[AlfredSchnittke]

Kind of branching off from the overexcitability thread, I am curious if any other INTJ's ever become obsessed with things the way I do.

I become obsessed with certain activities in a kind of research/achievement sort of way that I have never seen anyone else get obsessed with.

For example, when I became obsessed with music, I started listening to probably 15 new albums of rock music a day, and cataloging them, interspersing my listening with reading about the band's history, and rock history in general; I then did the same kind of thing for jazz, and classical music. I tirelessly sought out new, obscure masterpieces, and endlessly made rankings lists of every kind.

When I was obsessed with fashion I did the same thing, but with fashion houses/designers. With the additional element that anywhere I traveled to I HAD to go to interesting, baroque boutiques to check them out, not even necessarily to buy anything (though I often bought something, just to collect the shopping bags and verify the shopping experience).

I did the same thing with computers...

And now I currently find myself doing the same thing with restaurants/food. I spend countless hours reading about food, all different kinds of food, and I am obsessed with trying all of the best restaurants near me and reviewing them, keeping them in short lists, ranking them, recommending them to people, etc...

I seem to take both an in depth, but very broad approach. The broad aspect is strange. Most people when they become "obsessed" with something become obsessed with ONE thing within a general category. In music, people might become obsessed with grunge music, or in food, maybe they become obsessed with finding the best ice cream. But I seem unable to be that narrow...I want to see the best of everything in general, and discover every obscure pocket of greatness within a broad activity category.

I also note that I somewhat relish being the "go to" person for recommendations in these areas. I am known amongst my friends for having "unusually good taste in very broad and deep areas".

On the other hand, I seem to be totally unconstrained by things most people are. I have no problem listening to "extreme" music like that of my namesake, I have no trouble appreciating avant-garde fashions like those of Gareth Pugh, I have no problem diving into liquid nitrogen cooling for cpus, and I have no problem diving into Korea town to order still live octopus tentacles, as I might the fresh veal kidneys at an upscale Italian osteria. At the same time I don't go out of my way to search only for the abstruse, and eldritch...I can appreciate the simple beauty of elegant traditional items, like Saville Row suits, or the insane pleasantness of Chopin's nocturnes, or the more homely delights of a good burger, or a genuinely greasey philly cheesesteak on a genuine Amaroso roll.

I have never understood why I seem to see things in such a more "all encompassing" kind of way, while most people just "freak out" if you even suggest trying something other than a hamburger with ketchup and cheddar cheese (or the equivalent in whatever area of which we're speaking).


Does anyone else go about doing things like this?

On the other hand, I have been thinking that these obsessions have tended to seriously hinder my more profitable actions in life, even though they make me enjoy life immensely.

Is there any career that uses these kinds of skills?...Maybe you're like me and you've got it better figured out.

I'm very curious to see if this is an INTJ thing or not.

[Black Fire]

Actually, I tend to have these kinds of obsessions too. With all the researches and details. I think that I obsess over something because I am usually bored with people that I know. So, in that case, I try something new to make my life more exciting.

A career... Well, I'm not sure about that. I guess the best job would be the one where you can experiment or see something new. Perhaps a guide, photographer, researcher... I know that their not the best examples but I can't tell you more at the moment as I don't know your whole interests.

[AlfredSchnittke]

	Originally Posted by Black Fire To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
	A career... Well, I'm not sure about that. I guess the best job would be the one where you can experiment or see something new. Perhaps a guide, photographer, researcher... I know that their not the best examples but I can't tell you more at the moment as I don't know your whole interests.

I'm interested in practically anything. That's the problem in many ways hah

[Abacus2012]

Totally relate to doing things like this! The concept of the
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has always been appealing to me. Career-wise is tough. I seem to have a 3 to 5-year cycle of interest/challenge in a job and then get bored with things. I was fortunate to make a couple of lateral moves with my first employer that satisfied my need to mix things up without turning my resume into a job-hopping mess. I'm my own boss now, but even that hasn't "fixed" my motivation beyond a certain point...

