Voicemail I Just Left My Best Friend
☆ September 6, 2010
I was around people for NINE HOURS TODAY. You know that thing you always say as a joke, about how the reason I’m so happy is because I live as a hermit with animals? Well, now I know it is true. And it was only like six or eight people!
I feel like I need an exorcism. Or a bath. CallmeIloveyoubye.
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77 Responses to “Voicemail I Just Left My Best Friend”
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September 6th, 2010 @ 6:39 pm
I feel ya, there. I’m the same way. A day out at a family get together or shopping and I’m ready to sleep for a week. It just totally drains me emotionally and physically.
September 6th, 2010 @ 6:50 pm
I SO know what you mean. If it is going to be more than a few people, I have a two hour rule. That’s as long as I can do it. I wish I could be a hermit and live with my husband and animals. Shreve you live the life of my dreams.
September 6th, 2010 @ 6:51 pm
I used to say I hate men, then people would say to me,,,”be honest, you hate all people”. and it’s true. That’s because most people are very, very ignorant and stupid. & it’s getting worse because “the dumbing down of America” is upon us,,,with all the reality shows, game shows like “wipeout”,etc. They love the reality programs yet do not want to think about the real world and real problems on how to solve them. AND more and more people have adopted the “me, me, me” attitude and are also unreliable nor willing to take the extra step to see something, anything, done correctly because it is too much trouble for them. Give me animals any day…they are always so grateful for anything that is done for them and ask for nothing but the basics.
I just can’t stand people who are wishy-washy, indecisive, bullies, etc. Aren’t you glad you shared?
September 6th, 2010 @ 6:53 pm
Some of my favourite moments are after large people gatherings at my house (read: The Holidays) and the last person has walked out the door; I sit down in the settling quiet and my cat finally comes out from hiding, I think we both feed off the relieved energy rolling from each others bodies, and usually we nap. A blissful “I’m the only one in this house” silent and restful nap.
September 6th, 2010 @ 7:02 pm
Ha! Ditto and no apologies for it either!! Animals are how “people” are suppose to be, listen a lot, talk little, they don’t take more than they need and they don’t care if your impressed with them or not. Make no apologies!
September 6th, 2010 @ 7:06 pm
Thank you. I don’t feel so alone (pardon the pun) anymore!! There are others like me!
Bless You
September 6th, 2010 @ 7:10 pm
Love solitude and the great joy of animals and natural beauty!
September 6th, 2010 @ 7:15 pm
Awesome! :)
September 6th, 2010 @ 7:20 pm
this is exactly how my husband and I act all the time. He’s a police LT and deals with aggravating people often. I’ve always chosen animals over people. :)
September 6th, 2010 @ 7:26 pm
@Gina…I need a like button for your post…as sad as it is, I’m glad I’m not the only one who feels the same.
September 6th, 2010 @ 7:28 pm
“Hell is other people.” - Jean-Paul Sartre
September 6th, 2010 @ 7:32 pm
I hope the next book contains some of the philosophical process that guide you in building the life you want. It seems certain that you had strong women in your family as models and have always been responsible for yourself and made brave choices but I wonder if there was a sense of choosing the best option to achieve this goal from those other paths obviously available to such a talented person as you are. You are inner-directed in the best possible way but I am curious about how far down your own road you are able to see and to plan.
September 6th, 2010 @ 7:32 pm
I hear ya! I have often said that I prefer the company of animals to people-except my children, that is. However, that statement of mine always seems to invoke negative responses from others, especially from those who claim to know what is best for me. Perhaps you’ve encountered the same. It is uncanny how much you remind me of me.
Enjoy your peace!
September 6th, 2010 @ 7:45 pm
I agree! I love to be alone and with animals, and feel more and more uncomfortable around “too many” people…. Glad so many others feel this same way. :) Animals are so much better than people! Agreed!! Gina, what you said is so true!! Too much drama, high maintenance at times, etc….. I love peace! ah….
September 6th, 2010 @ 7:47 pm
seems like we have a number of kindred spirits
September 6th, 2010 @ 7:56 pm
Hi Shreve,
You might find this blog post interesting: http://www.attunementsforthesoul.com/changing-beliefs.
I also follow this woman on Twitter but otherwise have no affiliation with her. But I think she might be on to something …
September 6th, 2010 @ 8:02 pm
Hooray! Somebody else believes in the “inner directed” person! I was afraid I was alone… People are wonderful and I love them dearly, but as I get older I can only take small doses. After gatherings I have to go to the park with Bodhi, my dog, and refresh my soul. I pity the young people today who depend on their friends for everything…no good will come of it!
