Social Anhedonia?

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Any thoughts?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anhedonia#Social_anhedonia

I experience what might be social anhedonia but it could also just be that I'm a child in an adult's body. Kids play together while adults talk. If I'm doing something enjoyable with people I enjoy the activity and the experience is positive. If I'm just interacting with people I don't seem to get anything out of it. Socializing with people for the sake of socializing is just boring. It's a chore.

The amount of pleasure I get from social situations is often less than I'd think was normal, but I think that's only because social anxiety spoils it and makes me long for the safety of isolation, where I can't make any social blunders. When I do manage to engage with people, it makes me feel good as well as nervous.

I can feel good in a social setting, nervous, but good. I tend to feel better in social situations where I am quite familiar with the others. I also have a lot of fun playing games with other people. My special interest is games.
I do have party anhedonia where I can't stand parties.

I have always enjoyed both doing enjoyable things (like playing games) and just talking to my immediate family and online friends (although I easily find myself out of things to say).

Other than that, I have participated in games as a child because I liked the activity, but I took pleasure in the game, not the company. If I could have played those games alone or with robots, I would have. Likewise in school I was so bored with school that spending some time talking to my classmates was far more fun than focusing on school, but only because I had to be there. Once the school day was over, my interest in them stopped at the door out. I just wanted to go home to my life. I hardly ever say anything more than "hi" to my neighbors (unless they ask me something of course, but luckily that's rare), and that's the way I like it.

I don't know if I can have social anhedonia when I enjoy a select few people.

If I'm reading this correctly, social anhedonia cannot be brought on as a result of social anxiety. As in, if said displeasure from social activities is caused by social anxiety or phobia, it disqualifies itself.

I can personally take joy in social activities, I just typically don't because of anxiety.

I think that's about right. I've read that Aspies often start out by wanting social contact but that after repeated failure their social motivation shuts down. That would make it difficult to tell from direct observation whether it was social anhedonia or not, especially if the subject had adopted a "sour grapes" attitude to society for emotional protection.

Certainly there have been a lot of folks on WP who have expressed disdain about NT social antics, and I personally still see a lot of NT social stuff as rather stupid, and I usually say so calmly with no sign of fear or hurt, although when I look more closely, it can't that be stupid if they enjoy it so much, and I can often recall a negative history about the particular activity.

I like socializing with aspies for short periods of time
NT socializing is not pleasurable at all

Interesting - methinks you would be welcome on the "Aspies communicating with each other" thread!

I don't get that much pleasure from socializing, for the sake of socializing. For me it does have to have a purpose, and at that point I don't even care about the fact there are people involved. To me they'll become the means to an end. Perhaps it's a rationalization on socialization and why I sometimes do it... but chances are, if I'm talking to people, there's a very, very good reason; one that probably doesn't include.. "oh you know, I just like to talk to people".

I don't have a lot of anxiety, if any, going on, and will strike up conversation if needed. But I just don't have the urge to most of the time. Heck; I'm totally fine going out to a bar or club and just enjoy myself without exchange of any words, except between myself and the bartender when I'm ordering drinks.

Though, while writing this, something else comes to mind, especially since someone mentions "party anhedonia"... parties, in general are something I quite like, however... most parties are just way too dull for my liking. I like outrageous parties, not the ones where people sit around on a couch and talk. But if the party involves cops, strippers and a trip to the ER, I'd say we're getting there.

I certainly wish I could be more comfortable doing that.

I find most social situations to be a downer. If its with a few close friends, then I enjoy it - but big parties and general social events I'm always trying to find an excuse not to attend.