What's your social situation like?

[A__]

How many people do you interact with outside of work-related things? How many are local and how frequent is your interaction? How many of them do you consider close relationships and what defines closeness for you? How many could you share your thoughts without any hesitation, fear of being misunderstood? Any you could confide something in and not to turn around and tell everyone they know? Are any of your close relationships built later in life and if so how? Did anyone have success building local friendships from Freedomainradio? The reason I ask these questions is I'm curious not really in 'the norm' but of people who I think would be a little more authentic like here on this site.

 

[MysterionMuffles]

I only hang out with two people and not very often. I see them each once or twice a month at best. I could share my thoughts openly without hesitation and fear of being misunderstood. These relationships were created during high school but only built upon in our adulthood. One's a woman the other man, neither of which are Freedomainers, but reasonable and self assured people nonetheless so it makes me happy to know them. We have some mutual acquaintances I used to hang out with but I found those surface level interactions unsatisfying and have stopped pursuing them.

 

For instance I used to play Dungeons and Dragons with a couple of guys every week or so in 2012, it got really boring because the only we would talk about anything real was in between breaks and didnt last too long. I started feeling empty rolling dice and hardly roleplaying our characters (if you're unfamiliar with the game I'll spare you the lame geeky details), and I knew that I wanted more of the authentic conversations we have when we're not playing.

 

So 2013 I resolved to hang out more with people I hang out with that don't require a set activity like drinking, gaming, or whatever. It works out great because connection comes before activity. Even if we're just sitting around doing nothing, having deep meaningful conversations happen and even when we distract ourselves with games or shows just to take a break from the heaviness of our topics, we can at least joke around in between.

[powersquash]

My wife and I moved to our current city 1.5 years ago and we knew nobody at the time; no family no friends. Since then we have discovered FDR and began acting as such (rtring with each other, not wanting false relationships and such.). She is a stay at home mom because luckily my job suffices our living. We have yet to make friends due to the fact we don't want to create false relationships that we just relieved ourselves of. My position in my job allows me to only see 4 others outside of work, none of which have the slightest inclination to reason and thought outside of what others tell them to think. It's rather difficult to find people worth becoming friends with it seems. I am honestly just fine with the relationship my wife, my son, and myself have. Much better IMO than having false friendships.

[Lians]

I recently parted ways with all four of my best friends along with the associated acquaintances. I don't live near a philosophical hub, so this board excepted, I've settled for rather dull and short interactions with the people I can't avoid (landlords, colleagues and so forth). I'll be moving to a different city in a few months and my situation might change with regards to that.

 

My outlook on friendship has changed dramatically over the last few months. It took quite a bit of work, but I'm now clear on what I'm looking for in a healthy relationship - virtue. It may sound simple but my history made this glaringly obvious truth quite difficult to see. I understood the theory but was blind to the evidence, which is not a great place to be.

[ThomasDoubts]

I'll join in by saying I raised my standards in relationships, and none of my existing relationships survived.  I have very little interaction with people outside of work, or home, unless you count chatting up the people who work at places where I shop.  I'm always on the lookout for new friends, but it's tough, and I don't go out and meet enough people to really expect any changes.  I've not met any FDRers in reality, but I would be more than willing to do so (Md/DC/Va residents:  let's meet, we could be friends ). 

 

For the moment, I'm really just living hand to mouth, trying to improve my standard of living (so I can attract some worthy females ) and working to more fully live my principals before I ask another to do the same.