[jerdol]

Completely like this. For me it often lasts a few weeks (though it depends on what kind of obsession it is); after that, I return to it occasionally, but have not nearly the same full-time investment as during the initial phase.
One such obsession was MBTI, which occupied me December-January a year and a half ago. I also had a Batman obsession a few years back, origami, screen-writing (that one lasted longer, likely because writing feature-length screenplays was a longer commitment), and recently the Twelve Minor Prophets in the bible.
My MO is largely breadth-heavy, going deep for a few things that catch my eye along the way. It's basically about becoming an expert, I think, and once I feel like I "get it" I can power down, knowing that the gained knowledge will never go away.

I would imagine research or engineering careers would work best with this. What's needed is a job where the interest cycle is measured in weeks or months rather than days. One needs to be able to focus on a project at length, work through it, then eventually move on to something completely different.

[AlfredSchnittke]

"One needs to be able to focus on a project at length, work through it, then eventually move on to something completely different."

I was thinking about doing some kind of consulting.

But the problem is that one needs to first become successful in something else first I guess.

If only there were a career where you could just do meta analysis of systems.


I am sure I could be a critic of some kind, but I don't know exactly how you get into that...it takes a huge investment, and luck I guess.

But then would I really want to be, for example, a food critic my whole life?

[aok]

I got some of the O issues in OCD.

[ALLIELIV]

	Originally Posted by jerdol To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
	For me it often lasts a few weeks (though it depends on what kind of obsession it is); after that, I return to it occasionally, but have not nearly the same full-time investment as during the initial phase.

Same here! I will be totally obsessed with something for a few weeks, sometimes months and then its just..eh. Ill get to it occaisionally but com[ared to the initial 'research' stage it looks like i never get to it lol.

When I get like this I want to know everything I can possibly know about this subject. Sometimes I wont even sleep a few nights because im on such a research bender. My mother calls me a walking encyclopedia because I know so much random information.

[Black Fire]

	Originally Posted by AlfredSchnittke To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
	I'm interested in practically anything. That's the problem in many ways hah

That's why it took me so long to finally decide who am I going to be. :D Because it seemed that I could be almost anyone.

[AlfredSchnittke]

	Originally Posted by Black Fire To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
	That's why it took me so long to finally decide who am I going to be. :D Because it seemed that I could be almost anyone.

People talk about it like it's a blessing, but it seems to be more of a curse really hah

The Unbearable Lightness of Being and whatnot...

---------- Post added 07-05-2012 at 06:51 PM ----------

My obsessions seem to last longer than most people's though.

You can't listen to 10,000 albums of music in 3 weeks, you can't go to all of the countries best clothing stores and purchase a suit from the best fashion houses in 3 weeks, you can't eat at all the best restaurants in your city in 3 weeks (hopefully)...

The practical constraints of my obsessions draw them out much longer than those of everyone else I suppose.

[AnotherMatt]

I tend to obsess about one thing at a time. Growing up, if there was something I wanted that's all I would think about. Even now, if there's something in life I want really badly, I completely obsess over it and can't think about something else. I've also always been obsessed about my grades and getting a high GPA. I will obsess until I finally achieve my goal of obtaining something. Kinda sad but I can focus on things such as exams or school very well.

[AlfredSchnittke]

How is that "kind of sad"?...

[jeff1377]

I get obsessed about things also. Sometimes, they are just ridiculous things. I can obsess over anything that gets caught in my brain. One day, I started thinking about disasters, any kind of disaster. Now, I have a garage stuffed with supplies, I have written an Emergency Operations Plan for my family, and I have a Masters in Disaster Preparedness and Crisis Management. Recently, I read an article about a professor from the University of Oregon "Dr. Jenkins" who discovered signs of human life in a cave in oregon dating back 14,300 years. Now, I am obsessed with studying archeology. Its all I think about. I am trying to justify the expense of going back to school to study Archeology, but know that I am just going through an obsession.

[LiveNotOnEvil]

Yes, I'm very much like that too, to the point where I sometimes eat very little and just sit there focusing on some specific "fad" thing. It's hapenned with internal combustion engines, computers, foreign languages, etc for me before. It holds correlations with Asperger's Syndrome too btw.

