could never tell if this was just me trying to learn about my identity and self or if it was something more because I do feel like even compared to people who research it, I have a hyperfixation that exceeds the "norms" of what is acceptable, especially since it sometimes does interfere with my relationships with people. Like when I was a teenager, if we weren't talking about kpop, I wouldn't know what to say. I felt like I couldn't relate to them if they didn't like it. So I was really selective with who I interacted with. But I also have "hobby" like interests such as skincare, karaoke, y2k fashion, and cooking. The weirdest one I have now is cat food.
for me special interests are like a planet you orbit. like given enough time i *will* bring any subject back around to my special interests. when i go for metaphors, they’re based on my special interests. when i sightsee, i analyze everything based on my special interests. my world revolves around my special interests. that doesn’t mean i don’t do anything else, but when i stop traveling *away* from my special interests into other topics, the special interests’ gravity pulls me back. also why i like talking about them. it’s like giving someone a tour of your brain-house. (special interests are also like your mental home. i can go outside and explore, but when i’m all tired out i’ll come back home to rest) btw my special interests are: sociology, art (these two are very related), Chinese/linguistics (also related to sociology) you’d think these being socially-acceptable academic interests would make it easier to make friends but no it just means i’m pretentious *and* boring, to other neurodivergent people! people are a lot more friendly about you knowing a lot about a subject when they aren’t also trying to learn it with half the enthusiasm (people constantly asking me to stop talking about school outside of school, or politics, or Chinese again). it’s helpful in terms of career choices though. not so helpful when one of my friends triggers “the car rant” or “parking lots” again and i don’t notice until everyone groans.
Two things: this is such a lovely metaphor for the dynamics between the human and special interests. I feel like in another sense it's special interests that ground us, because the ideas in our heads can be so far apart from each other, that having something to constantly relate these random things back to helps to have a sense of a "head home" like the place you can return to and feel all cozy. I find I really like it when I forget about the level to which I am obsessed with mine, and then suddenly they become relevant and I feel like a genius haha. Second thing: what got you into Chinese? :O
Everything Fatima said about music is basically my auto biography with violin. Down to recently getting a keyboard and guitar and unlocking the vault of music theory and practice discipline for personal discovery rather than achievement-based pursuits. It’s wild. I couldn’t have guessed I’d end up so detached from music mentally to the extent that returning to it would somehow feel NEW. It’s been beautiful. My friends have said recently that I feel different in the last few months.
i never really thought i had special interests but i think it’s bc they never stood out as abnormal to me. then i end up telling people huge amounts of in depth info about things and it slowly starts dawning on me that those are (or have been) special interests right now im diving deep back into the gameboy pokemon games
I’m watching this video in my basement at 11pm as I scrape paint off of scrap glass panes to build new terrarium/aquarium containers out of them. This is a very situationally appropriate video to me, I would say.
I have both ADHD and Autism, so I get both hyperfixations and special interests, and sometimes, the hyperfixations turn into special interests, which is how I ended up learning Chinese in eight months (hyperfixation) which turned into a special interest in adult language acquisition and becoming a polyglot lol
When I was younger, I read as much if the day as I could get away with. I read everything I could get my hands on by a couple specific authors, but also I read extensively in their genres and anything that was referenced in their works. As an adult, the internet easily accessible on my phone has cut my reading severely, but I have had a ton of hobbies that I have been intensely focused on for short bursts of time before losing the soark and looking for something else to fill the gap.
Creative expression such as piano, or deeply engaging in an absorptive learning process, can be a form of meditation - we can enter the "flow state" or meditative jhana when we are tunneling into our special interests. I believe that's why research shows we can recover from autistic burn-out through engaging in our special interests. As a meditation teacher who tailors practices to each persons strengths and neurotypes, this is very much one of my own special interests. 😅
People don’t dance or sing in public out of fear of being mocked online. Every prick has a smartphone camera now. I’m old, so I remember the world before smartphones. Physically, it was more dangerous (from other individual ppl, not including state violence here.) Socially, far less dangerous. This gets worse the older you are because people expect you to be excellent at everything you do. This is oppressive because there’s a LONG practice period to become good at ANYTHING! Overall, people act as if there’s an end date to learning. It actually NEVER stops. I’ll admit that I miss being able to reinvent myself with each new school or town. People your age and younger will never know that freedom because of social media. Course, my single mom had an “autism speaks” bumper sticker and I learned very young that this world isn’t meant for me unless I got really good at mimicking “it girls.” “Therapy” back then was torture. Did many things I’m not proud of trying to mask neurodivergence and fit in; only to lose the ability to mask (ADHD, and possible Au) at all after 2020 unmasked the recklessly self-absorbed. Thank you for having a COVID conscious person on! People act like I am sick when they see the mask, but since I stopped covering my grey hairs, that got better. You have to have an “excuse” to protect yourself. Vultures of capitalism never rest in their search for bodies to consume.
Related a lot to these stories and descriptions. Most definitely related to not adhering to “professional workplace” decorum when I’m comfortable in the clothes I’ve picked for myself. Will I show up in a uniform for a music performance? Sure. It’s a costume. But I won’t do that 40 hours a week. Japan is a living nightmare for neurodivergent people, especially when women are required to wear kitten heels 🙄 I always thought of myself as a practical person. I never adhere to styling myself “just because,” as in socially, like what if the weather is cold? What if it’s hot. What if it’s windy? Why do I need to wear business casual or above when it has no impact on my work? Why do I need to look busy? Why do I need to chase prestige? Why do I (female) need to look pretty for other people. Why do I need a partner and marriage? Why do I need XYZ? I thought maybe I was on the ASPD spectrum, however, compulsive lying isn’t one of my issues. I was never a rebel. I just never went along just to go along and that got me in hot water too often.
My special interest is video game lore. Especially for Legend of Zelda, Splatoon, and Kingdom Hearts. I also just love those games period so I will sit down and watch the same let’s play for Kingdom Hearts 2 from Research Runs which I think I’ve watched all the way through like twice, he is the only guy I truly like for Kingdom Hearts let’s plays. I also love Game Theories in general (not just the actual channel but just theories as a whole and you can imagine how much it broke my heart when MatPat announced he’s retiring). Seeing this comments section makes me feel vindicated because the second you start me on something I really like, I won’t shut up about it and I got called annoying all throughout my life. The girls in my high school made fun of me and compared me to an encyclopedia (I’m in my mid-twenties now and it still haunts me). To my current knowledge, I’m not on the spectrum. But I was diagnosed with ADD (which is now under the ADHD umbrella) and Anxiety when I was 12 and am planning to get tested and see a psychologist/therapist again soon (just for peace of mind, I’m actually in a really good place right now) but I know there’s a lot of overlap in the DSM 5 between ADHD and ASD which can make it difficult sometimes to diagnose. Anyway, happy to be here and to see so many other people that have niche special interests too! Sidebar: To the bats comment at 14:33 YES YES YES, that’s me but with turtles! I’ve been obsessed with turtles since like…1st grade? To the point where my mom who hates reptiles got me a turtle for my 8th birthday that I still have and care for to this day. I have a ton of turtle plushies, a jeweled brooch my mom bought me as a gift, earrings, tshirts, you name it. I also like cats the same way. I could cry, I feel so seen.
Orris should make you think iris; it's made from the root of a particular iris variety (so think of someone saying "iris," but bending the vowel: like ah-riss.) It has a mildly "purple" scent, maybe slightly dry/earthy or peppery. Orris is typically used as a fixative, to keep the scent from fading in the bottle. Common fixatives are orris and sandalwood, musk/amber, and for synthetics, aldehyde, which is a kind of soapy, cilantro scent that I find hugely offensive because aldehydes make me think of decay. Perfumery was once an interest of mine....
This topic is so interesting! I am not Autistic, but whenever someone does something out of the norm. We’re label in “unique” ways. Some do it in good faith and some make fun of you. This is coming from a NYC and internet point of view. I can’t speak too much about other cities, states, or countries. P.S. - It is great to see all these creators point of views! Makes you understand different perspectives of special interests and Autism👏🏾!
My special interest is historical clothing/costuming which branched off into clothing with any vague historical fashioning feature/look, which further branched to doll making and collecting because dolls always have the cutest outfits lol
Hello. I am an autistic hominid, and one of my special interests is making music and visual art partly influenced by being neurodiverse and nonbinary, as well as by issues of human rights, stigmas, dogmas, religious trauma, alchemy, psychology, psychedelic and other mystical experiences, multicultural archetypes and traditions, the relationship between nature and industry, and more. I have a music project that is about 15 years old now, and it is so important to me I make a point not to listen to much music by other people for fear of accidentally stealing something they wrote musically by getting it stuck in my head and forgetting it wasn't me who thought of it first. I used to listen to a lot of different music, now I prefer to listen to sounds in nature and noises caused by various machines. My music often has this juxtaposition, because I want to make tangible the harm capitalism and other power imbalances cause our eco system, which is not an efficient way to coexist and support mutual or even individual wellbeing.
One of the most relatable videos I have ever come across on YT. I have spent years doing the exact things, learning guitar to intermediate level, learning how to build computers and understand networking. I learned to DJ and then jumped to learning how to repair my car and now can do all my own maintenance. I spent 6 months straight everyday just reading and listening to podcasts on religion, apologetics, and philosophical arguments for morality, free will vs determinism etc… I honestly thought everybody did this…😂
This brought me a lot of joy, thank you for this! Also, this made me realize I’d love to listen to a podcast where a different autistic guest each week just goes off about their special interest. It’s really fun hearing people talk about what brings them joy!
