A shower thought of a sort: What is it to be completely obsessed with something to the point of being identified by friends and family as a fanatic – and then to just… move on?
I grew up in Melbourne’s outer ‘burbs and played Australian football for nearly 20 years. It was only fourth division and I wasn’t much better than decent, but I loved the club and my team mates. Well, a handful of them, at least.
Footy was probably the biggest part of my life and social graph through high school and into my late 20s, and I went to as many Tigers games as I could each year.
Then when I ‘retired’ from footy (in so much as the club landed a wealthy new president and he had first-division ambitions that didn’t need hacks like me) and later moved to inner Melbourne to be closer to my girlfriend at the time (now mah wiiiife), the hipster virus got me. She was a total inner-north indie elite back then; rode her bike everywhere, had two-dozen coffee dates and boozy picnics each week, and so on. So I bought a bike too, and embraced that 2010s hipster lyf. (This was when I grew out my beard, and I’ve yet to give it up!)
Now, this entire time – from my early teens and even into my hipster years (motoring journalism has been my full-time job since 2007) – I was also 𝓸𝓫𝓼𝓮𝓼𝓼𝓮𝓭 with cars. Most of my social set that wasn’t the footy blokes I’d moved on from (and who had moved on from me) were other car guys, and that’s a big part of how I fell out of graphic design and into the motoring media.
But… now that I don’t work full-time in motoring media (I went freelance this year), I don’t think as much about cars.
And so, I find myself wondering what all of this says about my personality type?
Listen – I know logically that it’s common and psychologically normal to ‘move on’ from an effectively all-consuming hobby or topic when you no longer hang with those types, or move into a new industry, but it feels weird nonetheless.
I’m still a motoring journalist in a freelance capacity, and I really enjoy the work – I’m not burnt out, I don’t have many regrets – but I think I could be the only one doing it that isn’t also 𝓸𝓫𝓼𝓮𝓼𝓼𝓮𝓭 with cars.
Don’t get me wrong, I stay abreast of developments – I can’t be good at my job if I don’t, and I’m 𝖕𝖗𝖊𝖙𝖙𝖞 𝖇𝖑𝖔𝖔𝖉𝖞 𝖌𝖔𝖔𝖉 at it – but, yeah. Weird.
I asked my best mate ChatGPT to psychoanalyse these wonderings. Professor GPT says I’m passionate and committed to the group or job in front of me, but that I’m also adaptable and open to change – the latter being an effect of the social and relationship influences in my life. Shit, does that make me a ‘beta’? 😂 (I don’t believe in that bro crap.)
The quite extensive list of positives went on (reflective and self-aware, professional and competent, balance of passion and practicality, independent yet socially integrated), so I asked for some negatives – and boy do I wish I hadn’t!
Professor GPT, apparently not keen to retain me as a client:
1. Identity Shifts and Instability: Your tendency to move on from one intense interest to another could suggest a lack of a stable core identity. This might make you feel uncertain about who you are at times.
2. Influence of Social Circles: While being influenced by relationships can be positive, it might also mean that you sometimes prioritise others’ interests over your own. This could lead to a sense of losing yourself in the preferences of those around you.
3. Risk of Burnout: Although you currently enjoy your work, your history of intense involvement followed by moving on might indicate a potential for burnout. If you engage deeply without finding long-term sustainability, you could face exhaustion or loss of interest.
4. Superficial Engagement: The shift from being deeply obsessed to moving on might suggest a pattern of superficial engagement, where you dive deep into an interest but do not sustain it long-term. This can affect the depth of expertise or fulfilment you derive from your activities.
5. Difficulty with Long-term Commitment: Moving from one interest to another might indicate a challenge with long-term commitment. This could impact not only hobbies but also personal relationships and career stability.
6. Over-reliance on External Validation: Your changes in interest based on social circles could suggest a need for external validation. This might lead to constantly seeking approval from others rather than finding intrinsic motivation.
7. Potential for Regret: The reflection on your past passions and current feelings might hint at a potential for regret. Looking back, you might question if moving on from certain interests or relationships was the right choice.
8. Conflict Between Passion and Practicality: Balancing passion and practicality is good, but if not managed well, it might lead to inner conflict. You might struggle between pursuing what you love and making pragmatic decisions.
Well! In the interests of being reflective and self-aware, I’ll be sure to, uh, take all of that on board.
Have you noticed any similar traits in yourself? I’d be keen to know!
Mike Stevens
Founder
Mike is a designer and journalist with nearly 20 years’ experience in automotive and consumer technology, editing and leading titles like The Motor Report, CarAdvice, Drive, and WhichCar. He is the co-founder of The Motor Report, and the founder of DadBase.
He’s also a photographer, gadgethead and erstwhile cyclist, and the proud ADHD dad to two ADHD kiddos.
Born and raised in Melbourne, Australia, Mike relocated to Berlin in 2024 with his wife and kids for travel and culture adventures.
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