Re:The Bus Ticket Theory of Genius
by joe_the_user on Saturday November 23, 2019 @05:35PM
(#21617084)
Yeah, kid, family and relationships seems like the basic answer to "why aren't most people obsessed with obscure X".
The chances are your kid will take all your time when they're young and then probably won't share obsessive interest X when they get older.
Just as much with relationships - you can't be an appealing mate by being successful, well-balanced and well-adjusted. Or you can share interest X with you mate. But latter approach gives one 1/10000th as many people - not impossible but it's something to think about.
I think there are some portion of people who could find hobby X appealing but then, consciously or unconsciously think about these considerations and push themselves back to mainstream.
Also, you might be surprised at what having a kid does to you, in a good way. Like PG mentions in his essay, once people have kids they tend to be their focus, and it's satisfying to guide them and see them grow.