Jordan Peterson - Advice for People Who Aren't Social

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"I used to walk into a room wondering if anyone would like me. Now I walk into a room wondering if I will like them" - Britney Spears

"Get the hell out there and practice man!" *closes video and cry

the only time I feel lonely is when I'm around other people

74 now. Been introvert all my life. No regrets. Too many people are toxic.

When I was younger I was very social. But, as I got older, I realized that most people are assholes and I don't want to deal with that.

Me before clicking: "he's probably gonna say just get out there and practice" :(

My issue with not wanting to be social is that it's hard to find genuine people. It's easy to find people who just want to hang out and do social activities and come together in social gatherings. It doesn't mean they are your genuine friends. They can just be smiling in your face and being fake with you for many years, while they really have negative feelings towards you and will probably talk shit about you behind your back. The only real use for having good social skills is for survival. So you can get connections with people who will help you move ahead in life or give you some type of benefit. It seems all human relationships are transactional.

I’m a very anti social person myself , went through some of my lowest times alone and I always really isolated myself from the crowd. But sometimes i imagine myself talking to everyone with confidence, I imagine myself influencing a group in a public speaking manner, i imagine myself having a voice and being something. Idk what it is, but maybe it’s the same for others who have some kind of social anxiety. We deep down want to be confident and outgoing, but something is holding us back.

I'm introverted but being isolated for so long fucks me up. Even just going outside becomes a huge obstacle that I struggle with.

I can get totally comfy with total strangers. It's neighbors and acquintances that make me nervous.

I have high functioning autism, and social interactions, though something I can observe and learn thru example and study, doesn't come naturally and requires active focus. I used to be a near shut in with massive social anxiety. One day, after a very difficult period in my life where i learned to jump in situations and learn to swim, I got a job serving at a bar. The first couple weeks were rough , but I noticed that I began to understand and be able to read people's social energy, and integrated what I saw into myself. Suddenly, people were gravitating towards me, so much so that it was alarming at first. I learned that true confidence is going all in, knowing you might fall flat on your face, but knowing you'll be fine. I went from a deer in headlights to being able to walk into a room, read the energy and redirect it. My greatest weakness, that I have to actively pay attention to do what other people do without thinking, became my greatest asset. Never be afraid to jump.

This may not be the case for everyone, but it sure was the case for me. Awkwardness in social situations comes from a learned behaviour of suppressing yourself. That is, not wanting to let who you are as a person be truly seen by others. This is a habit people develop as a means of fitting in with a group, usually after experiencing the feeling of its opposite. So, when you are around people you fear might judge of perceive you in a certain way, you feel like you have to watch your back and watch what you say. This ultimately leads to a feeling that, no matter what you say, it's likely to be wrong. Hence shyness and social anxiety develop. Any kind of 'get yourself out there' scares people, because ultimately all you're doing is numbing that fear you have of being seen - smothering it. For me, I get much more mileage out of the mantra 'allow'. Allow myself to be seen. It's ok now. It's safe. That feeling of being unsafe is only felt because I'm holding myself back. I'm bracing in preparation for some kind of emotional wound. If you subscribe to the mantra 'allow', then you will very slowly begin to release yourself from that prison of bracing and protecting yourself everywhere you go.

Ask them a question? “So, um... Do you like stuff?”

I have no anxiety, i'm not shy...i just don't know what to say in 90% of situations. Edit: I appreciate all the people still replying and sharing their feelings under this post! I read all of them and wish you all the best. I'm doing much better socially at my new job and just embracing my strengths (listening and relating and being funny). Love you all and we're gonna make it!

I love it when he answers questions without getting too intellectual, mythological, or psychological. His less academic sounding videos are among his most powerful. This one is straight-forward and something I can run with.

I'm social when I need to be but I also value my alone time. That's when I do my thinking, planning and de-stressing, which I value very much. Most people that know me outside of work think that I am depressed or abusing drugs and alcohol and avoiding social situations to hide the fact that I need help and that I'm unhappy because I'm single and haven't replaced my ex wife yet (I was married but my wife thought something was wrong when I wanted my alone time which would cause arguments and accusations). They genuinely think that I get lonely as easy as they do but I have always been the "lone wolf" type even as a child. I also have no desire to fit in, I like what I like and know who I am.

Personally my problem is that I get bored talking to people. I know I sound like a jackass but talking to people just for the sake of being social is extremely frustrating because I dont really care about the life of a stranger. I dont know. I can fake it but it is very tiring. I wish I could have fun knowing other people :/

I tried going outside and talked to strangers. I am now in FBI watchlist. Thank you Professor!

In college, I made a group of 4 friends who got me through alot of difficult phases of my life. Before that in highschool, I was a really awkward person with low self esteem but after meeting them I changed into this bright person with great humour and personality. They helped me find myself and feel comfortable in my own skin. A few weeks ago I started university, and we all changed paths so now I'm alone all over again. I met some new folks but they couldn't really match my vibe. I felt lonely for some days but quickly realized that I can't let myself fall into the same hole of self pity and depression again. I picked myself up and started to focus more on my studies and hobbies. Ever since then I no longer feel bothered for having no real friends. On weekends, I meetup with old college buddies and that instantly fills up the gap in my heart. For anyone who is struggling to make friends, don't force yourself to hangout with just anybody especially if they don't match your vibe. That relationship won't go anywhere and only exhaust you. Give it time. Focus on improving youself and the right people will come around just in time. With real people, you don't have to put extra energy or seek validation.