One of my special interests is Japan- the culture, the country itself, the language, everything. I grew up hearing my dad’s stories from when he lived there, and it triggered this deep fascination. I know history, architecture, folklore, the reason behind so many parts of the culture, but I’m always a little scared to talk about it because I don’t like being called a weeb or to be thought of as another white girl appropriating Asian culture. I’ll say I’m studying the language, that I plan on moving there to be an English teacher, but I keep my informing to my parents and my psych, who is also just as into Japan as I am. But my more “acceptable” special interests? I never shut up about them. Foraging, botany, pokemon, the sims, art, I talk about them for hours. Even my “creepy” ones, like clowns (which I don’t think are scary, I adore clowns), human decomposition, the history of human cadavers in medicine and science, and natural poisons, I’m known to pipe in with fun facts way too often. I am autistic, so a lot of my special interests take over my whole life. And I love them! I’m studying a second language, I know all about the plants that grow around me and how to use them, all because my brain loves that kind of information
My special interests are plants (also sea life or flora and fauna in general, sometimes also geology--basically nature), Legend of Zelda, leftist politics and anti-capitalism, and art.
My interests include everything from competitively playing a 26 year old Pokemon game to trying to read every 18th century gothic novel I can find. I can't imagine how boring life would be without stuff like this.
YAYY NEW SPECIAL INTEREST VIDEO!! im audhd in my early 20s and my special interests to me give my life so much meaning. one of my current special interests is roller coasters, i just find them absolutely fascinating and it’s so fun to be able to identify the ride manufacturer based on the look of the track or know the history behind a certain ride or type of ride. i haven’t had the opportunity to ride many but one of my favorites is magnum xl 200 at cedar point. it was designed by a nasa engineer and the steel track was bent by hand because automated systems for that didn’t exist yet, it was also the first full-circuit hyper coaster (200 ft in height) and was the catalyst for the “coaster wars” in which parks competed with each other to see who could build the tallest coaster.
I hate when people hate me for having special interests but love people when they really love to study in school environment. I study just as much or even more but it won't lead to a degree.
i’m sorry to break it to you but i’m getting a degree in my special interest and people don’t love me either 😭 see because now instead of talking about something weird i’m talking about something boring and accidentally being condescending to them. like my friends (also autistic and/or adhd!) would forbid me talking about certain subjects outside of class. like oh sure they’ll compliment me, in class, when i’m helping them with a project, but the moment class is over i’m supposed to stop liking it and they don’t want to hear about it. so i guess people love people who really love to study, *in a school environment*.
@@chesspiece4257 Oh ok well I have no friends so I was thinking more about how other adults perceive it as in "wow so good you study in school" and "so bad you waste your time reading about stuff that will take you nowhere"
Yeah..I would hate getting criticized or not praised for doing what I love. Coming to think of it, I think it can be extremely fortunate to have an academic special interest, but then it becomes a job and can sometimes make what was once so special to you as a source of stress. I wish there was another system just for Autistic people to go as far as they want with whatever special interest they have and see how it can push society forward in any interesting way :D
Do I have spectrum special interests or do I have adhd in the internet age where I can be fascinated by a billion different things due to the ease of access now coming from growing up “poor” in the woods? Who knows… But the thing I do know is letting go of the frustration of not having the results I imagine at the start and embracing beginner mentality is the most freeing thing I could have ever discovered.
That's been huge for me too. I've always questioned why I constantly jump around from fixation to fixation. A lot of mine are art-focused, and I struggle to just let everything go and start no matter the outcome. I have OCD and that gets in the way of me starting projects for fear of not knowing enough, wondering if I'll capture my ideas perfectly on the first try, seeking reassurance as I progress, or avoiding the project altogether because I "messed up".
you can usually tell it’s both when you can connect all your hyperfixations to a single thing about them that “fascinates” you. so my special interest is sociology, and my hyperfixations are/were: Chinese calligraphy (language and art reflects culture), harry potter (politics of power, different groups, interpersonal relationships), my hero academia (politics again, social change), city planning (people), drawing (for a story, about society). like algorithms struggle to recommend things to me because i’ll like someone everyone else likes, for a weird and specific reason. (fungi are cool because as a society we like to box living things into plants or animals so they’re kinda non-binary)
I have a special interest in (Virginia) opossums, so have an opossum fact! Its really rare for them to get rabies! Not impossible, but rare. This is because they have lower body temperatures than a lot of other mammals. Wanna know why? Theyre marsupials! You want to know what they arent? Rodents! This has been a PSA: opossums are not rodents. Stop calling them overgrown rats please.
about 33:10 i saw a great quote the other day that said something like “being able to solve structural problems on an individual level is a necessary survival skill now.” i think that’s a big reason why so much of the discussion is about what *you* can do. because structural change comes slowly. if it’s raining, do you wait for society to build a house to cover you, or do you make an umbrella? like i’m aware the problem is society, and the best way to solve it is structural change, but i also want to get through this month without having a mental breakdown. this is also probably why people love psychology so much. because psychology is something you can apply, and sociology is something you can shout into the void.
in economic terms, a special interest would be considered a head-start on an opportunity to "corner the market" as a "first mover" with a "value proposition" that centers around your "expert proficiency" at "discovering value" in a particular "market niche".
Animals were one of my major special interests throughout my younger education years. Just like Devon, bats were one of my favorites (I also had a SI in vampires). I had three rubber Halloween bats that I would give each a collar of ribbon to differentiate and id give them personalities and took them everywhere. One assignment in science class was to pick like 5 of this list of endangered species and make little booklets about conservation/habitats/behaviors. Well, I did all (roughly) 60 of the listed animals because that felt right to me. They all deserved to be researched about why they were endangered.
I just had to say, I am loving this video because I adore hearing about others and exploring my own niche “special interests.” My favorite quote has become “a jack of all trades is a master of none,” because it follows with “though often times better than a master of one.” Something that always restores my hope and optimism about the future is realizing I can continue to choose new “things” to obsess over and hyper fixate on until the day I die, and truly there’s nothing stopping me from doing so and every other generation or human has their things too. And I can change direction any time to enjoy and create my own unique future/person. Even if I cant make a huge difference on my own, I hope living my life truly and enthusiastically the way I want to and supporting other people to do the same, will lead to us all being happier and enjoying every moment we can in life. This was such an inspiring video for conversation!
This video put things into perspective for me. As a teen, I would be obsessed with improving my skills on the guitar, to the point where I’d get stressed out if I would be going away from home for a while and couldn’t bring it with me. Then I just dropped it and found it cringe, again, exploring everything there was to know and editing if I could make it part of my personality or not. I was also not obsessed, but *submerged* in Star Wars; the lore outside of the movies (expanded universe), fan art, fan fiction, etc. to a degree that I don’t think is normal. I used to dismiss these things being special interests because, I was very isolated and I believe they were coping mechanisms. But hearing people talk about their special interests makes me think there was more to it than that…
ouhhhh i can feel it in my hag bones from the first 2mins this bout to be another banger! cannot wait to catch up and learn more! thanks as always elliot!
I'm so glad that this video exists, because it's something SO MANY autistic people need to hear more than anything. I know I did, and still do. Either ways, it's horrible to think that autistic people are forced to suppress who they are, facing constant shame and discouragement because "nobody cares and its weird". I seriously don't understand why. I get that it's a bit odd and far from the mainstream... but idk. More than hurting it confuses me. Is the reason for making it harder for so many people to just live their everyday lives and function because it's weird???? I mean can the reason really be that stupid and simple? Is that even a reason...?
Love to see Fab Socialism here - I relate a lot to having a special interest in people. Not having more traditional special interests always stopped me from identifying as Autistic. Our Flag Means Death changed that for me as I quickly became obsessed and I've been interested for over a year now. But even then I am more of a consumer and thinker about things than a do-er, and that's largely because of trauma around not feeling free to be new at something. Shame quickly stops me from trying new things, but I will analyze stories and the world around me to know end. And I love Fab Socialism for how she views the world and analyzes it, always makes me feel seen
Oh, I'm positive my drawing special interest only solidifies my position at being weird. Regardless, the title is welcoming and fun. I look forward to watching this while doing my hobby.
my special interests at the moment are mental illness/neurodivergence and the horror podcast the magnus archives :)) i get really excited when either of them are mentioned and they take up so much of my brain
Sorry Elliott, I'm literally sharpening the sword I spent 2 straights weeks hyperfixating on making while I watch this and had no idea machete fencing was a thing. I will finish the video later, in probably another 2 weeks, after I have either ascended the ranks of my local league or lost somehow lost a limb. Cheers.
What Devon said about childish special interests really hit home with me. One of my special interests is the Percy Jackson series, which i first read at 17, because my dad teaches middle school and greek mythology and ancient greece had already been a special interest for years at that point. I have all the books and i've read all the short stories and i really like the musical too (even if i don't think My Grand Plan does Annabeth justice) I'm in my 30's now, but these books are really special to me and sometimes i feel judged for that
Great video! I was pleasantly surprised that you interviewed Dr Price, especially liked hearing his thoughts on the neurodiversity movement under capitalism. And lol I have been "beginning to suspect" I have autism for about 4 years and counting. And yes I am watching this at work.
As someone with a special interest of queerness, in the past year specifically queerness in films and how society interacts with gender and sexuality since I am OBSESSED with Good Omens, I really adore this video because special interests are so cool, especially if they aren’t useful in capitalistic society! I mean, kind of off topic but one of my favourite parts of fanfic is having people mix their loves and passions and often special interests with the love of characters and fandom. You can literally feel the love and passion people have for these things and it makes me so sad and angry when people don’t care about people talking about their special interests. Anyway, conclusion is fuck capitalism lol have a great day y’all!
