The downside might be that when you are aware of this, it may create a prejudice when meeting new people. Somehow I know (or think I know) that most people won't meet my interests to settle a common ground. It's not that my interests are better, it's just I am not into common things like TV shows, politics, sports, religion, etc.

This keeps me from talking to people except those who I already know (perhaps from a time when the prejudice was not so influential). I don't want to play status games because I have no interest to begin with.

Of course, the above excludes these tangential thoughts that one may share on HN :)