How to Avoid Loneliness...

[tiresias2]

Throughout my social life, I've been in and out of phases. Usually I am socially reclusive, but occasionally I have been socially active. This contrast has put me in the unique position to share some of the things I have observed, by being me. More specifically, I believe I have devised a basic criteria on how to avoid lonliness. If you never want

Comments

[prema]

they say misery loves company though.. ;)

it's funny how this entire post captures what I was trying to say in one of my online profiles (on one of those many social networks, i seem to be on all of them - yet, as in LJ, i can't really claim that I count more than 2-3 people as my friends) anyway, when i was trying to find words to describe myself - only one word would come to mind - Smile. And so my self description ended up being: "I also smile. A lot. Usually when no one's looking."

Which is true. I enjoy smiling at my own self-deprecating jokes in my own head. I guess I kinda like being lonely. Specially when I have some select songs on my playlist available.

[arriya]

Sometimes those dark, bitter smiles are the best. Mmm... comedic vitriol. Do you listen to too much Elliott Smith as well?

[tiresias2]

Yeah, I guess I should have said in my post that it's not necessarily the smiling, it's the reason underlying why you're smiling :-).

If a nuclear bomb went off in the distance, there are some people smiling because it looks pretty with all its flashy colors. Other people will be smiling because its ugly, in all its destruction, and in all that it reveals about humanity....

[arriya]

Not so sure about the significane of the correlation of arrogance with creativity. Maybe audacity.

Otherwise... well, duh.

Drama king.

[arriya]

I take that back. Maybe it's not so obvious...

[tiresias2]

I'm expecting a few people to defend avoiding loneliness, and secretly imply that all these facts are really good advice to take in life (if only the sarcasm were toned down and the language I used sounded sincere instead of negative!)

I caught Abby on a good morning :-)

[katieboyd]

Well, you specifically chose words with specific stigma associated with them. If you just altered your word choice a bit, retaining the same meaning, I'd bet it would look *exactly* like a real serious bit of advise to people.

[panickybagel]

"The greatest artists and philosophers in the world have tended to be lonely, brooding, question-asking, inquisitive, arrogant bastards

Well I hate to argue again, but...

[arriya]

I don't think that's quite what Bryan meant. As far as I can tell, this is a reaction against the extremes of cultural mores and psychological desperation that lead one to a demand for constant 'happiness' and positivity, conformity, socializing and group bonding, consumerism, financial success, romance, etc. often at the expense of personal growth, honest appraisals of situations and relationships, authentic interaction, and the deep dissatisfaction that it seems many must have in order to effect social change. This is against dogma, conformity, hive mentality, dishonesty, inauthenticity, settling, complacency, disingenuousness, shallowness, and other such things that control and limit individuals, not against genuinely valued social bonds with people that one chooses to interact out of genuine caring and understanding rather than out of desperation and with deception and not against genuine satisfaction with one's situation (whether on a personal level or a broader level

[arriya]

Oy, I'm too tired (stayed up all night writing a term paper) to write with correct spelling and grammar. You won't hold it against me, will ya?

[panickybagel]

Hah! I won't hold it against you *too* much, no

[eclipsedeyes]

so devastatingly cynical!

[tiresias2]

Thank you!

[pooperman]

"In fact, let's all take a moment to smile, right now..."

:)

That made me smile... YOU BASTARD!

You probably get laid a lot, don't you?

[arriya]

Hehe... thanks for the gut-wobbling laughs. They were therapeutic.

[tiresias2]

You probably get laid a lot, don't you?

Oh yes, how the ladies love a social recluse... :-)