The "Loner": Facts and fictions

[Renaissance]

Introverts~Loners...?

I wish I could remember which of my medical newsletters or psych journals I saw this study in, but I can't, sorry. It was a few months ago. The study said that Introverts live an average of 15 years less than Extroverts, proving once again that man is a social animal, and reinforcing previous studies which linked the number of friends one has with life span.

What do you all think of this?

klutzo

I think it's one more instance of status quo propagandizing.We infj's are very introverted,usually.We are ironically,perhaps the-most people oriented of the introverts(all).I'm finding,as I age(well),that pleasant interaction with others,along with personal growth,has and is making life,the sweetest it's ever been,for me!I am still very much in need of substantial amounts of alone time punctuated by substantial amounts of pleasant people time,on a continual basis.It's not-either/or,but both,and life wouldn't be what it is for me without those.I found that psych.articles and others,rarely tell a complete story,esp.when it's about a media hype topic as "loners".

 

[Footix]

schizoid people really don't give a fuck about relationships, loners are just independent, but still receptive to the thoughts and feelings of others. slight distinction maybe, but i feel it's an important one.

I think they do. But not in the way others expect:

Schizoid individuals are also prone to developing pathological reliance on fantasizing activity as concomitant with their withdrawal from the world.

Viewed in this fashion, fantasy constitutes a core component of the self-in-exile, though on closer examination fantasizing in schizoid individuals reveals as far more complicated than a means of facilitating withdrawal.

Fantasy is also relationship with the world and with others by proxy.

It is a substitute relationship, but a relationship nonetheless, characterized by idealized, defensive, and compensatory mechanisms. It is an expression of the self-in-exile because it is self-contained and free from the dangers and anxieties associated with emotional connection to real persons and situations.

According to R. Klein it is "an expression of the self struggling to connect to objects, albeit internal objects. Fantasy permits schizoid patients to feel connected, and yet still free from the imprisonment in relationships. In short, in fantasy one can be attached (to internal objects) and still be free."

It's interesting what you can learn with an open mind, and free of the prejudice among which the mass society moves. Do a quick research and you will see all kinds of labels against "loners" spread everywhere.

Saying that schizoids/loners are cold and detached and never care about anybody or anything is just another quick response the "extroverts" can think of to perpetuate their own ignorance.

At least this detachment allows these loners to keep a safe distance from those lifesuckers and to have clear mind and heart.

 

[Faye]

Almost all mass media and marketing gives a negative connotation to standing out (government too, I am sure)

They appeal to the masses and want to lump them into as close to one group as possible. People that think by themselves or stand alone don't make them much money.

Really? It appears that they want to lump people together, but they want to do it in ways that caters to individual egotism as well. That makes it more complicated. They want people to feel like they are thinking for themselves when they are really just following the herd, and for the most part they are succeeding.

 

[TinyBubbles]

I think they do. But not in the way others expect:

It's interesting what you can learn with an open mind, and free of the prejudice among which the mass society moves. Do a quick research and you will see all kinds of labels against "loners" spread everywhere.

Saying that schizoids/loners are cold and detached and never care about anybody or anything is just another quick response the "extroverts" can think of to perpetuate their own ignorance.

At least this detachment allows these loners to keep a safe distance from those lifesuckers and to have clear mind and heart.

that's interesting. guess there's not much difference between loners and schizoid people then, except perhaps the degree of isolation. there ARE a subclass of people who don't care at all about relationships though - perhaps a better term would be sociopaths? regardless, loners DO seem to be unfairly vindicated in general society (i've since done some research), with the general consensus being their psychological disposition is somehow worse than those of their extroverted counterparts. there have been some studies for example suggesting people with fewer social attachments have a greater propensity for mental illness and violent behavior (particularly adolescents).

(welcome to the forums btw!)

 

[NeverAmI]

I always question whether the isolation is due to being outcast in the first place for those particularly unhealthy traits that are being attributed to loners.

I guess I thought of not constantly needing someone else to hold your hand as a sign of strength. I mean, there are advantages to social relationships and I think even the most isolated person takes a lot of risks by not maintaining any, but I don't find it particularly unhealthy to do so unless there is a reason no one wants to hang out with you.

I will say one thing, isolation does tend to atrophy your social conditioning. If you aren't a very healthy person, that will shine through.

 

[ZcM4xzkjgzCjytBc]

You need this book: