On introverts and friendship

Here’s an article by Noel Piper on introverts and friendship. I am definitely an introvert, and I like the idea of a day by myself, and have about a billion things I am happy to do by myself, but then when it gets to about 3 o’clock in the afternoon of such a day, I am ready for someone to talk to.

I think one of the dangers for me in being an introvert is being a bit all or nothing with friendships. I love spending time with people I know well and deeply, and I cope on my own, it’s all the mass group events with a bunch of acquaintances in the middle, where I know real conversation opportunities mights be minimal, that at times I’m not so keen on. But sometimes you have to start there to get to those people you know well. And there’s also a danger in developing interests that you can do on your own (for all those times when you are on your own) and that is that sometimes you’d rather stay home and carry on with those than go hang about with those acquaintances. So there are occasions when I just have to make myself go and do the people stuff.

I went to the second night on our series of Living Single last night and there was a lot of discussion about friendship, and what sort of friends a single person needs. I feel like I am in a space/season right now where I don't have so many of them within easy access, and need to invest more in a few.