This video made my day. I’ve always struggled really hard with work and achieving all the things that an adult is supposed to achieve and I can’t tell you how terrible that feels. I feel immature even at 34. I feel frustrated because I want to learn. I want to participate and help the world be better and do something with the knowledge I’ve accumulated, but I can’t. This video helped relieve a little of that pressure. Thankyou
Lemme tell you, I’ve spent upwards of 50 hours learning how to mix and master music. Another video from my main source just came out, it’s about mixing vocals specifically, it’s 9 hours and I will definitely be watching and taking thorough notes over the whole thing. I been working in Logic Pro and it’s so much fun and it’s so coool.
The way my friends will listen to me blab about pagan religions and religious concepts makes me feel so seen(?) Idk when its stuck in my head I have to share especially when i learn something new or cool like how Aphrodite is basically just Ishtar who was brought with her cult to Sparta, giving Aphrodite a war like epithet that the rest of greece hated because it went against their morals. Or how Easter is just a continuation of the worship of an Anglo Saxon Goddess named Eostre. Eostremonath was the fourth lunar month to them (Bassically april, technically started around march 20th) celebrating the spring goddess Eostre, when Romans were converting the Anglo Saxon pagans they synchretized Eostre with Passach (passover) Or how when we say "thunder" we are recognizing and praising a God. The Protector deity Thunor, thunderer, roarer, striker
I appreciate how well organized r most guests of this video. I usually fixate on smth in several weeks, same with my thoughts, one is jumping on another. I wish my interest was studying or smth good for me and society and not just pop culture
what i REALLY notice is that I have such an easier time talking to fellow autists and adhd folk, i never have to explain WHY i like something, i can just ramble about whatever i find interesting. neurotypical people have a way stronger sense of normality and reason behind stuff, we're just vibin, both good for different reasons and roles but not a good mix sometimes. im into machete fencing now btw.
Im very passionate about music, history, culture. I especially love studying genres, the history, musical theorical reasoning for why its considered that genre, the culture , and fashions associated, and origin/location. Im currently obsessed with continental music/a lil bit of culture as well, and just in general music geography. I can go on for hours about various alternative based subcultures and including the musical theorical aspect as well, and the evolution/connection to other subcultures/subgenres. I shall stop vefore i continue , but i was kept away from my special interest growing up, and am glad that I can actually do activities based off my interests/have access to music. Idk what it is, but music/history/culture/even sociology/things around that, are what im interested in, music/culture probably is the center of all my interests. Idk what to call anything of what this is about me
I've always loved people can enthuse about stuff - so much more interesting and with much more death than boring being who go around being cynical about everything. This is probably why I have so many neurodiverse friends
Wow! All star cast! So far loving the video, but had stop to appreciate how you brought so many great people together to share their perspectives in one place. I'm used to the colab, but this group is exactly who in my subs I wanted to hear from about it that I don't usually get to (except Devon, I hear it often from him lol, but he's the perfect expert). If I was any vainer I would assume this video was made with just me as the target audience. It's so pleasing to know others are right next to me at this intersection of wonderful people. edit: Yes! Yes! Yes! Thank you Elliot!!! Great video! How was I not subbed? Also the politics are a big part of my sharing Dr. Price's books, I hope that's a growing number!
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Yeah to what Dr. Price said that special interests are typically deemed “special interests” because others find it odd so it sticks out but if the special interest is socially acceptable then it is a hobby.
Ohh period to what fatima is saying!! 25:56
I have actually never heard of the term and I thought it just was a synonym of hobby before watching the video.
@@Skibidibobobeebop Same here! The term is new to me💯
Me right now : 🤯🤯🤯🤯
How did I never pick up on that?
I’m on the spectrum and I totally related to the special interest you shared in the video!! For practically my whole life, I’ve been fascinated with the idea/fact that every other person on this planet thinks, feels, and processes things differently than I do. I specifically like thinking about how colors and light could look totally different in others’ eyes than it does in mine, or how we may think we see the same color, but really we’re seeing vastly different shades of it or different colors entirely.
We are the "stop and smell the roses" type of people.
I love that I can find joy in the smallest things.
That is a beautiful way of putting it! 🌹💐 (I am allistic/non autistic, I am just here to learn more. I do have ADHD though)
I agree :)
Haha I am a stop and smell the roses and also take a snapshot of the rose to try and work out the cultivator and the history of how it was developed kind of person.
More of a "stop and burn the roses" kinda guy, I find pure hate in the smallest things.
for sure! i (autistic 20yr old female) am by no means always happy but i feel like i have the capacity to experience the world more deeply (the good and bad) so when i notice beautiful things about life (literally whatever my eyes just happen to land on and analyse at that moment) it just fills me with immense joy that i wish my friends could empathise with. I remember a question on an autism questionnaire asking if I liked watching running water and yes I do, i find it fascinating genuinely !!!
28:56 Devon's comment about "showing our enthusiasm in the wrong way" really hits home for me. The thing that really got me invested in the Nerdfighter (Vlogbrothers) community was the quote, "[…] nerds like us are allowed to be unironically enthusiastic about stuff. Nerds are allowed to love stuff, like jump-up-and-down-in-the-chair-can’t-control-yourself love it. Hank, when people call people nerds, mostly what they’re saying is ‘you like stuff.’ Which is just not a good insult at all. Like, 'you are too enthusiastic about the miracle of human consciousness.'" I don't think John Green is autistic, but that quote really captures the experience of special interests.
@@CalvaryCatalystdang I never heard about that. What happened?
@@CalvaryCatalyst John's main characters are late teens and any intimate scenes are not explicit, consenting, between similarly aged participants and relevant to the themes of the story. Hank's characters are all adults and I can't remember any intimate scenes at all. Can you cite something specific?
@@CalvaryCatalyst while your concern comes from a good place i will note that I learned to wank off in middle school and internet discourse has long had a problem with distinguishing between depiction and endorsement
@@CalvaryCatalyst there's a difference between sexualizing kids and writing the reality that some teenagers have sex. I read Looking for Alaska, Paper Towns, and The Fault in Our Stars when I was still a "good Christian girl" who abhorred anything sexually explicit and nothing in them offended my sensibilities.
I actually think of my friends and myself as nerds with a positive connotation but I don't say that to them because they are likely to assume I mean it negatively
i saw a youtube video recently condeming disney adults. i mentioned that while the aggressive, entitled behavior some display is wrong, it may be a special interest for many diagnosed and undiagnosed autistics and we shouldn't be so quick to judge an adult who collects/loves disney. so many replies said "we need to bring back bullying" and "it's not okay to like something for children if you're over 18" someone even hinted that if you like "children's things" over a certain age, then you're doing so for nefarious reasons. it was heartbreaking. i kept trying to implore people that we shouldn't make fun of people for loving something and i got dozens of responses telling me it's justified and they're "just weird so it's okay" and idk when society got like this so badly. like 10 years ago people let people just be. disney was huge on tumblr. now everyone's worried about things being "cringe" and gets so aggressive.
I think it's less about how many bullies there are now vs then and more about what part we are being exposed to. I think you're right though about people trying to righteously bully these adults. Honestly, I think it's really sad that people spend time trying to get everyone to fit into the right boxes :( it resembles something of the middle ages.. but since it happens I think the best way to react is to let them talk and try to find our what they are saying deep down and address that. But at the same time, I hate to say but I avoid people who are quick to judge mostly because it makes me feel really uncomfortable, but it makes me wonder if I shouldn't shy away so quickly, because in a way, that is me being quick to judge. Haha, cheers.
I think I know what video you're talking about. As an adult who enjoys "childish things" (animation), I definitely felt like crying after reading the comments for a bit. There are absolutely things to critique Disney for, but don't use that as an excuse to bully others.
Ppl like me who never went to Disney growing up expected to be stone cold going there for the first time because I'm an adult now 🧍♀️
The disturbing fact is that those types of comments used to come from edgy high schoolers and mean millenials. Now they're coming from the mouths of alternative journalists and right-wing political supporters.
Things being "weird"/"cringe" are not valid reasons to make fun of them. People are free to do whatever so long as it isn't harmful.
Never ask a man about his salary, a woman about her age, or ME about my team fortress 2 themed wall
(the autism made me do it!! actually it’s not the only special interest wall i have)
@banquetoftheleviathan1404 You haven’t heard the meme
TEAM FORTRESS 2!!!!! THATS MY HYPERFIXATION RIGHT NOW HOLY SHIT
I love tf2
TF2 THEMED WALL?!?!?!?!?!?!
I'm on the autistic spectrum, and funny enough, the English language has been my special interest since 3rd grade. It's my second language. Right now, I plan to work on translating from English to my native language. I'm excited.
What is your first language? Languages are great :3
Spanish :D
Finally someone like me. I got obsessed with English and it’s my second language, so much so that I became an English teacher. English is my whole life hahaha
Are you hyperlexic? Just wondering.
Oh my gosh yes, that's a wonderful calling! There's so much very cool stuff written in English that haven't been translated to languages past the top 5 that I'm sure people who speak your native tongue would love to be able to read.
My special interests cause me to:
1. Paint at random times well into the night
2. Cut up clothes on a whim to upcycle them and alter them (sewing by hand, so it takes awhile)
3. Have wayyyyy too many photos of scenes, items, and random background in zelda games on my switch as reference.
4. Wander
I am also upcycling at all hours of the day, it's my favorite special interest of all so far
sounds like me (asides from the zelda part)
For real. Like a bit ago I ordered a nice dress second hand, accidentally cut it while opening the package, and it didn't fit. It will be a shirt, lol.@@arabellasartworks
if you become to sad, brain switches into wander mode. sentenced to see moss and hear birdsong to remember what being alive means /pos
my special interests are harry potter and hunter x hunter
I used to get made fun of for my special interests. And I suppressed them for a while. For years. And I totally lost touch with who I am, and what made me great. Suppressing my identity simply made it impossible to function in every day life, for years, because regular people just don't want to accept that not everyone is passionate about TikTok and football.