September 6th, 2010 @ 8:07 pm
Needing respite from people is perfectly sensible. It’s not a rejection and it’s not misanthropic. People have their filters calibrated differently, and the settings change over time too. There’s nothing strange about becoming accustomed to peaceful solitude and genuinely needing it.
The roughest part of my life is the intense people-contact. I like most people and enjoy ‘em but there comes a point when it’s absolutely necessary to retreat. And yeah, it feels like decompression. I don’t know how people manage to be live surrounded by others constantly. They probably build internal filters somehow for mental privacy.
September 6th, 2010 @ 8:09 pm
Ditto, ditto and ditto.
September 6th, 2010 @ 8:23 pm
totally! i’ve been known to say it’s a good thing i had only two children, ’cause i can’t stand being in the same room with more than 3 people - including myself! people think i’m joking - until they get to know me! the hullabaloo of it all (the different voices, the movement, the energy, the processing demands) is just all too much for me! if i have to be in larger groups, i tend to freeze like a deer in the headlights & just wait for it to be over . . . it takes an enormous effort not to - and feels incredibly false when i do.
thank you so much for saying it!!
September 6th, 2010 @ 8:25 pm
I used to feel the same way… I’ve now been isolated for so long, that a run into the local small city feels like a vacation for me - I just came home from my first outing since August 14th, and I loved it. Now I’m home with my animals, with pizza and a movie. :)
September 6th, 2010 @ 8:29 pm
…And ditto again! What wise, helpful posts - thanks, everyone. I thought I was alone in this, and I’m grateful to all of you for being open about it.
I attended a wedding last night. Spent weeks dreading it and all the attendant family dynamics. Had to drive to downtown Denver, which I never do well, find and squeeze into an expensive parking place and walk in 95-degree heat several blocks to the venue… in dress shoes. How I wanted to go home, but nooo… 5+ hours making small talk, not drinking alcohol while everyone else did, meeting many new people, etc. I had to sleep all day today! I didn’t used to be like this - loved people, going to parties, shopping, everything. Now virtually all of that is just… icky. Seems like once you find peace within yourself and resolve to live deliberately, these kinds of activities make little sense and sap the life out of ya’.
September 6th, 2010 @ 8:31 pm
yes, I do like people, especially my friends but I love most my solitude. Love my so called lazy-days, when I can be inside my appartment, dogs company only, as I wish, when I wish, doing (or not) as I wish. I need my lonelyness after some people crowed time as well. it just recharges me.
September 6th, 2010 @ 8:40 pm
Ditto to all of you. My door mat says ” go away “. I mean it.
September 6th, 2010 @ 8:46 pm
Ah yes, kindred spirits with you, Shreve, and commenters. Was thinking we should have “done something” on Labor Day but mercifully, just me, hubby and cats enjoyed a quiet day. I’ll see plenty of aggravating people through the week ahead, needed this day of peace.
September 6th, 2010 @ 8:52 pm
No, you don’t need an exorcism. In my experience, animals tend to be a lot nicer than people. Don’t worry about that. There’s more people out there that prefer animal companionship than humans than you might assume.
September 6th, 2010 @ 8:53 pm
I live at the end of a dead end dirt road with a gate for a reason folks, when I want to see you I’ll call or invite you out, or accept your invitation, otherwise please assume I am happy and healthy. Nice to know I’m not alone though
(in my thinking)
September 6th, 2010 @ 8:54 pm
I’m with most of you. While I enjoy my time with people, I cherish my solitude. I adore my family and enjoy spending time with them, but when I spend the weekend, I make sure I head home to my house by noon on Sunday so I can spend the rest of the day with my two cats. The quiet communion with the animals renews my soul in a way that being with other people can’t.
September 6th, 2010 @ 9:06 pm
Yup! I know exactly what you are talking about. Previous post also reflected stuff on my mind these days. The same field of energy seems to be stretched from here to there.
September 6th, 2010 @ 9:07 pm
lets all congratulate ourselves at what cool misfits we are and how much like our collective hero we are, who posts a pic a day then lets the rest of us write her [comment blog] for her. Aren’t we all so great for being so UNLIKE everyone else! Even tho we aren’t that interested in anyone else.
September 6th, 2010 @ 9:23 pm
What Gina said:-) In caps.