[Motarelli]

I have various obsessions too, and they can last anything from a couple of weeks to a couple of decades! The silliest things can start them. For example, a couple of months ago I discovered an Albanian song that I absolutely loved, and then suddenly I found myself spending hours googling things about Albania and trying to work out the language and all sorts. I'm over that now, and I have no idea why I was interested in the first place.

I have an ongoing obsession with religion (as an atheist) and right now it's all about Judaism. I'm drawn to it. I can't explain why. I would really, really like to learn Hebrew but I can't see how that would benefit me.

[warweasel]

Yes. Sometimes, I don't even realize I'm doing it until it's pointed out to me.

[seeyouatx]

I've OCPD, so my obsessions aren't quite the same, but I do obsess about certain topics. I have an insane fixation with languages and cultures. And travel. Anything related to those and I research it. It tends to lead to a bit of overload, but oh well.

[AnotherMatt]

	Originally Posted by AlfredSchnittke To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
	How is that "kind of sad"?...

It can be sad how much I will obsess about certain things at times. It's like I CAN NOT stop thinking about something I want until I obtain it. It can completely consume me. I find it difficult to relax at times.

[AlfredSchnittke]

	Originally Posted by AnotherMatt To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
	It can be sad how much I will obsess about certain things at times. It's like I CAN NOT stop thinking about something I want until I obtain it. It can completely consume me. I find it difficult to relax at times.

That just means you're a superior human being.

[fesoy]

I know the feeling. I randomly took a Russian class because it fit into my schedule and I just ran with it. Had no idea what I was getting into and literally knew zilch about Russia. (Tolstoy? It's cold and big?) Four years later and I'm a little ways away from finishing a degree in IR with a specialization in Russia/Eurasia, and a career as a foreign analyst.

That's probably the most life-altering (haha) out-of-left-field one for me but I do tend to completely immerse myself in things. I once spent two weeks educating myself on various firearms and how they all work because I wanted to know what a "velo-dog" was.

This is probably rather obvious advice, but I think you just need to figure out what's drawing you to your obsessions. More often than not there's some sort of central point(s).

[AlfredSchnittke]

"This is probably rather obvious advice, but I think you just need to figure out what's drawing you to your obsessions. More often than not there's some sort of central point(s)."

You would think so.

But if there is...it's not good for me, because it would seem to be something like "aesthetic taste".

Which is effectively useless in today's day and age.

I would have been a god damned legend if I was born even a century or two ago.

[fesoy]

Originally Posted by AlfredSchnittke To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

"This is probably rather obvious advice, but I think you just need to figure out what's drawing you to your obsessions. More often than not there's some sort of central point(s)." You would think so. But if there is...it's not good for me, because it would seem to be something like "aesthetic taste". Which is effectively useless in today's day and age. I would have been a god damned legend if I was born even a century or two ago.

Aesthetic taste is still something. Going solely by your OP you would probably do quite well writing for a lifestyle magazine/blog/journal - that is, if you have a penchant for writing. It's a rare trait, being able to approach things as a whole without discriminating. People appreciate well-rounded opinions, and it's clear that you enjoy being that "go to" person, but you'd have to put some serious effort into establishing yourself as that person on a professional level if you want to make a career out of it.

[AlfredSchnittke]

Yeah.

It would be completely ideal for me. Writing is actually one of my "gifts" (I don't bother doing it here though, hah, before everyone jumps on me for not writing picture perfect essays for every reply).

I am actually a ghostwriter by profession.

But it's just incredibly unclear how you are supposed to establish yourself as a writer of these things...

When I looked into being a food critic for example, I found mostly that they all come from wealth, and spent their entire (young) lives traveling the world eating at the finest restaurants (and less fine ones, too).

It's unfortunate. I keep putting myself out there...hopefully I'll just luck into it I suppose, but it's just basically impossible to chart any kind of course for approaching it as a goal.

But you're absolutely right. I enjoy almost nothing so much as being the "go to" person that recommends the music/restaurant/suit/custom computer system that significantly betters someone's life, or just makes for the perfect evening.