Really football? Isnt football really commonly talked about and even annoyingly so. Dunno here talking about football is just , a thing, avery guy thing but a thing.
@@marocat4749 No, I'm saying that not everyone is interested in it
@@marocat4749 No, I meant that not everyone enjoys it. Some people don't understand that.
I really feel that. Suppressing my identity for most of my life I now have to figure out who I am and how to function and it's so painful to go through that process. Most of my old special interests are gone because I "killed" them off and I have to rediscover myself because I'm a different person now.
@@natho6665 Yeah bro. That's sooo true. Having to get back in touch with lost interests and all.
I really needed the reassurance for my Kazakhstan history hyperfixation
that is cool, and a possible career path. which is a bonus
@@chesspiece4257 REALLY?! THANKS
Omg! Can you help me with kazakhstan history test? I’m hyperfixated on math, so I can help you too, great exchange I think!
@@akakksskk what kind of school gives Kazakhstan history tests and where can I enroll???
kazakhstan is a very interesting region with a very diverse cultural history, very cool hyperfixation; as another autist (audhd to be specific), i encourage and support this - if you have any cool books or videos about kazakhstan to recommend (i hyperfixate on plants a lot, so if you have any "ecology of kazakhstan" books then that would be awesome) i will def look into it.
Honestly the biggest problem I have with my own special interests is that I feel like I'm being pulled in too many directions. There's so many individual things I feel like I really want to pursue in depth but I don't feel like I can get particularly good at any of them if I have to split the time between them and if my interest in them keeps coming and going.
omg, i’ve never met anyone who felt the same way i did about this. ever since i was a kid i’ve been super into a lot of stuff and have wanted to do literally everything i found interesting. i haven’t been diagnosed with autism but i have been thinking about getting tested for adhd. i’d constantly hyperfixate on things that i wanted to learn how to do. but like you said, it’s very hard to become good at something when you’re bouncing back and forth between interests.
The youtube channel Jan Misali has helped me stop worrying that I'm too many different things. Their youtube channel covers so much stuff from all over the place and it's really inspirational to see that you don't need to focus on just one thing
Life is long. There will be time for everything. I know people who have changed careers several times before their fifties, even.
Add on that you have to be productive to normal human stuff (for me it's applying to college and getting my scholarships) and I don't want to do that because my love for the other thing is too strong. Wish it wasn't so hard to get myself to do stuff I need to do
Yes I feel this and I think the way my combo of Autism and ADHD plays out it’s never just one or two things!! The overarching themes are often related. RUclips is kind of great for this!! (Watching it I’m not on it…) it can be frustrating though!!
this is kind of a vent, but also related to the subject of the video;
when I got therapy a few years back my therapist identified my special interests as "obsessive unhealthy coping tools", I was doing things like enjoying minecraft content, and it was an everyday thing, my therapist insisted I needed to remove those coping tools (without helping me replace them with anything else). I know now minecraft and the like were just my special interests, and though they consumed a lot of my life, they were as healthy and wholesome as any kind of stress relief can get.
It's hard when you're in crisis to identify where people are leading you astray, and when you're undiagnosed how easy it is for you to be perceived as "wrong" or "weird". I'm not wrong (I am weird) and I'm not obsessive about minecraft, or art, or the ocean or anything that has ever been a special interest.
But I can't get back into it like I was, it's been a slow heal, I use to have panic attacks when I even heard minecraft music, sometimes I still get anxiety shakes when I play, still can't watch the people I use to enjoy daily. I watched less then 3 minutes of one of them today and though it made me happy; I felt like screaming. Yes my main interests have changed to other things, but the old interests never really go away.
@@CC3GROUNDZEROThe way you're starting this conversation already shows me what you assume I'm lazy or was neglecting responsibilities. Did you read the part where I stated they were not teaching me any replacement coping skills only removing them or are you fixated on some other idea about autistic people?
Honestly, don't answer that. The reality is I went from having a few things that kept me from drowning to having nothing and making several attempts on my life. Listening to some minecraft let's play videos while I worked on art commissions or was going to sleep wasn't stopping me from my uni work. But the overwhelming anxiety, panic attacks, and suicidal ideation with no way to cope sure did stop me from being able to work or finish school.
Honestly, I'd rather be alive, doing odd jobs, living with my family for support, then not alive at all, or planning on dancing with death when everything "aligned". I know you probably don't care either way, judging by how quick you were to assume that I'm not the "never shuts off" worker that I am. But I'd really rather not be gone. Thanks, and I hope you have a better day.
@@CC3GROUNDZERO For example making art to get out your feelings instead of self harm is a positive coping skill, not all coping skills are negative, you wouldn't say these things to someone who needs to take a bath / shower every night before bed or make a cup of tea to relax, you're just upset because it's a videogame that you don't see the creative value in. Therapy's goal isn't to "drag you out of your comfort zone", it's goal varies between person to person depending on what they need. This is the second time you've seemingly decided to compare a special interest to something like "self harm" and wanted to dictate how much interest is "to much" despite me never saying anything more then "daily interaction" (watching a 30min. video while I'm starting my day and making breakfast is a daily interaction btw). I am no longer going to continue this conversation, you obviously think something of me that's quite negative and this conversation isn't constructive in the slightest. Waste your time somewhere else
Fuck being interested in anything in life am I right? Being boring is healthy! DO JOB CONFORM TO SYSTEM.
You're saying what gives someone a reason to exist is only worth it if it pays the bills, did you watch the fucking video? no you didn't. If you had you wouldn't be saying this shit. @@CC3GROUNDZERO
@@CC3GROUNDZERO As you yourself stated, coping strategies are better removed when they are maladaptive. But if you are given no recourse from the issues you face and are miserable 24/7, that is an even worse state of affairs. Replacing them with habits that are healthy is the most important part of the process, so you can live a healthy life. Nothing else in the original comment suggests these coping tools were unhealthy aside from the therapist insisting that their enjoyment of Minecraft content every day was bad. You are suggesting (even if implicitly) that this pattern was maladaptive, and it was a good thing that they stopped because they "got over" their obsession and "out of their comfort zone". There was nothing in the original comment to directly suggest this habit was impairing their function in society in any way (which is what makes a coping strategy maladaptive), but you saw someone's special interest in Minecraft and thought "but did you have a job?" as if their employment was the main issue, not their mental stability.
Getting "out of your comfort zone" should not be leading to suicide attempts, which IS self-harm. Nor should it result in someone panicking just for hearing music related to an interest previously in said comfort zone. It sounds to me (based on this person's account) like this approach failed, and aside from decoupling them from one of their few lifelines, led to an irrational anxiety over partaking in an otherwise positive experience. It's not "coddling" or "endorsing self-harm" to play or watch fucking Minecraft more than average.
Everyone has problems and we all cope in different ways. Some cope in healthy ways, others don't. "Coping" in and of itself is just about dealing with issues in life, it's not always a bad thing (this stigma against the term "coping" is another effect of discussion of mental health in general being stigmatized). The treatment we're talking about was terrible because they identified a benign if not beneficial symptom as a cause. There are much safer and healthier ways to help someone grow and manage their struggles than telling them to take away something that contributes to their quality of life and then "see what happens next" as if you're experimenting with their mental state. If the therapist was aware of the anxiety, panic attacks, and suicidal ideation, they should know that usually requires an intricate and delicate approach, not playing fast and loose with potential points of support. It's like putting a person who can just about tread water in the middle of a lake and hoping they figure out how to get to land.
@@thedontpanic That, likr the most he should havesaid is in moderation, what the hell is wrong with playing minecraft.
Its why i like fantasy scifi, its good to have an escapatist room to go to to chill from realsm and thatout while still engaging with something. Through i found the best still tackle the darkewr and real stuff. Maybe trhe same can minecraft do?
my special interest is my ocs (original characters)
they mean everything to me more than anything else and I spend so much time thinking about them, drawing them, as well as writing things with them. What does suck a lot is that I also have really bad anxiety with them, so it has caused me to be unable to talk about them with others (mainly online), I would talk about them when I was younger with my friends and strangers online, but as years went by and my anxiety grew I came to regret it everytime, it would sometimes also accidently slip out in conversations which I also regretted afterwards. I sometimes wish I could speak about them without intense fear but for the most part I do love that my own creations is the thing that I indulge in the most.
I'm the same way! [Also fellow arospec, and I like your BF profile picture :] I've been thinking I might have a FNF Corruption special interest myself.]
My special interest is more characters in general-- being, their dynamics, their designs, basically all characters and how fleshed out and human they can be. My own characters are an /especially/ strong special interest, though. The art in my profile picture is actually art I've made of one of them.
I'm used to being talked over or infantilized or mocked for my special interests and my hyperfixations, and in being shamed for having them, so I avoid talking about them outside of my closest friends.
But, yes, it does feel cool to have such an interest in something you yourself made. One of the beauties of Autism, I suppose.
Just know there are people out there who will take an interest in your creations too, and who will encourage you.
the problem i have with one of my special interest is that now everyone expects me to become a doctor and its like i don't want to i just like to read about stuff 😭
I find myself "abridging" my speech all the time in conversation. Someone may bring up something I know a lot about, but years of being ridiculed for info-dumping has programmed me to simply say "...But you probably don't want to hear all of that," "It's a lot more complex than that," "I don't want to bore you with the details," and other similar phrases. It's really hard though. Sometimes I quite literally have to bite my tongue to _not_ talk about something at an inappropriate time and/or manner.
I digress.
I agree with Dr. Price and the crisis of movements being disintegrated by an individualist mindset. Autistic liberation (and by extension, neourodiverse liberation) requires mass power to enact radical change in spite of the enormous forces against us and the other groups we occupy as people. We are much stronger together than apart. Fighting to be accommodated and accepted all on your own is extremely difficult, but as a collective, it is much easier (although still difficult), and ultimately more lasting and thorough. Capitalism thrives on atomization of the proletariat and its many subgroups. We _must_ organize on many fronts. This an existential issue.
