this post was submitted on 07 Oct 2023
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Is that really hard for an extrovert to be 7 days alone?
A really good way I've heard it put is that introverts expend emotional energy on social interaction, and recharge it through isolation. Extroverts are the exact opposite. So if you imagine being forced to interact with other people non-stop for seven days, with no chance to have any alone time, and that's what this person was putting themselves through.
This metaphor also handily explains the difference between "introvert" and "antisocial." I love being around my friends, in the same way that some people love swimming. But just like swimming it's very tiring. Even Olympic swimmers can't swim all the time. So it's not that I don't like you, it's just that I'm exhausted and if I keep going I'll drown.
(Asocial not Antisocial - Anti-social is purposeful action of hostility towards people. Asocial is the purposeful avoidance of social interactions.)
Bruh I'm an extreme Extrovert. I always want to be around people and be engaged in society. Literally all the time.
The pandemic was the first time I understood how my introverted friends feel when I pressure them to hang out. I used to be notorious for just constantly hammering them to do stuff with me if I knew they were home and had no plans.
When we locked down, I literally felt like I was mentally cracking. I could not deal with it at all. Massive depression and heavy alcohol usage. Heavy anxiety and a lot of self hatred just constantly reliving every shitty thing I've ever said. I was exhausted and just wanted to sleep despite doing nothing all day. It was rough.
That being said, it definitely put the whole introversion thing into perspective for me. It made me able to relate where before I couldn't. I could not wrap my head around how some people just wanted to spend life at home when there's so much world to explore! People to meet and things to do! So overall, it did make me a better person/ friend.
I still hope to never fucking lock down ever again though.
Is it really that hard for an introvert to interact with someone constantly for 7 days straight?
Fuck I don't even want to interact with someone constantly for 7 hours straight.
Does staring off into space while someone talks at me count as "interaction"?
Well I'm not an extrovert and I have no idea if it's really the same for them to be alone as constantly interacting with people is for introverts.
Yes. I'm kind of an "extroverted introvert". I like being around people I know and my brain considers just being in the same room with someone to be "socializing", even if we aren't really interacting. I have no problem with you bringing up random topics or whatever, but if you're talking non-stop and expecting me to listen and respond then we're gonna have problems.
People get surprised when I say that because I can be very loud and talkative, but the thing they don't get is that A) my brain does not consider screaming random garbage in a toad voice while playing Mario Kart to be socialization, and B) I tend to be talkative in bursts, but if you're not around me a lot then you probably won't notice that.
I need breaks, and a break can be as simple as taking a nap on the couch while you play a game on the TV; or watching YouTube on my phone while you're reading a book. I still need breaks though.
Yes. People are exhausting -- particularly extroverts, who often won't let us do introvert things to recharge.
My dad freaks out after about an hour if he doesn't have someone around or on the phone. So... yes!
Extrovert here!
Yes.