What is interesting?

What is interesting? This is my most sought after answer. All my life I've been told "do what you love, the rest will come". But the question remains, what do I love? What interests me? Interests were often shot down by those around me. Such a contradiction when I think of it, really. "You are so smart, you can do anything!" so when an interest presented itself to me, my "a ah!" moment was squashed "that's not something you can make a whole lot of money at." Or "That's something that's very difficult that only a handful of people have been successful at" Now as an adult I understand the logic behind those statements but as a kid, it meant wondering through the universe with no direction. And now I also see the importance of guided exploration with my own kids. However, my issue persists. What interests me? What interests others for that matter?

As a salesperson, I've learned the importance of revealing a client's needs. Needs they didn't know they had. My problem is I'm not a good salesperson. In theory, you ask questions, probing the individual's lifestyle, looking for loopholes, gaps in their protection. Then when you've revealed this hole (one you've exaggerated in the slightest degree) and then instilled a bit of fear of the potential for disaster, you burst forth with your resolution, your product, your protection. Not only have you most likely sold your product, but you're a hero and have hopefully built some kind of mutual respect and admiration in the hopes of referrals or repeat sales. Now what does salesmanship have to do with my original question, you may ask? Do interests need to be sold?

Why is it that many people dread pulling weeds, while others spend their lives in Horticulture? Why is it that some people spend years studying entomology while the rest of us prefer to hire an exterminator? I've often found things I didn't think I would enjoy, were made enjoyable, by watching someone else doing that thing joyously. But how did they come to enjoy it firstly? The Chicken or the egg? Are interests hereditary? Hmm.. maybe. After all, the son of a blacksmith was usually a blacksmith. Or was that just convenient? And what do you do if you don't have a family heirloom career? We are supposed to be in an amazing time, where anyone can do anything they want, but what do you do if you don't know what you want? Two things I suppose, go into the military (not to impugn those that want to be soldiers) or get creative. Sometimes I think it's easier to be thrown into a situation and change your perspective, than it is to get a perspective from scratch. Isn't that what most people do?

I guess most interests stem from a goal. My goal is to be independent and stable, which leads to a goal for money, which leads to a job –any job that makes money will do, which leads to something that's interesting because I know lots about it now.

Maybe the interests that stem from true exploration are the interests that made monumental changes in our society. I read somewhere that it is in human nature to explore, that our mental psyche is at its best while exploring and symptoms of depression and obesity are diminished while exploring. But what is left to explore?

Maybe interests really stem from a need. I needed to get my kid a Halloween costume that didn't cost me 10 times more then what it's worth. So I picked up a pattern and some material and there I was sewing, pretty soon I was thinking of other things that needed to be sewn and other ways I could save my family money. And now sewing interests me, how do those seamstresses make a wedding dress bigger?

I also seem to be interested in a challenge. If I'm intimidated, the first thing I want to do is destroy and conquer. Even if someone else is challenged, I find my competitive nature takes over just for my own satisfaction, childish, I know, but it's how I'm hardwired. But those interests are spontaneous and flippant. Never lasting longer then it takes to complete the challenge.

So on I search, anyone have any ideas?