Gonna lay down some truth bombs for you OP
It seems like I’m late to a few things regarding Internet culture in the last couple of decades.
This isn't a bad thing. Most internet culture is actually pretty useless for day to day life. If anything, awareness of it can give people entirely the wrong impression of what you are about.
I find myself wanting to be a human encyclopedia, regarding learning more and more about the likes of music, books, anime, video games/board games, world history, etc.
History, music, literature sure. The rest are a waste of time.
I cant remember for the life of me who led the study but I saw some findings that suggested role playing games could be a chance for personal growth and learning about ones own personality in a "safe space without judgement. Outside of this video games are not going to help you develop as a person beyond a catalyst for meeting other people which they generally tend not to do.
It's one thing to be an encyclopaedia about useful knowledge to actual adults in reality, it's another to be an otaku.
I’m in my mid 20’s and I find myself asking, “Is it too late, and I feel like I’m trying to catch up to people just to show them that I’m not one-dimensional like the rest of the world?”
Nobody is special. Everyone is boring or one dimensional in a lot of peoples eyes.
You're only special to those who care about you.
It's just how the world is. Even the most talented and arguably interesting people like Mozart still had critics who felt they were insufferable bores and had no idea why anyone could ever like them or their work.
I’m even also thinking about moving to somewhere in Asia in the next few years, but it seems like everyone else is doing the same thing.
Unless you actually are Asian im guessing you're a weeb. It's not quirky, and you're not twelve.
Everyone is "doing the same thing" because a lot of life is the same thing. Very few people do something truly unique and even then they repeat what they do over and over again.
It sounds depressing but it doesn't need to be. Focus on something you really want to do, and just work out how to get there. As much as I've disparaged anime so far if that's what you want to focus on, full speed ahead. If you want to be a brainiac with killer scientific knowledge? Theres probably better things you could be doing to get yourself to that stage. It's entirely possible (perhaps with sacrifice) either way.
Am I the only one that thinks things like this, or am I growing way to insane for my age?
It sounds like you're at the start of a mid life crisis, which isnt that unusual and you're at the age where they do start occurring for some people.
I've had similar doubts before, though I've approached life in a different way. I put every ounce of my energy from my early teens into my twenties into training for and obtaining a dream calling, only to discover I hate it once actually in the role. Since then I've resigned, took on jobs and hobbies often at random (having no clue what I want to do) until finding a handful of things I'd like to do more of.
Up until your twenties theres a pretty clear trajectory of things to do and signposts and people to guide you along the way. Once you get there well, I dont know about you but I got the impression of "the hell is next?".
TL;DR: You're not special and neither is anyone else except to those who hold them dear. Despite that, it's never too late to make changes to be able to live a way you would prefer to.
P.S: Going outside and socialising can help you progress with any of the above, though when I say socialise I mean talking to average normal people rather than vapid Instagram thots.
