How do you become or stay interested in something?

[J1M]

The time I was most motivated and interested in things was the time when I was working a job that I knew was a short term arrangement. During work my mind would plan/anticipate how to use the spare time.

[Red7]

I posted this in another thread recently:

Reviews rarely do me any good because they're not what determines whether a game catches my interest. I've probably played more games because of off-hand references in 4chan posts than I have because of reviews.

The reason is that I have a problem: my interests are mercurial and I have no control over them. Furthermore, when something does catch my interest, I want to do that thing to the exclusion of all else; it temporarily comes to dominate all my time and energy. The internet tells me this is called 'hyperfixation'.

The hyperfixation doesn't bother me. I like being focused. What bothers me is that my obsessions, often with little warning and after only a few weeks, end suddenly and nigh completely. Even if I consciously want to continue, my subconscious will shrug at the thought and rebel if I try. I know from experience that it goes in cycles and that I will eventually come around, but this can take months, or even years. It makes it very difficult to pursue any long term project.

I could give many examples, but to describe just one: last year my dormant interest in tabletop RPGs suddenly roared back into life. I spent weeks reading books and blogs on design and gamemastering, researching different game systems, writing macros for MapTool, searching out digital tools and mapmaking software, writing houserules, brainstorming a setting, generating token art with AI, and so on. Then, after real life circumstances kept me occupied for a few days, it was over: my interest vanished as quickly as it had come and I haven't touched any of it since.

Hence, my question: how do you deliberately cultivate or maintain an interest in something?

intellectual realization is way more stable than emotional state.

if u pursuit something because of well thought strategy that strategy wont change even if your "feelings" do.
this is why vaginas arent capable of accomplishing anything btw as they lack ability to have intellectual/logic based confidence.

[boot]

the heart devises the path. Trust in the Lord completely. Start there.

start living without money, gonna be worthless soon, stock up and spend while it still has some value

[madbringer]

I posted this in another thread recently:

Reviews rarely do me any good because they're not what determines whether a game catches my interest. I've probably played more games because of off-hand references in 4chan posts than I have because of reviews.

The reason is that I have a problem: my interests are mercurial and I have no control over them. Furthermore, when something does catch my interest, I want to do that thing to the exclusion of all else; it temporarily comes to dominate all my time and energy. The internet tells me this is called 'hyperfixation'.

The hyperfixation doesn't bother me. I like being focused. What bothers me is that my obsessions, often with little warning and after only a few weeks, end suddenly and nigh completely. Even if I consciously want to continue, my subconscious will shrug at the thought and rebel if I try. I know from experience that it goes in cycles and that I will eventually come around, but this can take months, or even years. It makes it very difficult to pursue any long term project.

I could give many examples, but to describe just one: last year my dormant interest in tabletop RPGs suddenly roared back into life. I spent weeks reading books and blogs on design and gamemastering, researching different game systems, writing macros for MapTool, searching out digital tools and mapmaking software, writing houserules, brainstorming a setting, generating token art with AI, and so on. Then, after real life circumstances kept me occupied for a few days, it was over: my interest vanished as quickly as it had come and I haven't touched any of it since.

Hence, my question: how do you deliberately cultivate or maintain an interest in something?

You are old enough to start a family and ur replacing the need for that with distractions.

[WhiteShark]

You are old enough to start a family and ur replacing the need for that with distractions.

Allow me to reiterate that I can remember this happening as far back as elementary school. I don't think my age has anything to do with it.

Edit: Furthermore, @OnTilt has expressed having the same problem, and he is married.

[Red7]

due to extreme magnification hostile alien involvment i would strongly advise to not ask for external guidance whatever deity/enity u think wants to help u. when your mind idles rather than prays its most able to absorb leaking data that u need and process/present it in most productive way using system assisting algos.

[boot]

aliens are kos

[boot]

and I am a close quarters fighter so they can try me anytime

[madbringer]

You are old enough to start a family and ur replacing the need for that with distractions.

Allow me to reiterate that I can remember this happening as far back as elementary school. I don't think my age has anything to do with it.

Edit: Furthermore, @OnTilt has expressed having the same problem, and he is married.

Maybe Im projecting, then. I grew incredibly distracted and straw fuelled in my efforts before I found meaning in having a family. I apologize, meant no offense.

[Shillitron]

Hence, my question: how do you deliberately cultivate or maintain an interest in something?

Probing question:

Are there any elements of games that you universally enjoy? Or do the mechanics / genres of games also shift with your mood / hyperifixation, where for 2 weeks you'll love RPG's then you'll immediately lose interest and start loving some other type of game?


Something that worked for me:

I've noticed that I almost always drops games near the ending. Once of I've sapped games for all their story, mechanics, side content, challenges - whenever I get a sniff of "This is the last city" or "I'm entering the point of no return" or "The game is ending soon" - I will immediately drop it.

Eventually I'll come back to the game years later and finish it just cause but I always find doing it a chore and more for my mental bucket list then anything.

My solution to this problem has been - whenever I get the "Ugh I don't wanna fire up the game" feeling, I just power through, start it, hop in and force myself to play maybe 20 minutes to an hour, if I'm still bored - kill it - if I "find the fun" then I keep going.

[WhiteShark]

Are there any elements of games that you universally enjoy? Or do the mechanics / genres of games also shift with your mood / hyperifixation, where for 2 weeks you'll love RPG's then you'll immediately lose interest and start loving some other type of game?

I do partially burn out on genres. My essential love for certain mechanics and genres doesn't go away, but there's only so many games of the same type I can play in a row. I've had to take breaks from the grid-based tactical RPG genre because of this.