7:12 Describing a topic as a "landscape" is so relatable to me!! That's exactly how I feel when I have a special interest. It feels like there is a whole world of information to explore.
I would also describe it as feeling magnetic. It's like my brain is being drawn into the the interest and it never stops.
exploring a special interest is like being a wanderer in a new landscape, as you wander through the floral and fauna, or lack there of, you paint a unique masterpiece of everything around you and its always amazing
I could listen to people talk about their special interests for HOURS man, there’s nothing better than listening to someone talk about something they’re passionate about
Saaaame. It’s just hard to talk back… I love talking about it, I’m just so terrified of being judged that I’ve been having trouble talking about it to anyone outside of close friends…
My special interest is definitely people. I started college at 15 through dual enrollment and couldnt get enough of the social sciences. I majored in psych and anthro, briefly worked as a teacher, and then got my master's in counseling. I've been a therapist for 10 years now which is enough time to have deconstructed and unlearned so much of what makes this field an arm of the police state. It got me fired from my last job. We were going through DEI trainings that the director of the counseling center really used as a tool to sus out who would be performative with it (those were his keepers) and who would want to burn everything to the ground (me and many of the other BIPOC staff). It's exhausting being in this field with a cross-cultural, cross-time zoomed out view (as well as a detailed understanding of today's context) of what makes for a happy, healthy human and community, and essentially having your hands tied behind your back because of all the systemic barriers. This is why collectivist, systems approaches are so desperately needed. I'm curious, optimistic, fearful, excited, afraid to see how things will unfold in my lifetime, how people will make sense of these systems and information over time. Because, while many of us are coming to the same conclusions about capitalism, abilition, etc., many others are coming to the exact opposite conclusions and working toward a more fascist reality.
LET'S GOOOOOOO! I'm a late-diagnosed (last year, at age 30) autistic woman and was looked down on for the intensity of my special interests when I was younger. I felt weird and alienated. Now I'm leaning in to the nerdiness and intensity of my special interests and have found community through them. Hyped for this video. 🖤
for me, the difference between my hyperfixations and my special interests is how long they last. i also may have hyperfixations within a larger special interest. for instance, i may be super into using alcohol markers for a week or two, but then suddenly be obsessed with digital painting for a week, before then moving onto graphite pencils.
THIS like my special interest has been freddie mercury for over 10 years but i will hyperfixate on a certain food and eat it for weeks
Yessss!
I still think that many of my special interests are not cool, but I truly don't care because they never existed for that purpose. Some of them are things that I deeply care about ideologically, and some are just things that I like to focus on to bring me comfort. I still like to feel cool from time to time, but that feeling is nothing compared to the happiness my special interests bring me.
I try to mute my passions (in public) because most other people don’t ‘get’ them like I do, so it’s a waste to talk art or music or psychology or aspects of my work or study with them. I like to get deep into my interests & people think I’m a bit intense. I call myself an introvert who loves learning. I have no idea if I’m actually autistic. My autistic work colleague said she really likes the way I communicate, especially in writing, because it’s so clear, organised, methodical & she recognises aspects of herself in me. So I wonder, …but at my age I’m unlikely to seek any formal diagnosis. I’m watching a LOT of YT content on autism rn so thank you for this video & the recommendation on the self diagnosis video. I find your content/ channel so interesting.
I know I'm a stranger, but just know I can somewhat relate to people "not getting" my special interests. Nobody around me shares the same level of love for things I really enjoy, although some do listen to me talk about them.
@@berry_x0x0 Thanks. I think it’s a real gift to maintain joy, delight & passion into adulthood.
Autism/adhd absolutely makes it hard to differentiate special interest and hyperfixation as the two work in tandem to fuel eachother. I was a train kid, but only as a kid, I'd say thats a good example of both. Me being in the furry fandom for a decade at this point, definite special interest territory. Me thinking really hard about how martin luther was basically an incel and wanted to be submissive for god and thats why catholics are like that (and only for a few days), definite hyperfixation there.
Another fantastic video and a great job at highlighting the voice of the community
But Luther moved away from catholicism, seems like a contradiction to me
@@tamalpaz I'll be honest, I didn't completely read the entire book I got my information from (I blame unmedicated adhd and general laziness) and I read a criticism that briefly described how luther grew up with a "cupioconsciousness" and a sort of misalligned submission for god that he felt other devout catholics didn't have. I am absolutely not an expert, just what I got from reading "the life and letters of martin luther"
I feel like the difference between a hobby and your special interests is the feeling, like Devon said, that you come to life when engaging with your special interest. And as Fabsocialism stated, can extend to other people or just another person, like a celebrity. Sometimes I can find one person very very interesting, and it helps during really emotionally difficult times to think of this person. Kind of like a wwjd moment. That is, if I can’t connect with any of my other special interests at that time. Sorry if this didn’t make sense.
it makes perfect sense
totally relate. I became fixated on the good feelings associated with a particular singer. He was in my mind a muse. Pure escapism. I don't see it as a negative thing at all - harmless really!
I've always had certain special interests that I LOVE talking to people about. When I was younger, I got bullied for it, but now, it's how I make friends. I love talking to other neurodivergents. I want to hear your special interests and hyperfixations, and share my own. My long-term special interests are: Writing, Swimming, Psychology (got my degree in it) and the TV show Gravity Falls.
Yeah, Gravity Falls is one of the best TV shows ever made. So cool.
Writing you say? Same… Reading gothic lit and murder mystery/paranormal
I get scared to share the paranormal parts of my special interest because it can be scary for some especially since I identify with being a Christain and like Buddhism.
I am moving to a new apartment soon and so my special interest has been based around that recently. Specifically, I want to create my living space to be adaptable and beneficial to my adhd. So I've been really into the idea of building spaces for movement, combined with a bit of japanese minimalism (which is another special interest). I'm planning on having a tatami floor where I can arrange it in any way I want based on my current needs. So I'd have a table with floor pillows for when I eat or use my laptop, a rug or blanket when I play games or just want to stretch, a play couch or beanbag for more comfort when reading or having friends over, and I'd be able to set up my shikifuton when I sleep. It feels like such a vibe and would help me be healthier and happier :)
Check out Dear Modern for great Feng Shui advice c:
Commenting so I can find this later, I might steal your idea.
This reminds me of how people treat my joy when I'm in a relationship with someone I adore: I can have a strong network of friends, a healthy set of interpersonal boundaries, yet still when other people see how much I light up around my partner, they pressure me (and the person dating me) to leave the relationship because it makes them uncomfortable to see me so visibly autistically joyous.
Every one of these people is someone I'd want in my friend group. Seeing someone talk about their passion with abandon is just my favorite thing.
AuDHD gal here! Metroid lore, linguistic relationships between dialects and languages of the west African diaspora, and spirituality of ancient cultures are my jam and I will squawk about them at any time I get the opportunity. Thank you!
i’ve never been diagnosed or been suspected of having autism but i relate to Fab heavy. Being that way isn’t easy if you’re black/poc bc then you come across as having an attitude or being confrontational, even though you’re literally just making observations and asking like any other person can. Being an observer and being quiet typically go hand in hand, bringing about the “mean” and “stuck up” allegations without ever speaking directly with you. hard times socially.
It's good to see people who are interested in really understanding autism as a complicated and multi-faceted condition that has both pros and cons and a lot of aspects that aren't good or bad, just different. That's something we need more of, especially fron neurotypical people.
It's so curious you're talking about autism because I actually found your channel because of your video about Hikikomori 😅 I was searching for info about isolation because besides my family I don't see many people often but I don't feel bad about it and well, I was looking into it to check if I should be worry or not.
My special interest are tech and fiction btw. I love analyzing series, movies and books and I get obsessed over characters for years and years and I end up reading all the fanfiction I can get about my OTPs. And I like to play with technology and fix things so I often do the repairs at home driven by my pure obsession and refusal to stop 😂
before i start i need to say that dr fatima has re instilled my love for science after doing horribly at school. As an asian girl every new science youtuber motivates me exponentially
my special interest is linguistics, language learning and foreign culture - which i think of as the base for my interests, but obviously i have branches of it such as latin american culture, a latin american film called 'la sociedad de la nieve' (quite new), cooking brazilian food, and language analysis. it also feeds into my art and music as well and i'm just so happy to care so much about a topic
Same here! Linguistics and language learning is my main one and since I'm learning Spanish latin american culture is also very interesting to me
@@sellotaperecorder ahhh that is so cool!!! how long have u been learning for?
I have hobbies, crafty things I love and do frequently, but I'm fairly certain that my way of engaging them doesn't fall under special interests. So the part of this discussion that resonates with me the most is the freedom to do a thing for no other reason than it bringing me joy. I feel confident with that freedom with most activities I love except writing. I wrote a book. I thought up the story 20+ years ago when I was deployed in the Saudi Arabia. We couldn't leave the base and there was precious little to do. I used to just take walks at night around the base and talk to myself (talking to myself and playing out my thoughts is a big part of me). So I thought up a character and a whole universe and story was born from that. But all these years I've been writing have been with the idea I'm supposed to eventually publish this story, make it for public consumption. And the fear that it isn't good enough has put a years long pause on my editing process. I know I can just write because I like it. I know I don't have to publish it, that I don't have to try to monetize it. I know. But I'm still paralyzed and can't write. I keep trying, my characters are in my mind at all times, they are very real to me. Yet I'm still stuck. I really want that freedom.
