Psychology says some people avoid socializing not because they hate people, but because they can read them too well. They walk into a room and immediately sense the fake laughs, the hidden agendas, the performances. Their nervous system doesn't misread the signal, it just refuses to ignore it. Small talk feels like a tax they didn't agree to pay. Forced smiles cost them energy that takes hours to recover. They're not broken. They're calibrated differently. They don't avoid people. They avoid emotional labor that leads nowhere. When they do connect, it's deep, intentional, real. No masks. No games. Fewer friends doesn't mean loneliness. It means higher standards. That's not antisocial behavior. That's emotional intelligence.
Life update: Back on here for art inspo. More tattoos coming up soon.👌
Blessed with a paramedic bf who's literally saving my life while I'm running around insuranceless. Looking to open commissions soon (I keep saying that, istg).