to be perfectly happy in my own company?

[Stinklebell]

because apparently it's "weird"

I'm not madly extrovert, not a hermit either, but I am perfectly happy pottering around by myself.

I work part time from home, and I've just had a very nice couple of hours with Sky+ and my ironing pile

DH is the opposite, loves company, always organising get togethers and nights out - even stuff like a Saturday night takeaway turns into a mad social gathering and sometimes I just find it a bit too much.

My DH went away with our kids a couple of weeks ago, and a friend was all "oh, you can't stay home on your own, I'll be over Friday with some wine, we'll go shopping Saturday then we'll go out Saturday night". It was lovely of her, but she didn't quite get that actually, I am just fine tootling around alone. I like mooching around the shops on my own, I like chilling out with a film or something on my own. I don't want to stand outside the school gates for an hour every morning chatting, or go somewhere for coffee or meet up for lunch every day

I don't mind friends over, I don't mind meeting friends for a coffee, I just don't want to do it all the time. I like my own space, I like my own company, I'm not bored or lonely, I just don't want to be surrounded by people all the time.

It's not unreasonable, right?

interesting Suzannewithaplan. what does your gentleman friend think about this? is he sympathetic?.......or does he try and force you into social situations, or quite happy to let you be alone whenever?, i used to be far more socialable than i am now. i think i went through a 'phase', then reverted back to how i really am........that is being alone. i can cope with perhaps a lunch out occasionally if there is one of my few acquaintances available. couple of hours does me though. i no longer go out at night......cant do with it anymore. prefer to be cosied up inside by 6.30!!

He's not much of a people person either.
Any one who tried to force me into anything would soon realize the futility of their efforts

I know what you mean OP. I couldn't give up seeing friends but am happy for it to just be once a fortnight. I am going to be living with DP in about 9 months and it will be really weird as I haven't lived with man for 8 years!!

I love being alone. I shop alone, I go for lunch alone. I go where I want, when I want and I enjoy it. My best days are spent with me.

yet none of you are really alone are you?.......you've got partners, children, future partners, so you know there is always someone there when you dont want to be alone, difference between choosing to be and having to be

Introvert here.

I force myself to do the school run and casual chat thing but it drains me so I need to hunker down with a cup of tea when I get home. I'm not anti-people in the least, I genuinely like to hear what everyone else is up to. I just need 'decompression time' afterwards.

Obviously there are degrees of introversion/extroversion ranging from those those with a preference for constant solitude to those who prefer constant company.

A graph would show the typical 'bell curve' probably shifted over towards the extrovert end since this seems to be the more common orientation.

I like my solitude as well and it is essential for my job as a writer.

Like meeting up with friends, too, though.

I'm loving this thread! I love my own company, but not all the time, so I don't think I'm either introvert or extrovert, I'm a bit 50/50. Like tomorrow - DH will be out for most of the day, so I'm looking forward to a gym session in the morning, then the afternoon with Midsomer Murders (it seems a lot of us like MM!) whilst painting my nails. But once I've done that, I'll be glad of the company when DH gets home.

It would be a funny world if we were all the same.

PS - I'm also partial to a few episodes of 'Lewis' if I haven't got any Midsomer Murders to watch :)

You are most definately NBU. I have to pretend to be sad when DH tells me he's going away with work for a week when really I'm jumping up & down with glee! I can do whatever I like for a whole 5 days! (Apart from looking after DC when they get back from school) but all day I love to potter about & after they've gone to bed I can watch crap what I want on telly... Oh and I'm one of four (smile)

I love my own company too and look forward to my couple of days off to do my own thing.

However as myselfandI points out I know that Dh and Ds would be around a lot of the time so I probably just look forward to "me time" because of that.

I think I would be lonely if I was truely on my own and retired etc as then you would have to actively seek out company if you wanted it. They say be careful what you wish for so I just enjoy the time to myself and am grateful that at the moment I have the best of both worlds.

Totally agree with the 'be careful what you wish for' comment. And whilst occasional solitude is blissful, I'd hate it to be the norm.

Yes loneliness is a horrible problem. But introversion, and solitude which is chosen or needed, aren't the same as loneliness. It's very possible to feel lonely at a loud party, or in a large crowd of people - especially if you're an introvert and feel like you're the only one who isn't really enjoying it. I'd be careful of wishing for more socialising of that kind, only to find I wished I could get away Introverts do socialise of course, but I'd rather meet up for a quiet one-to-one coffee with a good friend than go on the razzle with 20 extroverts I didn't know.

Good point Winterhat - chosen solitude is very different from 'no other choice' solitude.