My special interest is books! I love watching bookish stuff on RUclips, reading bookish websites and going to the library and bookstores every week. I also love finding books for people, I call it "weaponizing my special interest". I especially like organizing my books by genre and size, and I find a bookstore wherever I go on vacation. When I was a kid, I read voraciously and didn't really talk to other kids because I found my books more interesting, realizing that I was on the spectrum and that books are a special interest was so eye-opening!
This video really resonated with me. I always thought I couldn't really call it a 'special interest' or a 'hyperfixation' (whatever applies) because it's not helpful in the 'real world' (for me, its Fire Emblem: Three Houses and its Warriors spinoff specifically). Sometimes I found myself frustrated, like why I couldn't be interested in say the entire Fire Emblem franchise, or Nintendo games in general, etc. But I can't help what my brain latches on to, so its best to embrace it! Also after reading some of these comments, the 'coming to life when talking about your interest' sentiment resonates with me as well. When I start talking about FE3H, I actually lose track of time and I won't notice how long I've talked til something snaps me out of it. I'm very lucky I have friends that put up with my FE3H spiels!
…Warriors like the cat politics?
@@chesspiece4257 no LOL, Warriors is a spinoff series of the Fire Emblem franchise; the original one was on 3DS mainly covering Fates/Awakening, but the new one is exclusively Three Houses. It plays more like an RPG instead of a tactics game, but the new one (like Three Houses) has three houses you can choose from to play the story of. The new one also has MASSIVELY improved on the game mechanics of the original, and is also much more playable since the Switch's processing power is much better than the 3DS!
I remember wanting to upcycle a coat for myself and wanting it to be ready for when I went to an assessment for learning disabilities....I sewed for 9 hours straight.
And again, when making another article of clothing I wanted ready for a vacation, I sewed for a good 14 hours straight.
Hyperfixation on a special interest is kinda crazy, lmao.
Wow 🤩 that is really cool and awesome that you upcycled a coat! 🧥 ♻️
Also, I was talking to my friend about this once,
when your special interest is "everything" or "the universe" it can be hard for people outside of you to identify that's what it is, because I for sure just go from topic to topic, but that's because it's part of the universe, and so I want to learn about it.
yeah mines “sociology” but that can range from “has memorized part of the dsmv” to “has strong opinions about parking lots” to “obsessed with harry potter and mha” because people don’t realize that the reason i read all the warrior cats books as a kid and loved them is because of the politics. basically as long as i can put it into a sentence like “why did/do (person/people/being(s)) ____?” then it fits. why does deku want to be a hero? why is america obsessed with psychology? why do people keep building parking lots when they’re the worst? honestly my special interest could just be “why?” and it’d be accurate
So, this video really brought something I often wonder about to front of mind- are people actually “neurotypical”?
Genuinely, I would love other people’s perspectives on this. As someone who is neurodivergent that makes art, I can’t fathom not having the same consistent waves of intense interest (if not obsession), or not having the drive to create things (at whatever level in a given moment)- but I understand that not everyone is “creative” in the commonly accepted sense.
In my life experience, we all live in our own different realities shaped by our experiences, and that’s all valid and good! But, maybe because of that, I can’t fathom life as a “neurotypical” person. Like, do you get all the fun stuff, but get to skip all the shitty involuntary chemical induced destructive brain stuff? What do you do when you’re bored? Are you just emotionally regulated the majority of the time?
What does being “neurotypical” actually look like?
to me, my special interest (social psychology and human behaviour) could be likened to a spider web with various sub streams of obsession, all marked interconnectivity to one and other with some connections more obvious and others more subtle. and im the spider, sometimes i am stuck on one part on the web, and that seems to be the lens i view everything through (my personal definition of a hyperfixation). special interests to me feel all consuming, it is an integral part of my identity, i feel my special interest in every last cell of my form. i notice i bring my special interest into a myriad of conversations and scenarios - sometimes at 'inappropriate' times. every segment of information that i engage with is filtered through the lens of my special interest.
Same
40:03 [chanting] One of us! One of us! One of us!
Elliot, you made an hour-long video that's a fairly comprehensive history of tea. If that's not a sign, I don't know what is. 😂
Also, Alexander Avila's "TikTok Gave Me Autism: The Politics of Self-Diagnosis" is one of the best video essays I've ever seen. So glad it was mentioned here.
I draw a minor distinction between my special interests and hyperfixations in that i consider special interests to be like, bigger or more important to the individual than a hyperfixation. As an example: I would consider two of my special interests to be pokemon and toki pona. I know almost everything relevant about pokemon and I study toki pona basically daily. I'd consider a hyperfixation of mine to be FNAF. I'm definitely more interested in it than the average person, but I'm not into it to the degree of "I simply must know everything there is to know ad uncover all the secrets" the way I do with Pokemon and the way I do with learning the nuances of toki pona. The border is certainly fuzzy and it's probably more of a spectrum than a dichotomy but I do find there to be some difference in which is which.
Basically, the way I think of it as an AuDHD haver, anyone can have a hyperfixation, but a special interest is something that requires specific brain wiring.
I think about what fabsocialism is talking about, i think for me it's "seasonal change" , to me its a strong feeling of longing , because of the weather. But also a lot of core memory formed for me were in the fall (when grade school starts and you are just around a ton of strange new people)
Making other autistic friends is so much fun, cuz my favorite thing in the world is learning about what other people care about! They're enthusiasm is so wonderful, and it's extra rad when it happens that i have the same special interests cuz then we have conversations for years!
Holding on to your special interests is what I wish I had done as a kid.
I really love listening to other people ramble about their special interests. I always learn something new!
I frequently find myself wondering where the magic is in the world and then I hear people passionately talking about their different special interests and I realize that magic is everywhere.
as someone in the process of getting diagnosis, i really related to all these people. some of the most random special interests I have had are things like dalmatians, mermaids, chinese folding fans, beanie babies, cheese, vocaloids, pokemon, and Avatar the Last Airbender. For the last 12 years it's been kpop but now I think as I get older, my interests are maturing. For example, don't ask me about orientalism and the sociology of Asian diaspora or I won't stop talking. I could never tell if this was just me trying to learn about my identity and self or if it was something more because I do feel like even compared to people who research it, I have a hyperfixation that exceeds the "norms" of what is acceptable, especially since it sometimes does interfere with my relationships with people. Like when I was a teenager, if we weren't talking about kpop, I wouldn't know what to say. I felt like I couldn't relate to them if they didn't like it. So I was really selective with who I interacted with. But I also have "hobby" like interests such as skincare, karaoke, y2k fashion, and cooking. The weirdest one I have now is cat food.
for me special interests are like a planet you orbit. like given enough time i *will* bring any subject back around to my special interests. when i go for metaphors, they’re based on my special interests. when i sightsee, i analyze everything based on my special interests. my world revolves around my special interests. that doesn’t mean i don’t do anything else, but when i stop traveling *away* from my special interests into other topics, the special interests’ gravity pulls me back. also why i like talking about them. it’s like giving someone a tour of your brain-house. (special interests are also like your mental home. i can go outside and explore, but when i’m all tired out i’ll come back home to rest)
btw my special interests are: sociology, art (these two are very related), Chinese/linguistics (also related to sociology)
you’d think these being socially-acceptable academic interests would make it easier to make friends but no it just means i’m pretentious *and* boring, to other neurodivergent people! people are a lot more friendly about you knowing a lot about a subject when they aren’t also trying to learn it with half the enthusiasm (people constantly asking me to stop talking about school outside of school, or politics, or Chinese again). it’s helpful in terms of career choices though. not so helpful when one of my friends triggers “the car rant” or “parking lots” again and i don’t notice until everyone groans.
Two things: this is such a lovely metaphor for the dynamics between the human and special interests. I feel like in another sense it's special interests that ground us, because the ideas in our heads can be so far apart from each other, that having something to constantly relate these random things back to helps to have a sense of a "head home" like the place you can return to and feel all cozy. I find I really like it when I forget about the level to which I am obsessed with mine, and then suddenly they become relevant and I feel like a genius haha.
Second thing: what got you into Chinese? :O
Everything Fatima said about music is basically my auto biography with violin. Down to recently getting a keyboard and guitar and unlocking the vault of music theory and practice discipline for personal discovery rather than achievement-based pursuits. It’s wild. I couldn’t have guessed I’d end up so detached from music mentally to the extent that returning to it would somehow feel NEW. It’s been beautiful. My friends have said recently that I feel different in the last few months.
We appreciate your insights. Keep working hard.
i never really thought i had special interests but i think it’s bc they never stood out as abnormal to me. then i end up telling people huge amounts of in depth info about things and it slowly starts dawning on me that those are (or have been) special interests
right now im diving deep back into the gameboy pokemon games
Sapphire was my first! Always has a special place in my heart
Just the title alone made me really happy!! Also hi as one Elliot to another!!
(I’m autistic and have ADHD)
Thank you for making a video about this Elliot. There's so much misunderstanding when it comes to autism.
I’m watching this video in my basement at 11pm as I scrape paint off of scrap glass panes to build new terrarium/aquarium containers out of them. This is a very situationally appropriate video to me, I would say.
I have both ADHD and Autism, so I get both hyperfixations and special interests, and sometimes, the hyperfixations turn into special interests, which is how I ended up learning Chinese in eight months (hyperfixation) which turned into a special interest in adult language acquisition and becoming a polyglot lol
When I was younger, I read as much if the day as I could get away with. I read everything I could get my hands on by a couple specific authors, but also I read extensively in their genres and anything that was referenced in their works.
As an adult, the internet easily accessible on my phone has cut my reading severely, but I have had a ton of hobbies that I have been intensely focused on for short bursts of time before losing the soark and looking for something else to fill the gap.
