# People with narrow interests. What's that like?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-with-narrow-interests-whats-that-like/542167
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
**Created:** [June 6, 2010, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-with-narrow-interests-whats-that-like/542167 "2010-06-06T14:51:46Z")
**Posts on this page:** 6
**Page:** 3
### Author:  [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)
#### Post date: [June 12, 2010, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-with-narrow-interests-whats-that-like/542167/41 "2010-06-12T14:58:31Z")
> [@pedescribe](#):
>
> It’s not that I’m not interested or enthused in anything. It’s that the things that I enjoy studying or collecting or whatever are really boring to talk about, or really confusing to someone who’s not familiar with the topic. So I try to avoid talking about things I’m interested in. Which makes me sound kind of boring.
Oh, I have no doubt some folks interests are just flying under everyone elses radar so to speak. Like you do apparently.
But I known a few folks well enough that they really DON"T have any significant interests. My recently deceased neighbor was one. A very nice and faily intelligent man. But even his wife told me on multiple occasions that he had no interests. She even said he worked after he could have retired because he didnt know what else to do. And even work wasnt apparently his passion, it was just something to pass the time.
Another was my grandmother. Pretty bright woman, but due to circumstances of the time didnt even come close to finishing high school. Growing up I noticed she really had no interests besides crosswords and watching random stuff on TV. And even those seemed to be more of a pass the time thing than a serious interest. Even as I kid then, before I had any particular interests, I swore that I would find SOMETHING to be interested in and be at least moderately passionate about.
And there are a couple more folks I know well enough that I suspect are like that.
Don’t get me wrong. I don’t feel superior to these people. I do feel a bit sorry for them because nothing appears to give them the emotional/mental/physical satisfaction one gets from having an interest/pursuit they love and take “seriously”. Then again, it is THEIR life and they don’t seem particularly miserable either, so who knows…
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### Author:  [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)
#### Post date: [June 12, 2010, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-with-narrow-interests-whats-that-like/542167/42 "2010-06-12T15:20:35Z")
> [@](#):
>
> I thought we established the new phrase for threads/posts that are a front for self-congratulation: sneak-bragging.
I prefer the phrase ‘she’s full of herstealth’, but yeah, yours works too.
mmm
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### Author:  [@Stoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stoid)
#### Post date: [June 12, 2010, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-with-narrow-interests-whats-that-like/542167/43 "2010-06-12T19:58:08Z")
> [@CarnalK](#):
>
> Then why is it you seem to almost pity them in this thread? I get that impression from:
>
> Especially if this someone is who inspired you to start this thread.
No, not the same person.
The person who inspired me to start this thread is an opera singer, actually. And the only thing she ever seems to comment on or publicly post about is opera-related. And it’s not like she’s coming from a perspective of being a public person making public announcements - the posts are casual, personal things…this [insert opera-world-related person here] is so magnificent, wow, [insert opera-world-related person here] just died, we did this and that at this dinner full of opera people, this opera-related photo is of something pretty is so great, here’s a youtube vidoe of a little kid who is so cute SINGING OPERA…
Like that.
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### Author:  [@Stoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stoid)
#### Post date: [June 12, 2010, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-with-narrow-interests-whats-that-like/542167/44 "2010-06-12T20:01:51Z")
I just checked, and the only posts of hers that do not include any opera are the ones she posts about animal rescue. So she has two topics.
And I’m not dissing it for her sake, she’s very happy and engaged and that’s great. But it seems strange to me and it made me think of other people I know who are single or maybe dual-minded.
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### Author:  [@Stoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stoid)
#### Post date: [June 12, 2010, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-with-narrow-interests-whats-that-like/542167/45 "2010-06-12T20:17:03Z")
> [@billfish678](#):
>
> But I known a few folks well enough that they really DON"T have any significant interests. My recently deceased neighbor was one. A very nice and faily intelligent man. But even his wife told me on multiple occasions that he had no interests. She even said he worked after he could have retired because he didnt know what else to do. And even work wasnt apparently his passion, it was just something to pass the time.
>
> Another was my grandmother. Pretty bright woman, but due to circumstances of the time didnt even come close to finishing high school. Growing up I noticed she really had no interests besides crosswords and watching random stuff on TV. And even those seemed to be more of a pass the time thing than a serious interest. Even as I kid then, before I had any particular interests, I swore that I would find SOMETHING to be interested in and be at least moderately passionate about.
>
> And there are a couple more folks I know well enough that I suspect are like that.
>
> Don’t get me wrong. I don’t feel superior to these people. I do feel a bit sorry for them because nothing appears to give them the emotional/mental/physical satisfaction one gets from having an interest/pursuit they love and take “seriously”. Then again, it is THEIR life and they don’t seem particularly miserable either, so who knows…
Yep.
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### Author:  [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)
#### Post date: [June 13, 2010, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-with-narrow-interests-whats-that-like/542167/46 "2010-06-13T00:28:46Z")
> [@MeanOldLady](#):
>
> People, please, allow me to translate. \*\*Stoid \*\*isn’t actually wondering what it’s like to have in depth knowledge and interest in limited subjects. She merely wanted to compose an OP that states, “I am wordly as shit, y’all.”
Or she could have actually meant what she typed at face value. It’s a legitimate question about human nature what makes different people tick.
\*\*Moderator note:\*\*You may think no one notices this _en passant_ accusation of sneak bragging, but–ah–no. We do notice it. If you want to say something to **Stoid** take it to the Pit. If you want to start a discussion about sneak bragging, do it in another thread.
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