Interests you have that people don't expect

[Claire386]

Sometimes people make assumptions based off of appearances. In my case, people don't expect me to be into basketball at all because I don't exactly look like someone who plays basketball. People also don't expect me to know Japanese. I'm not fluent at all but I can definitely carry a basic conversation. So what are some interests you have or things you do that you think would surprise people? c:

 

[Viridian Beedrill]

I had to do a presentation on a personal interest for work (it was part of a larger assignment to work on public speaking skills). I did it on cryptids, which seemed to surprise people. Although I'm not entirely sure that counts, since they also didn't know what "cryptid" meant, hehe. (Cryptids are rumored-but-not-proven animals, think Bigfoot and the Loch Ness Monster.) I am easily scared by much tamer frights (like, well, public speaking), so the fact that I research science-bending monsters for fun might surprise people even if they did know what a cryptid was.

 

[mastermind lissi]

I guess just by looking at me you wouldn’t really tell I’m an artist, but the thing is I am extremely vocal about the stuff I like lol

I doodle on basically everything, and talk way too much about the hunger games and Taylor swift hehe….

 

[guzmania]

a lot of people (at least online) are surprised when they find out i lift! i'm not necessarily vocal about it, and it's not part of my lifestyle i guess, but it's my favorite way to keep active year-round and i have my own weight set and stuff.. in the summer i also do a lot of swimming? so in other words, i think i come off as a "chronically online" sorta guy, and i'd say that's kinda true, but aside from gaming and web surfin i would consider that a potentially unexpected hobby of mine

..i also have a huge love for old movies (>50 yrs old i mean), which may shock some more than others, but....!

 

[CynthiaLover]

Well, for starters, most people I meet in RL wouldn't suspect that I'm a fiction writer. Strange, I know, considering I've got a few internet sections where I post my content (like here), but I don't look like the type who would write. I look more like the type who would be a sports fan (which I'm not, as I hate most sports). Even some of my family members don't realize I'm a writer. But given my overly active imagination and the fact that writing acts as a stress relief for me many were surprised to know I actually spend a fair bit of time writing and brainstorming ideas.

They are also those who wouldn't suspect that I also enjoy bowling. Like I said before, I don't like most sports (especially contact sports) but I enjoy bowling a lot. I even have a bowling alley not far from where I live that I like to go to with dad every so often, and I have my own personal bowling ball and shoes. I'm also a pretty good shot, too, if I do say so myself, as most of my scores tend to be fairly high (not pro-level high, but high for a casual player). But considering that I generally don't like sports one wouldn't expect me to both enjoy and be good at bowling.

 

[Railgun]

Well, for interests... I don't think most would be able to tell that I am an avid lover of history and somewhat invested in politics (US mostly, sometimes international). Hell when I was in high school, I wanted to be a politician. I ended up majoring in Political Science for a bit before switching to Creative Writing during college. I lacked the charisma to be an efficient leader, so ultimately I dropped Pol Sci for Creative Writing.

However, I am still invested in current events and affairs. I like watching political talk shows, especially humorous ones like Last Week Tonight with John Oliver and The Daily Show. I really like watching historical and war films. Downfall or Der Untergang is for example is an excellent film about the Battle of Berlin and Hitler's downfall. It's just so fascinating.

Speaking of history, I'm also fascinated with 1970s NYC. So much I want to write a novel set during that time period. Ideas are in the early stages, but hope to crank it out someday!

 

[Pigrider09]

you may have seen me talk about this a bit, but I love hockey! I’m pretty sure me and Caps are the only ones on these forums who do, or at least are vocal about it. But yeah, hockey cards (I have a lot more than Pokemon cards), watching and playing, fantasy hockey.

I am also a huge cartophile, that is to say a lover of maps!

 

[Skylor_Starblight]

While it's not a current interest, people were (and still are) shocked when I tell them I did and was interested in martial arts. I'm practically a twig at first glance so that probably explains it, but I trained for like..7 years?

Also, I've never really told anyone but I also have an interest in baking which, yet again, would probably be surprising considering I look like I eat crumbs for every meal.