Creative expression such as piano, or deeply engaging in an absorptive learning process, can be a form of meditation - we can enter the "flow state" or meditative jhana when we are tunneling into our special interests. I believe that's why research shows we can recover from autistic burn-out through engaging in our special interests. As a meditation teacher who tailors practices to each persons strengths and neurotypes, this is very much one of my own special interests. 😅
People don’t dance or sing in public out of fear of being mocked online. Every prick has a smartphone camera now. I’m old, so I remember the world before smartphones. Physically, it was more dangerous (from other individual ppl, not including state violence here.) Socially, far less dangerous. This gets worse the older you are because people expect you to be excellent at everything you do. This is oppressive because there’s a LONG practice period to become good at ANYTHING! Overall, people act as if there’s an end date to learning. It actually NEVER stops. I’ll admit that I miss being able to reinvent myself with each new school or town. People your age and younger will never know that freedom because of social media. Course, my single mom had an “autism speaks” bumper sticker and I learned very young that this world isn’t meant for me unless I got really good at mimicking “it girls.” “Therapy” back then was torture. Did many things I’m not proud of trying to mask neurodivergence and fit in; only to lose the ability to mask (ADHD, and possible Au) at all after 2020 unmasked the recklessly self-absorbed. Thank you for having a COVID conscious person on! People act like I am sick when they see the mask, but since I stopped covering my grey hairs, that got better. You have to have an “excuse” to protect yourself. Vultures of capitalism never rest in their search for bodies to consume.
Related a lot to these stories and descriptions. Most definitely related to not adhering to “professional workplace” decorum when I’m comfortable in the clothes I’ve picked for myself. Will I show up in a uniform for a music performance? Sure. It’s a costume. But I won’t do that 40 hours a week.
Japan is a living nightmare for neurodivergent people, especially when women are required to wear kitten heels 🙄
I always thought of myself as a practical person. I never adhere to styling myself “just because,” as in socially, like what if the weather is cold? What if it’s hot. What if it’s windy? Why do I need to wear business casual or above when it has no impact on my work? Why do I need to look busy? Why do I need to chase prestige? Why do I (female) need to look pretty for other people. Why do I need a partner and marriage? Why do I need XYZ?
I thought maybe I was on the ASPD spectrum, however, compulsive lying isn’t one of my issues. I was never a rebel. I just never went along just to go along and that got me in hot water too often.
My special interest is video game lore. Especially for Legend of Zelda, Splatoon, and Kingdom Hearts. I also just love those games period so I will sit down and watch the same let’s play for Kingdom Hearts 2 from Research Runs which I think I’ve watched all the way through like twice, he is the only guy I truly like for Kingdom Hearts let’s plays. I also love Game Theories in general (not just the actual channel but just theories as a whole and you can imagine how much it broke my heart when MatPat announced he’s retiring). Seeing this comments section makes me feel vindicated because the second you start me on something I really like, I won’t shut up about it and I got called annoying all throughout my life. The girls in my high school made fun of me and compared me to an encyclopedia (I’m in my mid-twenties now and it still haunts me). To my current knowledge, I’m not on the spectrum. But I was diagnosed with ADD (which is now under the ADHD umbrella) and Anxiety when I was 12 and am planning to get tested and see a psychologist/therapist again soon (just for peace of mind, I’m actually in a really good place right now) but I know there’s a lot of overlap in the DSM 5 between ADHD and ASD which can make it difficult sometimes to diagnose. Anyway, happy to be here and to see so many other people that have niche special interests too!
Sidebar: To the bats comment at 14:33 YES YES YES, that’s me but with turtles! I’ve been obsessed with turtles since like…1st grade? To the point where my mom who hates reptiles got me a turtle for my 8th birthday that I still have and care for to this day. I have a ton of turtle plushies, a jeweled brooch my mom bought me as a gift, earrings, tshirts, you name it. I also like cats the same way. I could cry, I feel so seen.
Orris should make you think iris; it's made from the root of a particular iris variety (so think of someone saying "iris," but bending the vowel: like ah-riss.) It has a mildly "purple" scent, maybe slightly dry/earthy or peppery. Orris is typically used as a fixative, to keep the scent from fading in the bottle. Common fixatives are orris and sandalwood, musk/amber, and for synthetics, aldehyde, which is a kind of soapy, cilantro scent that I find hugely offensive because aldehydes make me think of decay.
Perfumery was once an interest of mine....
This topic is so interesting! I am not Autistic, but whenever someone does something out of the norm. We’re label in “unique” ways. Some do it in good faith and some make fun of you. This is coming from a NYC and internet point of view. I can’t speak too much about other cities, states, or countries.
P.S. - It is great to see all these creators point of views! Makes you understand different perspectives of special interests and Autism👏🏾!
My special interest is historical clothing/costuming which branched off into clothing with any vague historical fashioning feature/look, which further branched to doll making and collecting because dolls always have the cutest outfits lol
Hello. I am an autistic hominid, and one of my special interests is making music and visual art partly influenced by being neurodiverse and nonbinary, as well as by issues of human rights, stigmas, dogmas, religious trauma, alchemy, psychology, psychedelic and other mystical experiences, multicultural archetypes and traditions, the relationship between nature and industry, and more. I have a music project that is about 15 years old now, and it is so important to me I make a point not to listen to much music by other people for fear of accidentally stealing something they wrote musically by getting it stuck in my head and forgetting it wasn't me who thought of it first. I used to listen to a lot of different music, now I prefer to listen to sounds in nature and noises caused by various machines. My music often has this juxtaposition, because I want to make tangible the harm capitalism and other power imbalances cause our eco system, which is not an efficient way to coexist and support mutual or even individual wellbeing.
One of the most relatable videos I have ever come across on YT. I have spent years doing the exact things, learning guitar to intermediate level, learning how to build computers and understand networking. I learned to DJ and then jumped to learning how to repair my car and now can do all my own maintenance. I spent 6 months straight everyday just reading and listening to podcasts on religion, apologetics, and philosophical arguments for morality, free will vs determinism etc… I honestly thought everybody did this…😂
This brought me a lot of joy, thank you for this!
Also, this made me realize I’d love to listen to a podcast where a different autistic guest each week just goes off about their special interest. It’s really fun hearing people talk about what brings them joy!
One of my special interests is Japan- the culture, the country itself, the language, everything. I grew up hearing my dad’s stories from when he lived there, and it triggered this deep fascination. I know history, architecture, folklore, the reason behind so many parts of the culture, but I’m always a little scared to talk about it because I don’t like being called a weeb or to be thought of as another white girl appropriating Asian culture. I’ll say I’m studying the language, that I plan on moving there to be an English teacher, but I keep my informing to my parents and my psych, who is also just as into Japan as I am.
But my more “acceptable” special interests? I never shut up about them. Foraging, botany, pokemon, the sims, art, I talk about them for hours. Even my “creepy” ones, like clowns (which I don’t think are scary, I adore clowns), human decomposition, the history of human cadavers in medicine and science, and natural poisons, I’m known to pipe in with fun facts way too often.
I am autistic, so a lot of my special interests take over my whole life. And I love them! I’m studying a second language, I know all about the plants that grow around me and how to use them, all because my brain loves that kind of information
My special interests are plants (also sea life or flora and fauna in general, sometimes also geology--basically nature), Legend of Zelda, leftist politics and anti-capitalism, and art.
My interests include everything from competitively playing a 26 year old Pokemon game to trying to read every 18th century gothic novel I can find. I can't imagine how boring life would be without stuff like this.
YAYY NEW SPECIAL INTEREST VIDEO!! im audhd in my early 20s and my special interests to me give my life so much meaning. one of my current special interests is roller coasters, i just find them absolutely fascinating and it’s so fun to be able to identify the ride manufacturer based on the look of the track or know the history behind a certain ride or type of ride. i haven’t had the opportunity to ride many but one of my favorites is magnum xl 200 at cedar point. it was designed by a nasa engineer and the steel track was bent by hand because automated systems for that didn’t exist yet, it was also the first full-circuit hyper coaster (200 ft in height) and was the catalyst for the “coaster wars” in which parks competed with each other to see who could build the tallest coaster.
I hate when people hate me for having special interests but love people when they really love to study in school environment. I study just as much or even more but it won't lead to a degree.
i’m sorry to break it to you but i’m getting a degree in my special interest and people don’t love me either 😭 see because now instead of talking about something weird i’m talking about something boring and accidentally being condescending to them. like my friends (also autistic and/or adhd!) would forbid me talking about certain subjects outside of class. like oh sure they’ll compliment me, in class, when i’m helping them with a project, but the moment class is over i’m supposed to stop liking it and they don’t want to hear about it. so i guess people love people who really love to study, *in a school environment*.
@@chesspiece4257 Oh ok well I have no friends so I was thinking more about how other adults perceive it as in "wow so good you study in school" and "so bad you waste your time reading about stuff that will take you nowhere"
Yeah..I would hate getting criticized or not praised for doing what I love. Coming to think of it, I think it can be extremely fortunate to have an academic special interest, but then it becomes a job and can sometimes make what was once so special to you as a source of stress. I wish there was another system just for Autistic people to go as far as they want with whatever special interest they have and see how it can push society forward in any interesting way :D
Do I have spectrum special interests or do I have adhd in the internet age where I can be fascinated by a billion different things due to the ease of access now coming from growing up “poor” in the woods? Who knows…
But the thing I do know is letting go of the frustration of not having the results I imagine at the start and embracing beginner mentality is the most freeing thing I could have ever discovered.
That's been huge for me too. I've always questioned why I constantly jump around from fixation to fixation. A lot of mine are art-focused, and I struggle to just let everything go and start no matter the outcome.
I have OCD and that gets in the way of me starting projects for fear of not knowing enough, wondering if I'll capture my ideas perfectly on the first try, seeking reassurance as I progress, or avoiding the project altogether because I "messed up".
