Maybe people who need people really are the luckiest people in the world

[supergee]

Intentional communities

Thanx to Metafilter

Comments

[arlie]

Every time I see that truism trotted out, I want to take a really good look at the underlying research. I suspect that large chunks of it - at least as presented in media - simply aren't true at all, or aren't true for the subset of the population with whom I identify. I also keep expecting some madcap health professional to prescribe me X hours a day of unwanted socialization in order to "improve" my health.

It's bad enough that I live in an area (and culture) where keeping fit practically requires going to a gym and doing artifical boring exercises that provide nothing except fitness, and are often actively unpleasant as well as boring. Having to spend time performing unwanted and unpleasant social interaction as well would suck even more. It's almost enough to make me decide "the hell with it; I'd rather have a shorter but happier life than put all this unpleasant effort into staying healthy". [Still can't bring myself to do the "gym" thing; the associations are horrifically unpleasant for me. But I do make efforts to get more basic exercise.]

[supergee]

There is also something to be said for “people who need people are the most neurotic people in the world.”