People who are only interested in one thing at a time

[muir]

I knew someone at work who was completely obsessed with hurling (an Irish sport). He would talk about nothing else and would try to divert all conversation to that topic. He would read and re-read the hurling section in the papers and knew everything there was to know about his home team.

Dear gods, but he was so boring. I will say that he never broached the subject with people who had no interest in it, he would just remain completely silent instead.

I can get a bit obsessive myself, but my excessive curiosity means I constantly move onto new subjects.

I think men in particular can get obsessive in that way

In some manifestation it can be a guy talking about football (or hurling!) in astounding detail but it can alo be a scientist working away on some new theory like Isaac Newton beavering away in his alchemical laboratory!

Genius is sometimes said to be a concentrated focus on a task. Accounts tell of strategists like Napoleon being completely oblivious to other people when they come into their presence because they are so deeply focussed on the military chess game in their head....chess...that's another example eg kasparov

Guys obsess....this can bore or it can innovate

I do wish though that the mental energy that many guys apply to sport was instead focussed on the problems of the world and on creating solutions to them

 

[Elis]

Do you know anyone like this, they are only interested in one thing at a time and will usually only consider any other thing in relation to the one which which they are fixated with at the time, for instance someone who is interested in fitness who is only interested in a popular movie in so far as it may give them ideas about fitness training or allow them to evaluate how fit actors are.

Is this natural or unnatural do you think? A quirk or a personality trait?

That sounds partly like me. I tend to fixate on one thing at the time, but change from time to time. When problem solving I don't like to throw around too much with frameworks (when I've figured out how to progress), but I can be pretty flexible about it in discussions.

As for your example, I'd say it depends on to what extent, and to what extent said person would defend it. But really, there is more than one reason as of why someone would act like that and it pretty much comes down to the individual.

 

[Delta]

Fixation can be part of autistic behaviours, which although I'm not autistic I can heavily relate to. Still, I enjoy the everything coming together aspect of multi tasking. If honest I prefer neither compared to spontaneity. Spontaneity is the best. I can get perplexed if I don't have enough spontaneity in my life.

 

[Sriracha]

SYCK!

You love me long time Long Duck Dong.

 

[Verdant]

I know I'm generalizing, but I have noticed all my sensor friends are infatuated with very much 1 major thing, with very small interest in others, mostly work or family. While my intuitive friends cannot help but keep an extended interest in at least a couple, to even very many things.

 

[sprinkles]

How can I relate this thread to Rubik's cubes

 

[muir]

How can I relate this thread to Rubik's cubes

I think you just did

 

[Erlian]

I can frame all my current thoughts to one goal.
Getting a girlfriend asap.

I'm studying to do something with my life. Not doing something with your life is uninteresting.
I do fun stuff. You can talk about that and that makes you interesting.
I constantly do everything to learn about myself, so I can find pitfalls in my dating performance.
It's definitely been my obsession for 7 years. Being obsessed lowers my chances. I'm so obsessed I force myself to be less obsessed. It's working slightly.
I'm less focused on getting a girlfriend and more focused on just enjoying things now with friends, dates, study, hobbies. It's working. Now that I'm less obsessed I have an easier time getting dates.

 

[the]

Actually, I had an discussion with a friend of mine once and she stated that definition of masculinity in person, is that he/she can focus on a thing at the time and be be good at it. And definition of femininity is that person have lots of interests. I did not agree and but I could not at the time state my disagreement clearly enough. I think it is very general.

I think it is general inclination, that exist in every person and is activated under some psychological conditions. Inclination to obsess and be addicted.

Thats a weird definition.