Come on guys, how can you be that antisocial? I don't see any harm in at least getting to know your neighbors first. Now, if you want to uphold the contact is something else, but at least try...

I can see how being "forced" to do something isn't that great, though.

Introverts.

Damn, and all those years of watching Seinfeld and Friends, I thought that's how people live in American apartment buildings. Keeping their doors unlocked, neighbors storming into your apartment and instantly go to the refrigerator to drink your milk straight from the carton. :(

By Finnish standards, I think I am not really an introvert, ie. I don't have a problem with striking a conversation with a stranger (even though I also many times like solitude and quiet, so I am not a supersocial animal either)... but e.g. army taught me that not all people become friends with you and are nice to hang around with, even though they are put into the same room with you for the next few months. :)

Take for example that bitching neighbor I have now, I'd rather see as little as possible of her in the future. She's clearly just not the kind of person I want to be associated with. I guess I'm not the kind of person who tries to force himself to like someone I don't. Tolerate, at best.

I haven't seen my next door neighbor in two years which isn't to bemoan the man because I actually really like the guy.

Okay, why did I just post that and why I am in here at four a.m.?

i like people but i'm not sure people like me. not social anxiety exactly, just a feeling of not fitting in really. like in a sort of friendly way, very general. ready to laugh at stupid jokes and help old ladies reach the top shelves at the super markets.
never mind for the most time i'm happy on my own except when i'm heartbroken.
you know the feeling where somebody you thought was special turns out to be just like the rest, only better at pretending? can you Refer to that as being heartbroken or does it have to involve the person getting off with somebody else?
Anyroads, i tend to put the select few ones i really like (as opposed to just like ) on a piedestal. and that has to be a mistake, because it's not real is it?
i guess i demand a lot from myself and so expect as much from others ... and i haven't met many who could live up to that, no significant other, though i've thought i did at the time.
any thoughts as i'm at a sore point emotionally? i'm i expecting too much, is it me who needs to get real?
or should i hang on to my ideals, and accept loneliness for the rest of my life?

maybe you have realized the smell coming from his apartment?
(is there an increase in those real big and shiny flies? hundreds of milk cans at his door? overstuffed mailbox?)
if so drastic drastic measures are in order....go buy some good air-refresher and bug spray.

You’re trying too hard to portray an image of what you think others want to see, rather than relaxing and being yourself. I’m guessing you’re always trying to fill conversational silences? Perhaps you are always looking closely for signals that you’re boring people or that they’re trying to get away from you?

I’m no psychologist but there are a number of “thinking errors” that people with social awkwardness or anxieties tend to make;
- Mind reading. Your assumptions of other peoples view of you may well be inaccurate.
- Black and White thinking. i.e. ignoring rational or balanced perspectives
- Catastrophising. Any negative thoughts or feelings are exaggerated
They’re the three that I find most common. However, there are loads more that you can find from better internet sources than myself.

Spot on -> “i guess i demand a lot from myself and so expect as much from others “
Hope that didn’t come over as patronising. Feel free to PM if you think it’ll be useful.

You don't need to be around people all the time to be happy. I myself find that I work better with seeing people during morning part of day (at work) and then being by myself later on. I think that family is very helpful to be around and occasionally friends as well. The problem with friends is that in my case most of my friends are out of state. It becomes tougher when you get older but you can manage living the solo life. I used to worry I didn't socialize as much but in reality the only reason I thought that was because society makes you feel as if you have to be the most outgoing person around. Society also says you must get married and have 2 kids.

There are many norms that people expect and finding out which ones you need/don't need is the 1st step. If you want to be more social, then eventually you will. If you don't, then don't. Im living proof as I used to be most socially awkward person around. I understand that anxiety just complicates stuff but its not over yet. I suffer from social anxiety but most of the time I can socialize with people fairly well. Its just when behind close doors that I think-"What does that person think of me, do they hate me?"

Luckily this is the present day not in the past like some people still live in. I don't have to tell you how many times I heard my grandparents tell me if you don't want to be depressed/anxious/paranoid, then don't be and you wont. They really thought that if I told myself I don't want to be a certain way, I wont be that way. Makes no fucking sense and that's the same category that a lot of people still live in.

As long as there are ignorant people in the world, there will be problems no doubt.

Exactly that. Might not have been the best choice of words. The people that organized the event took great care to invite everyone personally. Later that evening they started to complain about a few shop employees that work in the small shops on the first floor for not showing up (they work there, they don't live in the building...).
I know this is different in other countries but over here if you are invited to something you almost are obliged to show up. People take it as a personal insult if you pass on an invitation. I take it that in countries like the states people tend to invite others more often but it is usually not expected of one to honor the invitation.

Yeah yeah... people are strange and tend not to like them. ;)

no i'm me, i have no pride thus i don't feel patronized :) you're so spot on with those three categories i feel like i've come to see a doctor cos i need a band aid... and now i feel more awkward and paranoid than ever. (i knew i shouldn't have posted that, everyone else has always got bigger issues than me, i'm such a fucking 'tard,) honestly i'm a Little freaked out by this...

me P!$$ed withSteam Client, Downloading Giana Sisters, and got to 1,2Gb (~70%), and then steam decided that it wants to download everything again, starting from 0.0%. Me not a happy camper

Sometimes being social can backfire on you. This has happened to me twice. When I was younger, I was very social and due to me being so social, I met some very crazy people.

I've met very crazy people without being social, Crazy people are everywhere :D

Yeah but when you are social towards them, they think you are their new best friend and start stalking you. :) Sometimes, it pays to be anti social.

Haha, well, shit happens, but that doesn't mean you have to live in a cave just because it happened once. Or twice :P