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Do you get a chance to talk about your special interests?

Oakling

Outside of this space, do you ever get the chance to have a conversation about the things you find interesting?

There are a few things I’m really passionate about (rocks, minerals, wood/tree species and grain patterns, traditional joinery techniques, wood turning, strength sports etc.). But whenever I try to talk about any of them I either get the impression that people are uninterested (which may be the case for my niche interests), that I’ve targeted the wrong audience or, even more interestingly, people come out and directly comment on how boring my interests are (even in jest, but with a perceived layer of truth hidden).

Just be yourself they say… but obviously don’t actually be yourself!

Id love to actually speak out loud about my interest sometimes, but just haven’t found anyone interested enough.

Parents

  • As a child, only my other geeky friends like Doctor Who. The other kids used to tease me about it. I got in the habit of not talking about it. At university, I was part of the university Doctor Who Society and spoke to people there. When I left university, I was involved with online fandom for a while, but in recent years I’ve drifted away, partly through not liking the recent episodes and more from struggling to find an online community with the right level of activity (not too much or too little). Plus these days I’m a lot more interested in the original series than the twenty-first century version and I don’t know where I will find people who accept that. I’ve got my wife interested in Doctor Who and she will talk about it to me.

    I agree with Shardovan about the difficulty of finding people interested in other “niche” classic science fiction. Not many Sapphire and Steel or Quatermass fans out there. I suspect the same is true about John le Carré’s George Smiley novels, although I haven’t really looked.

    I’m not sure if Judaism counts as a special interest for me, but it is hard finding people wanting to talk about it at an intellectual level I feel comfortable with and focusing on areas that interest me. Again, I talk with my wife. And no one shares my intense interest in the teachings of the Kotzker Rebbe (Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Kotzk, 1787-1859).

    I’m not sure that I really “need” to talk about these interests though. I tend to get very shy about talking about any of them unless I’m with someone who shares my degree of interest or passion. I’m embarrassed to talk about things other people aren’t interested in or where my knowledge is much greater than theirs, and I’m too shy to talk to people whose knowledge is much greater than mine unless it’s a formal teaching situation.

  • in reply to Luftmentsch
    Luftmentsch said:
    John le Carré’s George Smiley novels

    For some reason, I haven't yet read the books; instead I've watched both TTSS's, Smiley's People and a very moving tv production of A Perfect Spy.

  • in reply to Steven

    I keep meaning to see it. I recommend The Sandbaggers as supplementary viewing. Similar turf. The realities of yer actual Cold War espionage in late 70s/early 80s Britain. Lots of difficult conversations in Whitehall corridors. And a tiny bit of gruelling non-glam action. The antidote to James Bond’s nonsense. And Roy Marsden is great in it. Think it might be on BritBox. 

  • in reply to Shardovan

    I've seen The Sandbaggers too, also excellent, although uncomfortably dark in some places.

  • in reply to Shardovan

    Blimey!

    I did start to watch it once (think it's on Youtube or Daily Motion) but crisps approached again or something. 

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