Is not having friends a turn off?

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^^^i used to feel that way too. i was with my ex for 20 years, and for most of those years i didn't have friends. but when i was friendless it gave him a massive responsibility, which was not fair to him. even though people might not think they need friends for their own sake, it enriches a romantic relationship and keeps it in better balance.

people who have friendships are more likely to be healthier in both an emotional and a physical sense. friendships even help people to keep their relationships in perspective.

aspies often don't think friendships are necessary, but that's not a global viewpoint that takes multiple factors into account. it's uncomfortable for us to socialise, but NOT having friendships eliminates massive health benefits and romantic relationships do suffer as well.

Having friends just helps with alot of things in life. But not everyone looks at it the same way.

for instance I have a friend who goes around telling guys shes interested in, that she has no "real friends" and that seems to make guys actualy pursue her even more.

At the same time most women react pretty negatively when they find out I'm not the shy guy stereotype, and that I actualy have alot of friends. I've also had women consider me "none datable" simply because they thought I had no friends(based on from what I looked like).

Yeah for most people it is a turnoff. For me, I dont care if the person just has a few friends versus having absolutely 0 friends. If the person has 0 friends, there's likely to be something wrong. Most of the time, even people who are very solitary at least have a few. Whereas other NTs, if the person doesnt have decent social life then it can often be a turn off. But then if it is: you probably wouldnt want to be with that person anyways.

It seems counter-intuitive that socialization would have health benefits for people who don't enjoy it, let alone despise it.
I'm wondering if such studies made any attempt to differentiate between introverts and extroverts.
My relationships, when I've been in them, have certainly never suffered for my lack of friends-
half the time, I was with someone who was friendless, himself.
"Birds of a feather..."

It's just the dating process, and the hyper-social nature of many people that makes them treat people with no friends like freaks, which suck.

It's not a turn off for me the last girl I dated for nine mouths didn't have many friends but I don't judge a potenial boyfriend or girlfriend based on the friends they do or don't have.

VW, those people would be captured in the studies already, since friendless extraverts and sociable introverts (presumably both suitably miserable) would not be excluded from the study.

i guess it would depend on the number of people of each extreme who were included. but i didn't see any disclaimers like, "positive health benefits from friendship were enjoyed by all subjects except the introverts". they'd pretty much NEED a disclaimer because it would be a noticeable division.