September 6th, 2010 @ 9:23 pm
My forty year old daughter just can’t understand me, as I want to move to Wisdom Montana population 100. I luv it there. Beauty, quite and hardly any people.
My cats, dogs and horses are all I need. Oh! and my husband!
September 6th, 2010 @ 10:06 pm
YES. Don’t get me wrong, I love people, but I love one-on-one quality time, not having to be “on” around a group. Even this week, my brother-in-law’s here, who I love, but he talks SO much, and quite loudly… I want to tell him to use his “inside voice” while he and my husband are blah-blah-blahing away. It’s exhausting to be around. <3 Feel better.
September 7th, 2010 @ 4:29 am
So many of us feel this way….we should all move in together!…….wink wink
September 7th, 2010 @ 5:28 am
Thank you for this link, Eclecta.
September 7th, 2010 @ 6:16 am
I know how you all feel. Would love to sell everything, build a one room cabin in WY or Montana and take the canines and equines and live peacefully and quietly. The older I get the more I realize that is what I need.
September 7th, 2010 @ 6:17 am
I have to laugh… I feel exactly the same way. Yesterday after my 4 hour stint with 6 people I, like Shreve, wanted to take a bath. I did just that (though not in her lovely outdoor tub) but my indoor one. It was delicious, I was renewed.
September 7th, 2010 @ 6:19 am
Uncalled for Sage, if people sharing their experiences or thoughts bother you so much just ignore the comments.
September 7th, 2010 @ 6:42 am
Life is energy. The goal is finding what nurishes your own energy without draining it. I suppose we all have to spend time in environments that drain us, from time to time. Then we retreat to recharge.
September 7th, 2010 @ 6:49 am
GIRL! That is way to long. I do it 5 days a week 10 hours or more each day and it is TERRIBLE! I’m thinking Ranger needs some one on one with you and the trail…
September 7th, 2010 @ 6:54 am
A lot of people at; work call me a hermit, and say I’m anti-social. I just look at them and say: “you say anti-social like it’s a BAD thing.”
I prefer quiet, nature, my animals. I am at my happiest outside, hiking, walking, horseback riding, kayaking. Alone, but never lonely.
Enjoy the day.
September 7th, 2010 @ 7:06 am
I thought Sage’s comment was interesting because I had similar thoughts about us as I read through the comments. I could have just posted that I live in Los Angeles but spend about 95 percent of my time alone with my critters (which is true) but that doesn’t really make me a hermit because I am here reading this blog and posting a comment as have those who have commented before me. Clearly we want human contact since I don’t think any other species are writing here. This is actually a fairly crowded room in which to stand up and speak.
September 7th, 2010 @ 7:19 am
I understand completely! My friends have always joked that I should get “misanthrope” tattooed on my forehead. When I have to spend time with a lot of people I feel like the mental chatter goes into overdrive and my energy gets all discombobulated. I can’t wait to get home, close the door, and be greeted by my dogs and cats. I feel like yelling “I’m safe!” (And a certain foregoing comment just reinforces my reasons for staying away from people!).
September 7th, 2010 @ 7:49 am
I think my friends and family and I all run on different wheels. Today, after what felt like a marathon dinner with card games and dominoes, followed by chocolate cake, I got in my car and counted the time: from 1 p.m. to after 8 p.m. I couldn’t believe I lasted that long.
Arrived home to discover some stray cat got into the house and ate all the resident house cats food for his Labor Day dinner, gave both of them their evening treats and fell asleep.
I am finding a thread to two to get back to myself today. Silence, solitude, under a brilliant pre-fall sun.
I shall recover!
the friends and family spent their time planning trips, theater tickets, etc,Their wheels turn at a different rate from mine. Very different
September 7th, 2010 @ 8:00 am
I was thinking what a great community we’d all make–as long as we only spend time together “virtually.” ;~)
I agree with all of you.
September 7th, 2010 @ 8:08 am
Aw, best wishes for a soul cleansing ranch powered rejuvenation!
I used to think I always felt this way because I spent my formative childhood/adolescent years at the barn with my horses instead of always with other kids. But now I’m beginning to see it might be the other way around - I was drawn to the horses b/c groups of people wear me out over time.
September 7th, 2010 @ 8:13 am
YES YES YES
I am amazed at how many of us feel the same.
I’ve been working up the gumption to get out in public and go into town for over a week now - it’s a real struggle.