And if you talk to me for like, 5 minutes, you'd think all my interests are childish (Kirby, Sonic, Pokémon) but I'm a massive fan of Vivziepop's shows which are...definitely not kid friendly
And if you hear my opinions on sports, you'd be surprised to find out that sticking me in the crowd of an Ice Hockey game will get me hyped and happy. I don't necessarily follow the sport but dear gods when I watch it, I love the living hell out of every second

 

[Queen Of Space]

Probably a large amount of my music tastes. If you look at me i look like I listen exclusively to VGM but nah I fucking love alt/alt rock and way more. I fucking love tally hall it genuinely is one of my favorite bands out there.

 

[Okido]

Hard to say, but I think most people wouldn't guess that I enjoy practicing some of the performing arts. In person I'm usually very quiet and reserved, and honestly a bit clumsy, so I probably don't come off as someone who would ever enjoy acting, singing, or dance — and I'm not at all public about it anymore either, so I don't blame anyone for not believing me lol. It's not a big hobby of mine, but it's good physical and mental exercise! I just like the process of memorizing and rehearsing the same routine until finally being able to pull it off without flaw.

I also really love horror as a genre, in basically anything from movies to art to writing to video games. The various interpretations of the genre and the depth of possibility it has are extremely fascinating to me, and for that reason I have a ridiculously high tolerance level for even the most intense of horror.
That's obviously not too surprising if you know me well enough, but those that don't know that fact about me always give me that baffled "really? you?" kind of response whenever I tell them. I guess I just seem sensitive, or something? ^^;

 

[Phantom345]

Something people might not guess about me:

Even though I am not athletic at all, I still enjoy watching sports, mostly football and hockey.
I also have an impressive ability with numbers, seen when someone would look at my math scores on tests. Before I dropped out of high school because of my health, I was in an advanced math class for my grade, Algebra 2/ Trigonometry. I never got to the Trigonometry, but my grade was higher than 100 percent, because of extra credit.

 

[Aulos]

It depends on the social context, I suppose.

IRL, I have long been associated with classical music and the bassoon (even though I'm also an oboist! - totally got called "Miss Bassoon" by an old acquaintance the other day. Hilarious). In that context, it's probably hard to imagine that I'm not just "Miss Classical" (another nickname I've been given over the years). I think the genre people would be the most shocked to know I listen to is Punk or Ska Punk. Indeed, it is very uncharacteristic of the other music I listen to, sticks out like a sore thumb, so it's surprising even to me. xD But it's been fifteen years since I started getting into that, now. Even went to a Streetlight Manifesto concert. (Try to picture that, it's very bizarre for even me to think about!)

Otherwise, I like watching some sports. It's due to my mom, I think. She's always been into football and basketball, so eventually I learned it with her. It's only ever college teams, though.

I don't know that most people nowadays would assume many of the things I like, though, like video games, anime, any of that stuff. I don't share my interests outside of my friends group. Like at work, I don't know that they know much about me at all. I have my desk decorated with cute unicorn and such stuff, so they could gleam something from that... but not much from that at all. I'm really curious what they'd think my interests are. xD

 

[lisianthus]

I think the genre people would be the most shocked to know I listen to is Punk or Ska Punk.

Whaaaaaaaat!!?!? I totally wouldn't have guessed that LOL, how neat! I don't listen to a lot of American skapunk (I like Japanese skapunk much more) but I've always been partial to Skatune Network... and on the JP side I like POTSHOT, KEMURI, muramasa☆, SKA SKA CLUB, and GOLLBETTY.

Hmm, really the only thing that sticks out for me is that I've been on-and-off playing tennis for the better part of about three years by now? I'm not really that good, but I was good enough to play at the Varsity level for my high school somehow last year... I don't really talk about it anywhere (which is why I am talking about it in this thread), though, because it's nothing more than a hobby for me. I also like to rollerblade whenever the weather is nice, but I need to find proper elbow guards and such before the summer!

I'm a bit clumsy as it is, but somehow also did dance when I was younger, which is something I really wish I hadn't given up on to be honest... I think I would really enjoy it even now, but it'd probably be stressful.

Oh, I also have a very lapsed mild interest in skill toys! I only have a kendama (two of them, actually) and Terra Pill, as well as a ginormous Kaiju Kendama, which is a foot long and two pounds large (it is much too large to play with to say the least). I can only do basic tricks, but every few months I mess around with them when I'm feeling bored... it's very satisfying when I'm able to properly land a trick.