The need for people???

[theslowesthand]

Occasionally, very occasionally, i have these little, subtle, barely-noticeable feelings concerning people/social/etc. I'm having one of these feelings now, as it happens (which is why i'm writing this now, else i couldn't be bothered otherwise, as there'd be no motivation propelling me to do so).
I see others on here talking about facebook & such, which i "don't do" (no time for really). My life, as it has always been, is one where i am in strict isolation for much of the time. For instance, i haven't sen anybody for a few days now.
What I am wondering about, is do we really need people? (ie social contact). Do we really need "friends"?. Do we really need family?.
As i said, i've lived very much as a hermit/recluse my entire life, and never "gotten close" to any of my friends (or family) either. So i can say that to EXIST, you don't need people. But my emotional life has never been sth to "shout out about"; its been normality to me, but i think probably most people (incl a number of people on this site?) would experience my life as a "icy-cold, stark, sterile, lonely planet". I can handle it, but i'm wondering also if my lonely, isolated life has created some really deep, repressed sh*t in me, that usually i am barely or not aware of, which i am constantly trying to run from, and which has manifested as various problems such as GAD, irritability/rage, low self-worth, etc.
I feel "weak" whenever i feel any "need" for people. I'm a "logical" guy, and people to me seems a "waste of time", and nothing to gain from, except annoyance, useless banter, time-wastage, and perhaps some pain as well.
And i have something in me that continually rejects people, "friendship", & any real "closeness". I refuse to let people in, as always. So the result of that is of course from time to time feeling somethings not quite right (due to social lack), feeling that i'm missing out on a crucial part of life, feeling ignored & rejected by people, that sort of thing.

 

[Deus_Ex_Lemur]

Humans are social creatures, it's in our DNA. We are interdependent. Together, we're stronger. Happier. Look at cultures where family is big, or the community... there's a reason studies show ppl with social support live longer, are healthier, etc. Lonliness IS a killer, wish I had links to studies for this class I just had. I really believe western society can grow to a disconnect this way, more individual less on community - when the community and group get together they're far stronger and happier.

There's a reason so many with SA and struggling and alone come to a site like this - seeking support from other people. SA is a paradoxical disorder. If not - there wouldn't be that need for it. To exist, we literally DO need people. Discounting emotional connection, to get food, to get clothing, to get a loan, to do this/that we need to interact with eachother. You can exist with no emotional connection to ppl... but what's the quality of that existence then? Sure there is a % that will be mostly fine, but I also think they DO have SOME connections. OR other issues.

Rejecting ppl is part of SA and other disorders, that's the paradoxical nature. Anyways this is more of a shake n bake thought thing from me. =)

 

[LazyHermitCrab]

sure it's the computer, but you're talking to people right now

 

[fitftw]

technically you need people. When you're deathly ill, you need a doctor. When you're hungry, you need someone to stock shelves at the store or deliver food to your table. At a job, you need customers, and someone to tell you what to do, or people for you to tell them what to do. etc. Other than that, you don't really "need" people such as friends or family (once you're out of the house or in financial trouble)

 

[coyote]

i'm just the opposite

i would rather be doing something with another person than by myself

i don't like being alone for very long

without other people around to share my thoughts and deeds with, what's the point of even having them?

if left on my own to take care of only myself and not interact with anyone, i would soon degenerate into nothingness

 

[idk123]

Occasionally, very occasionally, i have these little, subtle, barely-noticeable feelings concerning people/social/etc. I'm having one of these feelings now, as it happens (which is why i'm writing this now, else i couldn't be bothered otherwise, as there'd be no motivation propelling me to do so).
I see others on here talking about facebook & such, which i "don't do" (no time for really). My life, as it has always been, is one where i am in strict isolation for much of the time. For instance, i haven't sen anybody for a few days now.
What I am wondering about, is do we really need people? (ie social contact). Do we really need "friends"?. Do we really need family?.
As i said, i've lived very much as a hermit/recluse my entire life, and never "gotten close" to any of my friends (or family) either. So i can say that to EXIST, you don't need people. But my emotional life has never been sth to "shout out about"; its been normality to me, but i think probably most people (incl a number of people on this site?) would experience my life as a "icy-cold, stark, sterile, lonely planet". I can handle it, but i'm wondering also if my lonely, isolated life has created some really deep, repressed sh*t in me, that usually i am barely or not aware of, which i am constantly trying to run from, and which has manifested as various problems such as GAD, irritability/rage, low self-worth, etc.
I feel "weak" whenever i feel any "need" for people. I'm a "logical" guy, and people to me seems a "waste of time", and nothing to gain from, except annoyance, useless banter, time-wastage, and perhaps some pain as well.
And i have something in me that continually rejects people, "friendship", & any real "closeness". I refuse to let people in, as always. So the result of that is of course from time to time feeling somethings not quite right (due to social lack), feeling that i'm missing out on a crucial part of life, feeling ignored & rejected by people, that sort of thing.

I know what you mean I hate people and social situations, but I feel like I need to be around them so I can feel normal.

 

[Section_31]

i feel that way with about 90% of people, i have a very very select few that i dont, and to me theyre critical. I could live without them but im so interwoven emotionally it would be extremely hard for me.

Wife, parents, and cousin and his wife/their spawn.

Other then that, no one for me, i prefer to be left alone.