September 7th, 2010 @ 8:46 am
Total hermit over here too. I love that there are lots of us out there, who show up in places like this. It makes me want to round all of us up and hang out, yet of course we could probably all handle that for about an hour. Still love it. Cheers to limited yet quality social times.
September 7th, 2010 @ 9:42 am
Shreve- you are a breath of fresh air! I’m often asked if I’m going here or there, and I always reply, ‘why would I do that? All I’ll find are people. I really don’t like people’. And often, ‘they’ think I’m kidding.
Give me my cows, sheep and dogs any day. Give me my farm, the creek, the wood lot, the meadows any day. Give me the skies, the birds, the wind any day.
The ‘people’ need to stay in the city.
September 7th, 2010 @ 9:44 am
No wonder I love this bunch! We’re all birds of a feather!
(Did I use the expression correctly? I’m trying to improve my proverb usage).
September 7th, 2010 @ 9:59 am
Ditto to most everyone except it’s just me, Muffin my cat and whatever animals live on or wander through my country home, or stop for a snooze and a visit. I think my love of photography has something to do with it being a solo hobby for me. Haven’t even went on a date in 5 or 6 years. Books, the computer, animals, a little TV, and batteries and I’m set!
September 7th, 2010 @ 10:05 am
Sage–
I don’t think all of this “me too” sentiment is about idolizing Shreve or trying to prove a cool misfit status. This is just a sentiment that doesn’t get expressed that often, and frequently when one does express one’s preference for being alone, people assume you’re (1) kidding, (2) maladjusted, or (3) mentally ill. Everyone, even we introverts, likes to have validation. We like to know that there is not something “wrong” with us. We like to know that there are other people who feel the same way (we just don’t want to be around them). Incidentally, preferring to be alone does not mean that I am interested in no one but myself. I am interested in a great many things and a great many people, actually. I just find being around them exhausting and not generally rewarding. And posting comments on a blog is exactly the sort of place you would expect to see people who enjoy their solitude interacting–because the interaction can be controlled to our own specifications, and we can have plenty of time to think about and formulate our comments before we post them. Maybe you don’t see the point. Fair enough. I don’t see the point of making nasty remarks in a blog comment thread.
September 7th, 2010 @ 10:18 am
After 5 days of the working grind, I find myself overwhlemd by co-workers (only 6) and an unhappy home life.My fiest thoughts as the end of the work day is to go home and grab my pittbulls and my lab and lay in bed with them. My second job is working at a kennel with grand champion English Labs, and I always look forward to it. My “almost-X” always wants to know why I wanna work there….Hmmm I prefer them to sittin at home listenin to your pathetic butt! I too would rather be surrounded by natures animals, not my human counter parts.
September 7th, 2010 @ 10:48 am
*chuckling*
September 7th, 2010 @ 11:12 am
I sometimes go for weeks before i realize that the only people i’ve talked to are my husband, the squirrels in the yard, and my rabbit. I am perfectly content with this. ;)
September 7th, 2010 @ 11:20 am
Sage, that is sarcastic, cynical and unnecessary. . One thing we all try here is to be honest and to leave the BS behind. No, we do not write the blog for Shreve, we pass by here to have a chat and make fun of ourselves. People around this water cooler have a good sense of humor. But thanks Sage, you just made our case.
September 7th, 2010 @ 12:45 pm
Wow! I was just thinking this weekend that I wish we had a couple of friends to play cards with, cook a burger with and share thoughts with! We have become so isolated because we work such long hours, commute 3 hrs per day. Moved to a new area 8 years ago to start a business and slowly, we have nothing or no one to be human with. My house is full of animals, but they can’t replace cherished friends. No, don’t want to live with the friends, but…….
September 7th, 2010 @ 12:58 pm
Totally with you Shreve! The older I get, the more I’ve realized that I’m my best and favorite company, next to my pets! I am very careful to spend my free time only with those folks that enrich my life in some way. I’ve found it’s not so hard to say, “No, sorry, can’t make it.” and go on with my life!
September 7th, 2010 @ 4:04 pm
I also live in rural wyoming and wouldnt move for anything.. i have been at my present location for over 3 years and dont even know anyone except for the mail carrier. I have my pets.. cats, dogs, horse… i have the raccoons and squirrels who come eat out of my feeders every night.. i have all that i need. It feels so good to know that there are so many of us, who really do prefer the company of animals to people. animals will take us for who we are.. dont want to change us, dont want to hurt us, gossip about us.. they just love us. so glad to know I am not the only one. I think you are awesome, with Charlie.. Its something i would have done, to take care of him and love him. loved reading your book. everytime i pass thru tensleep i think about you and Charlie.
