"I just feel weird, he said, like I'm not part of it, which is odd as these are all my friends. I know they like me and are happy I'm there, but I still don't feel connected. I only feel lonely or bored when I'm with many people, and not when I'm with one or two close friends or when I'm alone."
"It often emerges that they have gone through life feeling just as A described. These are people who always prefer to have dinner with a friend one-on-one rather than attend a dinner party. When they have to attend large gatherings, they are the figure standing off to the side, deep in conversation with another person, rather than working the room."
A teenage boy from a warm, attentive family began declining social invitations because he felt disconnected at parties and large gatherings. He reported feeling lonely or bored in groups yet comfortable when alone or with one or two close friends. Many accomplished people share this pattern, preferring one-on-one interactions, standing to the side at events, and engaging deeply with a single person rather than working the room. These individuals often favor solitary tasks over group assignments, dislike team sports, and find communal traditions and rituals difficult and baffling. Such social preference does not necessarily reflect depression, bullying, or anxiety.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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