Guild Wars 2

You know, you sound like a philanthropist, Glitch. :P

For as long as I can remember, which is back to when I was four or so, I don’t ever recall being a particularly positive person. Even when I was going through the toddler ages, where most kids have the most vivid imaginations, I was cynical and logical. I have what you would call the Rational intelligence type, and I tend to look at everything through the lens of logic. Where some people imagine that something is real, somewhere in the universe, I just wish that it could be real. I just accept what the world gives me, and look for meanings that lie underneath. As the years have gone by, I’ve gotten into the habit of considering myself an alien or something, as an excuse for why I don’t get along with most people. I just have such different beliefs, and I act so much differently, it almost seems possible that I could be a squid in disguise, haha.

I do have a very broad range of interests, but I don’t know what I would do to make them less of an individual hobby and more of a social hobby. I play several instruments; guitar, flute, violin, piano, ocarina, harp and trumpet, among others. I draw, sculpt, paint and all that. I write fantasy and poetry, although I’ve never actually finished a book. I do go outdoors, even though I’m a gamer. I go camping, hiking, biking, swimming, boating, and all that fun stuff. I’ve got interests in just about every area, but I tend to seclude myself to someplace where I’m alone, because I tend to believe that people just don’t enjoy my company.

While I never really spend time with anyone, I’ve learned to read people almost as well as I can a book. I’ve taught myself to pick up on body language and the way people talk, how they act, and other clues. Generally, I can tell you all about how someone is feeling and what’s making them feel that way by just watching them for a few moments. You would think that I would be able to tell why people don’t like me, but I’m at a total loss, haha.

I know that I have to love myself before I can love anyone else, but I just don’t think I can do that. There are so many facets of my personality that I just don’t like. I wouldn’t change anything about myself though, because all those little bits and pieces make me who I am and, overall, I do like myself. I’m just so different from anyone else I’ve ever met, I don’t think I will ever fit in.

Now about the not feeling anything; I really don’t feel anything. On Christmas day, I’m opening my presents and spending time with family (Alone. My family doesn’t enjoy being around me either), I don’t feel happy, or sad, or anything. I just feel empty. I don’t have much emotion, no matter the circumstances. If my family were to just disappear from the face of the earth right now, I probably wouldn’t be too sad. I might cry for a few minutes, but then I’d be over it and forget all about it, no worse for the wear. If I was showered with money and whatever else makes people happy, I would smile for a second, but then I’d just inwardly go “meh”, and act like nothing happened out of the ordinary. Life just goes on, and I don’t feel anything about it. I think that’s what scares me the most, is the fact that I never feel anything.

Generally, I would pay attention to what people are talking about, and if there was a topic that I could talk about, I would stand near them and throw in a comment when the talking dies down a bit, so as not to interrupt. A lot of the time, people might give a polite response, or just nod, and then the group would disperse. To me, it seems like they’re the ones that are nervous, haha. I don’t feel nervous or anything when I’m talking to people; I generally don’t feel a whole lot, haha. I’m a very calm and collected person, to the point of being called cold or uncaring. After several years of being excluded from society, I did read a lot of articles on interpersonal behavior. My body language has always been top-notch, it’s been sort of bred into me. So I don’t think I’m doing anything wrong, per se, it’s just something more subtle.

I’m a guy, haha. Don’t have to feel bad about asking a simple question like that. :P I have noticed that girls tend to behave more like I do, but for some reason I’m just anathema to them. Girls seem very nervous around me, and tend to keep their distance. I don’t smell or anything, and I hear people say that I’m good looking. Not sure what it is.

Oh I’ve felt like I have been living on my own little island for a long while now. All through school, my beliefs and ideals were years ahead of everyone else. I tend to act like a 40 year old man, even though I’m only 18, haha. Even my own family doesn’t act very much like I do, and they avoid me too. So I’ve thought of myself as a weirdo for quite a while now. :P

You don’t have to apologize, I can’t expect help unless I give you something to work with, huh? :P Thank you for the help though, I do appreciate it.

Thank you all for the replies! The community here sure is better than the community around Blizzard.

I’ll make sure to put some of this advice to good use! The college I’m going to isn’t one that offers housing, so there aren’t any dorms or anything. I’ve seen a couple clubs I might be interested in though!

Although, a lot of you guys are just saying to be yourself. I think that might actually be a part of the problem, haha. Throughout school, I didn’t just sit back and let life flow past me, I actually tried to talk to people and make friends with others. The way people responded during school started to make me feel worse and worse about myself as I grew up; it just seemed like whenever I actually came up and talked to someone, they would immediately get all quiet and awkward, and would look for the first chance to get away. More often than not I would just sit in the back of the classroom with my nose in a book and listen to everything around me. I hear people talk about me, and they say things that I wouldn’t disagree with. Studies show that one in a hundred people will become a friend or at least an acquaintance. I don’t agree with that study. I take care of myself, meaning that I have good hygiene and I look clean. I dress nicely and all that. I’m not sure what it would be that scares people away so much. So while you say that it’s a lie if I said I don’t fit in, I think that is a lie in itself.

Haha, you just might glean the secrets to the social world, huh? :P

You have to use the same rarity of rune to get the bonuses. So minor + major = 1 on both.

Well, as the title of this topic says, this isn’t a question you see every day. I’m not sure what kind of response I’ll get from a video game forum, but I can certainly cross my fingers and hope for the best. Anyway, on to the question!

To put it simply, and to make a long story short; I’ve never been much of a people person, and I never had friends growing up. Now that I’m done with high school, life feels painfully lonely. I’m starting college in January, but the college is a good 40-minute drive away from where I live. I’d like to make friends nearby my home, but I have no idea where to start. So I have a few questions!

1) Where do people around the age of 18-20 tend to spend time?

2) What characteristics tend to drive people away, if you had to guess?

Now I know this may not be the most appropriate forum to ask this kind of question, but the way I see it is like this: Video gamers as a “culture” tend to be more of the introverted type, at least from what I’ve seen, and so they may have the same problems that I do, and found out how to overcome them. Perhaps those same gamers could share their experience with me, and help me with my problems as well.

Thank you for taking the time to read through this post. If you know anything that could help, please let me know.