The central themes to everything I like are challenge and conflict. I want to sweat and bleed and ultimately prevail through my skill as a player. Many RPGs lack the challenge aspect and thus bore me. On the other side of the spectrum, puzzle games are challenging but don't generally have much of a conflict, so I quickly lose interest.

I've noticed that I almost always drops games near the ending. Once of I've sapped games for all their story, mechanics, side content, challenges - whenever I get a sniff of "This is the last city" or "I'm entering the point of no return" or "The game is ending soon" - I will immediately drop it.

I don't usually quit near the end, but one thing that does happen is that I usually stop as soon as I've beaten the main story, even if there's side content left undone. As long as I haven't finished the story I can do side content all day long because it ultimately feels as though it is in service to beating the game, even when it's not really necessary, but as soon as I've finished the main quest I stop caring about the rest. The only thing for which I'll keep playing at that point is extra boss fights.

My solution to this problem has been - whenever I get the "Ugh I don't wanna fire up the game" feeling, I just power through, start it, hop in and force myself to play maybe 20 minutes to an hour, if I'm still bored - kill it - if I "find the fun" then I keep going.

I want to try this, but it's very hard for me. I think I can only do it by actually setting a timer.

[TheCumGuzzler]

I used to finish at least 10 games per year or even more, since 2020 it dwindled down to 2 games or 3.
I think the biggest reason for that is taste refinement, it takes much much more to make me impressed with something enough to continue playing through it to the end because I have already experienced a lot unlike previously.
The biggest evidence of that is I'll go and play something I really liked before and find out it's shit.

[BobT]

I do partially burn out on genres. My essential love for certain mechanics and genres doesn't go away, but there's only so many games of the same type I can play in a row. I've had to take breaks from the grid-based tactical RPG genre because of this.

I think that's fine. Recently when starting a new game, I've been making sure it's been a completely different type from the last. That's actually been pretty fun. I played an action RPG, then a roguelite, then a puzzle, then a shooter, now I'm ready for a "proper" RPG again.

[Oyster Sauce]

I do partially burn out on genres. My essential love for certain mechanics and genres doesn't go away, but there's only so many games of the same type I can play in a row. I've had to take breaks from the grid-based tactical RPG genre because of this.

I think that's fine. Recently when starting a new game, I've been making sure it's been a completely different type from the last. That's actually been pretty fun. I played an action RPG, then a roguelite, then a puzzle, then a shooter, now I'm ready for a "proper" RPG again.

Such as Alpha Protocol?

[BobT]

I do partially burn out on genres. My essential love for certain mechanics and genres doesn't go away, but there's only so many games of the same type I can play in a row. I've had to take breaks from the grid-based tactical RPG genre because of this.

I think that's fine. Recently when starting a new game, I've been making sure it's been a completely different type from the last. That's actually been pretty fun. I played an action RPG, then a roguelite, then a puzzle, then a shooter, now I'm ready for a "proper" RPG again.

Such as Alpha Protocol?

Already watched a couple of polar opposite playthroughs of that years ago. :X
Fun game though, stands out.

[maidenhaver]

More like Beta Popamole.

[Boontaker]

For me the things that keep my interest the most are activities that are difficult to master, or have a human element to them (PvP). By far the things that keep my attention the most are tabletop gaming, wargaming, golf.

Tabletop gaming includes RPGs and boardgames, there are always new boardgames to learn and play. This means the challenge is constant, even better if the game has a random element to keep each game interesting. For RPGs I get to flex my imagination to the fullest, I can do things like turn a rogue into a grity lineman wielding a shield next to the fighter on the front lines, or make a militant wizard who uses his magic to protect his fellow parry by placing himself between them and the enemy. The freedom to create what you want is precious.

For war games you have to be careful as many modern companies no longer care about the competition (the war). Instead they regularly create bullshit to sell more and more, you have to be willing and ready to drop a game and move on once it has overstayed its welcome. The tactical element is what I get the most enjoyment from by far, watching my opponent cook that hamster in their skull to death trying to overcome my battle plan. I don't get the same level of enjoyment from card games, because the RNG element is too strong. Also in most cardgames 60% of the game takes place at home when you are building your deck, the rest is mostly RNG and remembering how to play the game properly. This is why card games are completely overrun with midwits.

Golf.....I guess I'm a masochist, but I love it. The cool wind in your face as you slice a ball 150 ft onto the next holes fairway . Yet when you make the perfect shot, you will remember it all summer.

TLDR, challenge yourself. Always strive to WIN, and win BIGLY. God didn't put you on earth to play games on easy.

Crush your opponents, watch them spill their dice on the floor, and enjoy the lamentations of their friends.

[Red7]

God didn't put you on earth to play games on easy.

actually, god/hostile aliens put u on earth on stacked deck so u got 0 chances to win/not be harvested and possibly eaten, and just use use free will/"i want hard game cause im retarded", as ruse to prevent other aliens from intervention

space tigers only humanitys hope

[Breathe]

This seems more common than I initially thought. I am this way. When something interests me I go all-in learning everything I can. Depending on what it is the timespan can be weeks to many months to even years. I get intensely focused on that thing and put most of my efforts into it. This can be anything from a historical topic to a hobby.

Then I burn myself out and eventually happen upon something else, repeating the cycle. What I've tried to do since I became aware of this pattern many years ago is to be cognizant of my actions day to day. If I'm enjoying a thing, realize and still enjoy but moderate my time/effort spent on it so that I don't burn myself out thus enjoying said thing for longer.

Sometimes I stay interested in something and it becomes another hobby. Other times I drop and move on. I've realized it's just the way I am. The sparks come in waves, and I try to ride them more skillfully now that I'm a little older and a little wiser.