September 7th, 2010 @ 9:26 pm
I think Heather made the case well about our reasons for appreciating your comments and adding our own about needing a lot of ’space’ and not wanting to have to spend too much time with people other than our loved ones. And, even then, I need my alone time without my husband or daughter.
Somewhere I read a comment a few years ago that our society is, unlike many other cultures, very suspicious of introverts and people who aren’t sociable enough. The person writing the article said that in many parts of the world people don’t find it odd, the way Americans do, if you need to spend time alone. As a person who grew up spending a lot of time alone due to illness, I learned to enjoy thinking and reading and just doing things on my own,and I still need that alone time. My cats are companionable without constantly demanding attention. They seem to understand (better than many people) when I need space.
September 8th, 2010 @ 7:24 am
Ya, what Heather said!
September 8th, 2010 @ 8:11 am
Ha! After about two hours of face time, I start to get twitchy. I need like 3 days to recover.
September 8th, 2010 @ 12:26 pm
Sage, you are entitled to, and welcome to, your opinion.
In light of your response to these posts, I would like to add a personal note that while I do best with solitude at this time in my life, I love many, many people, pray for those I know and those I don’t, connect on a very deep level with a few close friends, and my elderly neighbor needs help and meals sometimes.
No one was more surprised than I when I began to need more and more solitude beginning a few years ago, yet it’s impossible to act like it’s not true and force myself go out and interact as I used to. It simply is what it is now. Solitude does not mean “holing up” indoors, either. Tons of things to do outdoors. I love it that I’m never lonely and how rich life is when I stop, pay attention and absorb all the intricacies and subtleties in life that bring surprising and unremitting joy.
Donna, I had to laugh when I read that you’ve “been working up the gumption to get out in public and go into town for over a week now – it’s a real struggle”. I used to think up reasons to get out and do stuff, and the thought of staying home was weird.
Now it’s the opposite, and I put off running errands as long as I can – amazing how creative you can get with meals while your grocery list gathers dust!
September 8th, 2010 @ 5:39 pm
Found it! A bit fluffy but a well-known article on being an introvert in a world geared toward extroverts:
http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2003/03/caring-for-your-introvert/2696/
Yes, we are both out-numbered and hard-wired this way.
September 8th, 2010 @ 8:53 pm
I recall being told many years ago that the difference between introverted people and extroverted people is not how much you *like* people, nor how good you are at dealing with people, nor even how shy you are, it’s how much people drain you.
Extremely extroverted people are energized by others. Being at a social event is what charges up their batteries. They may actually be cynical bastards who hate everybody else on the planet, but they act cheery and sociable, because they feed off the energy of crowds.
But those of us who are introverts charge our batteries when we’re alone, and are drained when we are in the company of others. So even if we’re the most loving, happy, caring people, we still just can’t spend too much time out in a crowd, it sucks us dry.
Of course nothing is so black and white as that, there are shades of gray, and exceptions to all rules (my husband doesn’t drain me at all, I have spent weeks constantly in his company) but this rang true to me when I heard it, and I think it’s still true for me now. Maybe it’s true for you too. :)
September 8th, 2010 @ 9:37 pm
SPark - Exactly. My best friend is an extrovert and sometimes she just has to talk to me to recharge her energy stores. And sometimes I just have to not pick up the phone in order to recharge mine!
September 8th, 2010 @ 10:29 pm
Shreve, thank you so much for posting this.
Sage - such unnecessary hostility. I think the appeal of Shreve’s story is, plain and simple, that she dares to live uncompromisingly according to her soul’s needs, and I can say for myself, I secretly crave this life. I live in/close to L.A., but can only bear it by hiding from the madness in my home far up in a rural green canyon. I am compromising for work’s sake…
I often had this nagging little voice in me, telling me that something was “wrong” with me for feeling this way, for craving so much alone time, and for hating groups of loud people with loud egos buzzing around. Reading all these comments is quite cathartic to me, because it makes me feel less alone in my antisocial ways.
So thank you all so much for sharing!
SPark – so very true. I often feel guilty because some friends don’t quite understand how much a friendly chat can ruin my night, if all I want is to be alone.
