"It's healthy to have a social life"

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I don't so much see what financial status has to do with mode of socialization. . .

there are some fairly inexpensive ways to be drunk/loud/crowded social, and some expensive ones to be quietly social with just a few. . .

That's right. At least if there's something the entire face of humanity fears, it would be loneliness. Technically, that makes us pretty strong to be able to have no fear of loneliness.

Strong, or stupid.

It's simply easier to accomplish a lot of things in groups, of various sizes.



It can be very hard to hang on to one's sanity without meaningful human contact. . .

But strangely easier to do in the absence of clubs and bars. . . .

I find these notions to be in fascinating contrast... I find myself pondering the meaning of the word "meaningful"; for for me, human contact or not has nothing to do with feelings of loneliness. As I've been overheard saying recently, I feel most lonely in the middle of a crowded room. For me, human contact only serves to increase my level of loneliness, for it does little more than remind me how different I am.

When I am alone, I feel little of loneliness, for as I consider myself to be unique to the point of being not even human, is not the natural state of one who is unique to be alone? I do not know. There is some loneliness in such feelings of uniqueness, and I do not like the feeling; I have lived with it all of my life though, and more or less learned to not worry about it (and I certainly do not fear it); does that make me strong? I know not. Loneliness simply seems inherent to my condition in this existence.

"Sanity" is another interesting notion, for I often feel that my own is slipping away. Part of me believes that more human contact would only accelerate this process (and I'm pretty sure I'm right about that); but then I get back to that word "meaningful". I'm not sure I know how to do that, have meaningful contact with humans. I have a few close friends, and I enjoy talking to them from time to time; that's probably meaningful; but is it enough? Is it enough to stop my inevitable slide into madness? I wonder...

I have not the slightest fear of total isolation; am I strong, or stupid? Perhaps that is confusion or bravado on my part, but I feel I'm right. I've heard that typical humans do tend to go crazy when they are placed in isolation. Take a typical man or woman, lock her/him in isolation with all other needs reasonably provided for, and I understand that human will tend go to bonkers after a while. Me? I honestly doubt it would effect me at all; the notion sounds more like peaceful bliss to me. But once again, thinking about this reminds me of how different I am, and so comes the feeling of loneliness...

Strong? Stupid? I am simply what I am…

Good fortune,

- Icarus is the last of his kind...

I think that sums it up for all of us here at WP. I need to memorize that, so I can quote it next time I am reminded "It's healthy to have a social life."

Healthy? Yeah right. What if your family doesn't want you to have a social life? I know my family doesn't want me to have a social life.

i remember thinking just that when i read walden.... well, minus the "NT" bit.... just thought "most ppl"

i used to walk around the forests all the time growing up. even went out barefoot and all.

People that say those things; especially when they construct statements like that. . . annoy me to the point of feeling I'm going to have a fit. Everything about is so terribly wrong in so many different ways.
Sorry, I just shun them and did shun members of my own family with disgust (not that others should; I myself refuse to make hollow, bigot, normative statements). I got tired of arguing.

I'm just posting to say how bafflingly common I find this. Normally, I expect people, human beings, individuals, thinking entities to say things that differ at least slightly from one to another. . . but no; when it comes to these kind of statements it's the exact same wording every-single-time. I'd say there's an undercurrent of insecurity in these (otherwise unexplainable) reivindications of the crowd but I don't even care.
If not saying things like that means I supposedly have a disease then so be it.

Sounds like your sister is an extrovert. It's hard for extroverts to understand why introverts need and want to spend time alone more. I've never liked people who say it's unhealthy to not have friends. I have very few friends (if you could call them that) and I've gotten along fine without them. I mean I may not be the most mentally sound person, but it has nothing to do with a lack of friends for me. In fact, having too many friends would drive me bonkers.

Hey...

Sorry, didn't mean you. I meant my real life friends.

hehehe Just kidding

I refer to my "real life friends" as my "off-line friends" because saying "my real life friends" makes it seem that friends online are pretend friends. Not putting you down... just thought you might like this way of expressing online and off-line friendships better : )

Good point.

I don't view loneliness the same way. I could be with or without people either way, and it wouldn't bother me much. If I'm around people, I would want them to go away if they were being boring or loud for no reason, and if they weren't, it wouldn't occur to me that being with people reminds me of how lonely I am. It's never really felt "wrong" to be lonely, and I've never worried much about it. When I say being able to deal with loneliness makes us stronger, I mean this in the sense that we are able to overcome something that other people fear and cannot live with.

Yep!