Social Behavior

I am not the most social person. In fact, I'm a bit of a hermit. I enjoy getting together with people, but I also enjoy being at home alone. I've never been the sort of person who has trouble going out to eat or to a movie by themselves. I actually feel a bit annoyed at times when my plans to be alone get disrupted by some social event. However, I wonder how healthy being alone is.

I know that everyone needs some time to be in their own head. If you spend too much time there, the picture gets a little crazy. I truly doubt any person is completely sane, and the more time you spend in your own mind, the more likely your sanity is to come into question. I have found that if I spend too much time on my own my negativity comes out in force. I know this and yet I have to make myself do things with other people. When I do go out, I have fun, but it's convincing myself to leave the house that is difficult. Now I do have to add a disclaimer, this doesn't happen ALL of the time, not even a majority of the time, it's a some of the time event.

It's strange because I have the same difficulty with running. I like to run. But sometimes I'd rather just stay in bed. It's hard to pry myself out from under the covers and put on my shoes, but once I get out in the brisk air I usually am very thankful I did. How to make this apply to social situations is troubling.

Right now I am at school, and there is a seminar a four followed by a social thing at five. I don't want to go. I want to go home. But I know I should stay. Part of graduate school is networking, and I can't network very well if I don't go to any events. So I am making myself stay, it sucks, but I'm doing it. Whether I will have the same fulfillment I find after I make myself go running is the question.