I am extremely grateful to have found my man, who is the same. We sometimes shake our heads and laugh about what little hermits we are and how happy we are like this. And then we say, oh, we need to call up our (few) friends and have a little dinner party, but this rarely ever happens because every weekend is so precious, just the two of us.
September 9th, 2010 @ 5:42 am
I’m in communications and can speak to crowds of hundreds and thousands of people without a single butterfly or even blinking an eye, but give me a quiet home with a cat on my lap, the dog in front of the fire and stillness and I am a happy camper.
Parties suck for me - I broke up with a friend who insisted I be more social than I wanted (bully). It’s my job to interact and entertain but it’s not my life or who I am.
Alone but never lonely. Sartre was right and Sage proves it.
September 9th, 2010 @ 2:42 pm
So, I’m not alone in this. Yesterday went to a funeral for a friend who died from breast cancer at age 45, leaving two children, 12 and 4. Saw people I used to work with, which was great, etc. We stayed overnight to make traveling easier. By the time we left, my stomach was too upset, I couldn’t eat, couldn’t sleep in the hotel the night before the funeral, didn’t stay for the graveside or the reception. Got home, napped, had some soup and saltine crackers and lots of water. And our cats!! I got the message that they don’t like being left along. Came in very clear. Merlin laying all over me all night, talking to me, wanting to be touched. Sami, the same. It’s good there’s two of us. I live best alone (with husband), with my plants and animals, my books, Rumi~my friend, my pens and journals and a little poetry, watching the weather change. My body still hurts from the trip. From Rumi this morning, “A body’s death, even, is beautiful to those who see with the soul’s eye.” Not many are interested in seeing with the soul’s eye. Best: my solitary, contemplation of what’s true. Someday I’ll know the answer. I’ll try to get back and let you know what it is.
September 9th, 2010 @ 3:04 pm
I used to think it was some childhood wounding that made me such a “loner” ~~ my parents called me that as a child ~~ unable to ever get a handle on being with people. Preferred reading and playing the piano/violin. But now I think, maybe not. What do you think?
September 9th, 2010 @ 5:27 pm
P.S. I have to agree with Heather!! Perhaps we should send Sage a handwritten note, a coffee, a freshly home grown tomato, and a grasshopper legs ASAP.
September 9th, 2010 @ 7:30 pm
Hallelujah! Kindred spirits, many thanks to all of you…
September 10th, 2010 @ 10:50 am
There are very few people I actually enjoy being around and even then it’s only sometimes. I enjoy being alone. I love my husband but am grateful for our time apart. I have to psych myself up for parties or any kind of event, even if we are the ones giving them. I dread it weeks in advance and then am totally drained afterwards. I am so glad I am not alone in this. :-)
September 12th, 2010 @ 8:17 am
My first visit here and I am so surprised to
find so many like myself. I live alone with my
manx cats, two pitbulls, two horses, a parrot,
many exotic plants, and a big veggie garden.
I love nature to an extreme. I awoke this
morning to an owl hooting in a tree by my window. I live several hours from the nearest
town but do like to visit with others once in
awhile. I know that my pets will never let me
down unlike some of the human race. Obviously
I’m not as alone as I thought after reading all
these comments.
September 12th, 2010 @ 10:00 am
I know this thread is trickling out… but i just had to add this:
I have been thinking about this topic since Shreve’s post and everybody’s reactions to it - see my comment up there (67).
I’m standing in line at Whole Foods yesterday, and the cover story of “Psychology Today” catches my eye… it is on introverts and how their needs clash with American culture and society!
You can read it online here if you’re interested:
http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/201008/revenge-the-introvert
This quote here made me laugh… because I think this thread plus the article, equals exactly that for me:
“Many introverts require a wake-up call to see the effects of cultural extraversion on their lives and to become more fully themselves. Some speak of a defining moment that crystallizes what they already know about themselves.”
September 12th, 2010 @ 4:48 pm
The more people I meet, the more I like my dogs.
September 19th, 2010 @ 12:36 pm
And here I thought I was the only one…
I have very limited tolerance for socializing. When I was working everyday in an office the thought of having to go out again in the evening even to be with friends was almost more than I could bear. Now I’m not in that situation, but I still prefer to stay home whenever I can. My idea of heaven is curling up with a book, an apple, and a cat or two.
The fact that I often get ill in large groups of people due to major perfume/scent intolerances doesn’t help either. Most people don’t realize they are wearing at lest 5 different scents. They are so used to them that they can’t smell them anymore and I react to almost all of them. Makes me even more of a hermit …