what inspires obsession in someone? | INFJ Forum

what inspires obsession in someone?

Gaze

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So, theories of obsession usually focus on the mental or emotional issues someone which cases obsession but besides this, what qualities of a person usually inspire obsession in someone?
 
Mental disorders, codependency and rumination depending on what you mean by obsession.
 
A vast sense of anxiety and lack of control seeks something manageable and controllable; no matter how petty.
 
Feeling inadequate or worthless.
Being an overachiever.
Desperation for happiness or a desire.
Superstition or feeling that something will go horribly wrong if the target of obsession is not met.
Sufficient trauma, post traumatic stress. PTSD and OCD tend to co-occur for some reason.
 
So, theories of obsession usually focus on the mental or emotional issues someone which cases obsession but besides this, what qualities of a person usually inspire obsession in someone?

Well, it really depends on context. Quality A in Person B may not evoke the same response under the same conditions as with Quality A in Person C. Obsessions are high-velocity value attachments. If an attachment created by one's sense of self is given great importance, either internally or environmentally, then obsession can develop. They can be defensive/protective (in reaction to stimulus, or proactive against an incoming stimulus) or constructive (focused on personal growth) - malignant or benign. Generally, I think they arise from deficits in fulfillment and/or control and a sense of order.

I can think of several times I had a frenetic drive inspired by obsession to, say,
devour all the works by Romantic poets in England or consume all of the Russian literature in and around Dostoevsky's time. I was formatting my worldview and the subject matter under study contained a set of information about the human condition that I considered paramount.
 
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For me obsession I think it is directly attributable to two things independently or in combination:

1. Avoidance/Distraction stemming from things such as: I am avoiding something negative. I am not ready to face consequence for something I have done. I'm not ready to deal with something. I don't have all the information needed yet. I haven't decided yet. I know my part but am still considering the fallout and how it effects others. I'm ready to do it but others aren't yet. It's beyond my control or already in progress.

2. Ignorance + Interest for a given topic and the people interested in it. I tend to obsess on a topic for anywhere between a couple of weeks and a couple of years. There is an end goal but sometimes it is a vague one. Often this is accompanied by a desire to observe and learn the subculture surrounding that topic. I want to understand the motivations of the people who are so interested or obsessed about it in a more permanent way, the rules of the community, the tropes and memes, and the way people interact within and outside of the group. Usually I don't tell them I'm doing this as knowing they're being "watched" may cause them to behave differently but here I think everyone knows and many are also doing it so it's fun and unique to be able to explain it like this as it's happening.
 
A vast sense of anxiety and lack of control seeks something manageable and controllable; no matter how petty.

I'd say you hit the nail on the head on that one, though a 'vast' sense of anxiety/lack of control isn't even necessary. Sometimes all it takes is a lack of control in a place where you'd want it the most.
 
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