@@katiefleece same same exactly
you can usually tell it’s both when you can connect all your hyperfixations to a single thing about them that “fascinates” you. so my special interest is sociology, and my hyperfixations are/were: Chinese calligraphy (language and art reflects culture), harry potter (politics of power, different groups, interpersonal relationships), my hero academia (politics again, social change), city planning (people), drawing (for a story, about society). like algorithms struggle to recommend things to me because i’ll like someone everyone else likes, for a weird and specific reason. (fungi are cool because as a society we like to box living things into plants or animals so they’re kinda non-binary)
I have a special interest in (Virginia) opossums, so have an opossum fact! Its really rare for them to get rabies! Not impossible, but rare. This is because they have lower body temperatures than a lot of other mammals. Wanna know why? Theyre marsupials! You want to know what they arent? Rodents! This has been a PSA: opossums are not rodents. Stop calling them overgrown rats please.
Thanks Elliot. Just from the title, (I haven’t watched the full video yet obviously) I needed this.
about 33:10 i saw a great quote the other day that said something like “being able to solve structural problems on an individual level is a necessary survival skill now.” i think that’s a big reason why so much of the discussion is about what *you* can do. because structural change comes slowly. if it’s raining, do you wait for society to build a house to cover you, or do you make an umbrella? like i’m aware the problem is society, and the best way to solve it is structural change, but i also want to get through this month without having a mental breakdown. this is also probably why people love psychology so much. because psychology is something you can apply, and sociology is something you can shout into the void.
in economic terms, a special interest would be considered a head-start on an opportunity to "corner the market" as a "first mover" with a "value proposition" that centers around your "expert proficiency" at "discovering value" in a particular "market niche".
my special interests are ballet, pokemon, and the goth subculture !!!
Animals were one of my major special interests throughout my younger education years. Just like Devon, bats were one of my favorites (I also had a SI in vampires). I had three rubber Halloween bats that I would give each a collar of ribbon to differentiate and id give them personalities and took them everywhere.
One assignment in science class was to pick like 5 of this list of endangered species and make little booklets about conservation/habitats/behaviors. Well, I did all (roughly) 60 of the listed animals because that felt right to me. They all deserved to be researched about why they were endangered.
I just had to say, I am loving this video because I adore hearing about others and exploring my own niche “special interests.” My favorite quote has become “a jack of all trades is a master of none,” because it follows with “though often times better than a master of one.” Something that always restores my hope and optimism about the future is realizing I can continue to choose new “things” to obsess over and hyper fixate on until the day I die, and truly there’s nothing stopping me from doing so and every other generation or human has their things too. And I can change direction any time to enjoy and create my own unique future/person. Even if I cant make a huge difference on my own, I hope living my life truly and enthusiastically the way I want to and supporting other people to do the same, will lead to us all being happier and enjoying every moment we can in life. This was such an inspiring video for conversation!
This video put things into perspective for me. As a teen, I would be obsessed with improving my skills on the guitar, to the point where I’d get stressed out if I would be going away from home for a while and couldn’t bring it with me. Then I just dropped it and found it cringe, again, exploring everything there was to know and editing if I could make it part of my personality or not. I was also not obsessed, but *submerged* in Star Wars; the lore outside of the movies (expanded universe), fan art, fan fiction, etc. to a degree that I don’t think is normal. I used to dismiss these things being special interests because, I was very isolated and I believe they were coping mechanisms. But hearing people talk about their special interests makes me think there was more to it than that…
ouhhhh i can feel it in my hag bones from the first 2mins this bout to be another banger! cannot wait to catch up and learn more! thanks as always elliot!
I'm so glad that this video exists, because it's something SO MANY autistic people need to hear more than anything. I know I did, and still do.
Either ways, it's horrible to think that autistic people are forced to suppress who they are, facing constant shame and discouragement because "nobody cares and its weird". I seriously don't understand why. I get that it's a bit odd and far from the mainstream... but idk. More than hurting it confuses me. Is the reason for making it harder for so many people to just live their everyday lives and function because it's weird???? I mean can the reason really be that stupid and simple? Is that even a reason...?
Love to see Fab Socialism here - I relate a lot to having a special interest in people. Not having more traditional special interests always stopped me from identifying as Autistic. Our Flag Means Death changed that for me as I quickly became obsessed and I've been interested for over a year now. But even then I am more of a consumer and thinker about things than a do-er, and that's largely because of trauma around not feeling free to be new at something. Shame quickly stops me from trying new things, but I will analyze stories and the world around me to know end. And I love Fab Socialism for how she views the world and analyzes it, always makes me feel seen
Oh, I'm positive my drawing special interest only solidifies my position at being weird. Regardless, the title is welcoming and fun. I look forward to watching this while doing my hobby.
my special interests at the moment are mental illness/neurodivergence and the horror podcast the magnus archives :)) i get really excited when either of them are mentioned and they take up so much of my brain
I recently invested in a new sewing machine, bc even if I’m not good I can stay up until 3 am sewing random pieces of fabric together bc it’s so FUN
Sorry Elliott, I'm literally sharpening the sword I spent 2 straights weeks hyperfixating on making while I watch this and had no idea machete fencing was a thing. I will finish the video later, in probably another 2 weeks, after I have either ascended the ranks of my local league or lost somehow lost a limb. Cheers.
Noooo I spelled it with two T's because my mine has two and I forgor 💀
I literally can't edit it so uuhhh
its two weeks later, you got an update?
What Devon said about childish special interests really hit home with me. One of my special interests is the Percy Jackson series, which i first read at 17, because my dad teaches middle school and greek mythology and ancient greece had already been a special interest for years at that point. I have all the books and i've read all the short stories and i really like the musical too (even if i don't think My Grand Plan does Annabeth justice) I'm in my 30's now, but these books are really special to me and sometimes i feel judged for that
Great video! I was pleasantly surprised that you interviewed Dr Price, especially liked hearing his thoughts on the neurodiversity movement under capitalism. And lol I have been "beginning to suspect" I have autism for about 4 years and counting. And yes I am watching this at work.
As someone with a special interest of queerness, in the past year specifically queerness in films and how society interacts with gender and sexuality since I am OBSESSED with Good Omens, I really adore this video because special interests are so cool, especially if they aren’t useful in capitalistic society! I mean, kind of off topic but one of my favourite parts of fanfic is having people mix their loves and passions and often special interests with the love of characters and fandom. You can literally feel the love and passion people have for these things and it makes me so sad and angry when people don’t care about people talking about their special interests. Anyway, conclusion is fuck capitalism lol have a great day y’all!
This video made my day. I’ve always struggled really hard with work and achieving all the things that an adult is supposed to achieve and I can’t tell you how terrible that feels. I feel immature even at 34. I feel frustrated because I want to learn. I want to participate and help the world be better and do something with the knowledge I’ve accumulated, but I can’t. This video helped relieve a little of that pressure. Thankyou
Lemme tell you, I’ve spent upwards of 50 hours learning how to mix and master music. Another video from my main source just came out, it’s about mixing vocals specifically, it’s 9 hours and I will definitely be watching and taking thorough notes over the whole thing. I been working in Logic Pro and it’s so much fun and it’s so coool.
The way my friends will listen to me blab about pagan religions and religious concepts makes me feel so seen(?) Idk when its stuck in my head I have to share especially when i learn something new or cool like how Aphrodite is basically just Ishtar who was brought with her cult to Sparta, giving Aphrodite a war like epithet that the rest of greece hated because it went against their morals. Or how Easter is just a continuation of the worship of an Anglo Saxon Goddess named Eostre. Eostremonath was the fourth lunar month to them (Bassically april, technically started around march 20th) celebrating the spring goddess Eostre, when Romans were converting the Anglo Saxon pagans they synchretized Eostre with Passach (passover)
Or how when we say "thunder" we are recognizing and praising a God. The Protector deity Thunor, thunderer, roarer, striker
I appreciate how well organized r most guests of this video. I usually fixate on smth in several weeks, same with my thoughts, one is jumping on another. I wish my interest was studying or smth good for me and society and not just pop culture
what i REALLY notice is that I have such an easier time talking to fellow autists and adhd folk, i never have to explain WHY i like something, i can just ramble about whatever i find interesting. neurotypical people have a way stronger sense of normality and reason behind stuff, we're just vibin, both good for different reasons and roles but not a good mix sometimes. im into machete fencing now btw.
Im very passionate about music, history, culture. I especially love studying genres, the history, musical theorical reasoning for why its considered that genre, the culture , and fashions associated, and origin/location. Im currently obsessed with continental music/a lil bit of culture as well, and just in general music geography. I can go on for hours about various alternative based subcultures and including the musical theorical aspect as well, and the evolution/connection to other subcultures/subgenres. I shall stop vefore i continue , but i was kept away from my special interest growing up, and am glad that I can actually do activities based off my interests/have access to music. Idk what it is, but music/history/culture/even sociology/things around that, are what im interested in, music/culture probably is the center of all my interests. Idk what to call anything of what this is about me
fab got me smilling and giggling bc i do the same thingggg i would love to talk with her about that
I've always loved people can enthuse about stuff - so much more interesting and with much more death than boring being who go around being cynical about everything. This is probably why I have so many neurodiverse friends
Wow! All star cast! So far loving the video, but had stop to appreciate how you brought so many great people together to share their perspectives in one place. I'm used to the colab, but this group is exactly who in my subs I wanted to hear from about it that I don't usually get to (except Devon, I hear it often from him lol, but he's the perfect expert). If I was any vainer I would assume this video was made with just me as the target audience. It's so pleasing to know others are right next to me at this intersection of wonderful people.
edit: Yes! Yes! Yes! Thank you Elliot!!! Great video! How was I not subbed?
Also the politics are a big part of my sharing Dr. Price's books, I hope that's a growing number!