Comment by fragmede
3 days ago
The problem with accounts of life like the author is that it sums up a whole hell of a lot of time into a nice short Saturday morning read. In this case, it sounds like it spans multiple decades. It sounds like you feel socially awkward. You really don't think you can do something about that in thirty years? In November of 2055, you expect you'll be the same bag of awkward you are today? 1,500 weeks or so from now, you don't think you can leave the house or go somewhere multiplayer online to meet up with me people and make mistakes until there's a close enough impedance match that they signal (you) isn't too attenuated or overpowered? This weekend's not over yet, get out there!
Thanks for the encouragement. I wrote my comment while a bit hungover from a dinner party :) In general I'm OK with how I interact with people.
I think we're all a bit impedance mismatched. The author's experience of having instant intimacy I think is a result of what happens when you spend the time to become completely attuned to other people. He found drawbacks to that skill.
What I really meant is that I don't know if I want that level of interpersonal skill. I'm actually kind of happy bumbling about socially, making jokes that don't quite land, alternating taking up too much space with not taking up enough.
The older I get, the less I desire perfection and power in all domains. I look forward to being a bit of an oaf.
If you are routinely getting invited to dinner parties and drinking and conversing with good friends, your social interaction level is probably just fine.
The problem as I see it is that, while I certainly could have that growth by 2055, by that point it wouldn't matter. E.g. if you want to increase your social ability in order to have a family or a satisfying job, in 30 years it will be much too late for that.