It's easy to forget that there are many different experiences of loneliness.

[futurebird@sauropods.win]

It's easy to forget that there are many different experiences of loneliness.

There is a person who goes on dates, goes to parties and has friends at work, who hangs out with their "mates" from school but they are VERY lonely.

There is a person who lives alone, mostly talks to people online calls their folks every other month and maybe hangs out with their friend IRL 5 times a year. They are not lonely. They are worried you noticed this and are going to ... suggest things to them.

[dillyd@turtleisland.social]

@futurebird
I've been thinking a lot about this. "Studies show..." people are happier and live longer when they socialize a lot, etc., but I think those studies are about extroverts. I don't socialize a lot irl but I don't feel lonely at all. And the older I get, the less I want to go to parties.

[sunnjax@tech.lgbt]

@dillyd @futurebird An episode about loneliness on the Startalk podcast this week upset me because it leaned heavily into being more extroverted as the key to avoiding loneliness — that introverts should practice more extroverted behavior to cure their loneliness. Usually they’re pretty good about handling topics evenhandedly, but in this episode I felt like they were kinda critical and dismissive about introverts and our struggles living in an extroverted world.

[stephaniepixie@fandom.garden]

@SunnJax @dillyd @futurebird Funny how there’s never any advice on extroverted people being more like introverts.
People are happiest when they live a life most closely aligned with their true self - whatever that is.