The Obsession How-To Guide

The Obsession How-To Guide

A Step By Step Instruction Guide to Understanding Obsessions and Developing Obsessions for the Non-Obsessive Individual

 This is not going to be a regular obsession post as I'm not really inspired by anything during today's lunch/blog break.  Instead, I was inspired to do something a little different today for your entertainment and reading pleasure.

First, the back story as to what brought me to write this.  I was having a conversation with a friend and we were discussing possible future purchases for home entertainment collections.  My friend suggested that rather than continue to feed my obsessions, I branch out and offer a wider a variety of viewing material to people who may be interested in watching a movie at my house.  She suggested that people might not be interested in the same things/actors/actresses that I was interested in, yet they found themselves with very little to choose from if that was the case and they wanted to watch a film at my house.  

I had never considered this before.  No one has ever voiced a problem with my obsessions before.  Yes, there are many recurring themes and faces throughout my movie collection, but it is a surprisingly large collection with a wide variety of genres to choose from.  

Needless to say, I mulled over the idea for a bit before completely rejecting it.  If I'm going to purchase movies for my collection, then the only really important thing is that I like my movies.  (Yes, there was a little toddler voice inside my head that said that.)

That being said, it did make me think.  There are, perhaps, many people out there that aren't obsessive like me.  They probably don't understand what it's like or how it happens.  What if these poor souls are obsessive but don't want to admit it?  What if they want to exercise their obsessiveness but don't know how to go about it?

Well, here's your handy dandy guide to both understanding obsession, living with it, and developing it.  ENJOY!

I read somewhere the other day (or saw it on television?) that internet addiction is chemical and genetic, like addiction to drugs or alcohol.  Basically, it's another great thing that science has found that we can blame our parents for.  Thanks science, parents everywhere love you.

So if that's the case, then I thought that obsessive traits could also be genetic (and therefore you can blame your parents for all your obsessions).  

Step one to the entire process which follows is this: Stop denying your obsessive personality.  Embrace it.  You are who you are, and unless you are stalker-type obsessive you're not hurting anyone.

 Now, don't you feel better about yourself?  Now that you've let go of the denial and have fully embraced your obsessive personality, you can move on to step two: Identify your obsession.

This step is not as easy as you might think.  Obsessions can come in many shapes and sizes.  If you're just accepting yourself as an obsessive person then you make take a little more time with this step.  It's OK, it's not a race.  Take as much time as you like.  Remember, this is a process you will repeat many times in your life.  

Once you have identified your obsession, or once you have encountered a new obsession, you may proceed to the next step.  Feed your obsession.

This can be done in a variety of ways, and some of them depend on the obsession.  Times have changed with technology, so feeding obsessions is now easier than ever before.  Though the tools used to feed obsessions may change, the overall methodology remains more or less the same.  You'll need to identify key aspects of your obsession before you proceed.  Once you are familiar with the process this will be automatic, however, until you reach that point I've provided some sample questions that you can explore.

1.  Is it a person, place, or thing?  
2.  Are there pictures or video available?
3.  Will you be looking for music?
4.  Are television and film important?
5.  Is it a food?  If it is, should you indulge often or feed your obsession sparingly?
6.  What possible sources of information are available to you?
7.  Is your obsession harmful to anyone or anything?

That should get you started on feeding your obsession.  I'd like to add here a disclaimer for questions number 5.  If your obsession is a food product, then I do NOT recommend feeding your obsession as often as I would for any other possible obsession.  It could be harmful to your health...unless maybe you also have an obsession for exercise.  Also, if you answered YES to #7 then STOP NOW AND SEEK HELP.  I am only interested in promoting healthy obsessions.

Assuming that you have identified your obsession at this point and have also verified that it is not harmful to yourself or any other living creature, you can move on.  Usually for me the next part of the process happens in various different ways.  You'll need to mix and match and personalize for them to suit your particular needs.

1.  The Internet

Now that we've entered a world of technology where everything is always at our fingertips, the first stop for me is usually the internet.  Here I can find out background information on whatever I'm obsessing over.  I can also figure out how best to proceed in order to maximize the amount of information I can find.  

2.  The Television Guide

If your search results tell you that movies or television might be a place to find out more about your obsession, then you'll likely want to skip on over to the television guide to see when something of interest will be airing.  In ages past obsessives like me had to sit in the floor on Sundays with the guide and go page by page hilighting things that would be of interest.  Now you can find most guides electronically.  Pinpointing any upcoming viewing will help you further plan your attack.

3.  YouTube

In times past we also did not have YouTube.  However, the times have changed and this is a very handy tool for any obsessive individual.  YouTube puts many things at your fingertips that you wouldn't have been able to see otherwise.  This will help you to catch up on interviews and appearances you may not be able to find on current television.  This beautiful stockpile of media also offers you plenty of appearances you would have missed, music videos if your obsession is musical, and a wide variety of other possibilities.  Pace yourself with YouTube, however, and realize that you don't have to watch all the videos in one day.  You can come back.

4.  Books and Magazines

Ah, yes...the go-to classics.  Books and magazines never go out of style, and most of the time you can find plenty of stuff to read that will help feed your obsession.  You can also find Blogs, e-zines, etc. on the internet to add to your reading material.  This way your mind gets a little bit of a work out in between the viewing/listening marathons that you'll be doing.

5.  Music

If your obsession is a musical obsession, in addition to the steps that you have taken prior to this one, you'll want to try to listen to everything your obsession has to offer.  Go ahead and pile all the hits into your IPOD.  Then you can have your obsession on the go!  

6.  Movies and Television

If your obsession can be found in movies or on television, be prepared to boob out in front of the tube.  Many channels play a variety of shows and movies that are sure to feed most any obsession.  If you can't find it there, Netflix and Amazon are prime places to find what you're looking for, and you can always slowly add to your home entertainment collection.

Congratulations.  You have now accepted your obsessive personality and you know how to feed it. With a little practice you'll be adding obsessions to your life frequently and helping them to grow with time.  We sincerely welcome you to the club!!!

If you are a non-obsessive person (or if you are still in denial) dealing with obsessive individuals in your life, then you understand better now the process they are going through, but there are a few more things you need to know.

1.  Obsessive people are not broken.  They do not need to be fixed.  Furthermore they do not want you to try to fix them.  Chances are your obsessive friends would find you much more interesting if you would embrace your inner obsessions (and everyone has them).  If you're interested in this, please jump back to step 1 and proceed from there.

2.  No obsession is "cooler" than any other obsession.  An obsession is an obsession and each person will be obsessed with what most appeals to them.  Your secret obsessions may seem cooler to you, but they're not.  Anyone not obsessed with them will always find your obsessions just as lame as you find theirs.  Get over yourself.  

3.  You can suggest other possible obsessions, but be prepared for the obsessive person in your life to either reject them for lack of interest or to become obsessed with what you have suggested, thus leading them to restart the cycle.  If you don't like someone's obsession,  you can always suggest something to them, but there's no telling if that obsession will stick or not.  If it does, be prepared to let it run its full course.  Remember, obsessions are stronger in the beginning, and though they may be long-term, the intensity will die down a little after the initial cycle is complete.  

I hope  my little How-To Guide has been helpful to those who are obsessive, those who think they might be, and those who have to live with the ones of us who are.  Happy obsessing everyone!