I think people are sleeping on the power of "The Shrug"™️
Whenever someone is asking why are you not following the societal norm, just 🤷 Don't explain yourself, let them try to rationalize to you why the norm is good actually. Then you can finish them with "Okay?" followed by another shrug.
Works every time.
Disagree on all of this y'all sound mad tone deaf.
Some people had bad parents, some had none, some hit the age of 21 with no actual adult to learn from.
People need information and affirmation and support. Stop being the judgey fucks you're preaching don't exist out there. If nobody is that judgemental then let them ask on the safety and confidential internet you fuckin goblins
Going to restaurants alone is one of my favourite things. All the same food and drink, but you can just enjoy it quietly and not have to keep up with conversation.
I don't go to the movies at all, fuck that industry - and I say that as someone who met his wife working at a movie theater. But restaurants, I eat solo all the time. There are dozens of us!
I always see movies alone. Preferably early in the day in a deserted theatre if possible. Movies are very much a ‘me time’ activity. I go at least twice a week with my unlimited movie pass.
It’s just not needed to drag someone else along, especially if they aren’t as interested in the movie to begin with.
Everyone in here saying how fun going to the movies alone is. Idk. I've done it before, it was pretty lame. I'd way rather go with a friend and have someone to talk about the movie with. Going all alone sucks.
They aren't asking for permission. They are asking for attention.
One of my first jobs was at a movie theater, back when you had to physically splice film reels together. Doing so meant you had to watch the whole thing for quality assurance…so I saw every new film at 0300 in an empty theater and it was fantastic. Going to a movie with other people around feels weird and cramped
How I saw all the lotr films
The sentiment in question is a response to someone else being weirded out and posting it online.... No one is seeking validation lol they're asserting that it's normal.
People who act creepy and take videos or pictures of someone out doing something alone and posting it online are the weird ones.
This context should be obvious
Context doesn't matter when lonely people are seeking a dopamine hit through a false sense of moral / intellectual superiority.
Bad takes drive engagement and the dopamine hits from engagement makes life under hyper atomized late stage capitalism slightly less depressing.
Sir. This is a Wendy's.
As a former travelling worker, I ate a significant portion of my meals alone at a restaurant, never thought it could be perceived as weird before these memes started floating around reddit
I usually just chalk those memes up to teenagers who overthink everything or socially immature people. I often decompress at lunch by leaving the office and grabbing a meal alone somewhere.
I’m kinda reminded of that Kurzgesagt video on loneliness. The video talked about how people who experience loneliness begin to pay more attention to other’s expressions but interpret them incorrectly as negative.
I never heard anything about it as a teenager but both get to hear people's opinions and have them try to force themselves into joining me 'so I won't be alone' as an adult.
Definitely extroverts projecting.
I have seen people express how weird they find people wanting to eat alone occasionally throughout my life, and even had some volunteer to eat with me "so I wouldn't be alone". When I say that I wanted to eat alone, they expressed genuine concern that it is weird to not want company. If I let them sit and talk then they feel good about themselves and leave me alone for a bit.
Honestly the pressure I got from being pestered about eating alone ended with me just eating lunch at my desk and I absolutely love work from home. Going out with coworkers once a month was plenty. They are fun and all, but most times I just want eating to be when I take a break from other people.
Depending on your situation, a big fuck off size pair of noise cancelling headphones (or if budget doesn't allow, just headphones that looks noise cancelling), and being as absorbed into your screen as possible usually works. When I eat lunch on my own, I sometimes even furiously type out a long winded rambling and incomprehensible email to myself to make it look like I'm super busy. The people who see eating by yourself as a bad or concerning thing usually don't see treating lunch as a work catch-up hour as a bad thing
Advice I've given my wife and my kids. Never make plans with anyone to do anything that you aren't happy to do alone.
Dinner? I'll eat alone
Movie? I'll watch it alone
Wife isn't in the mood? I'll just lay in bed and beat it next to her.
Hiking trip? Alone in nature is great.
Worst case scenario you still get to go have fun. Middle case, next time that person asks about doing something you get to remind them about all the fun you had without them.
One of these things is not like the others
The only thing you’ll regret about going to a movie solo is not doing it sooner. It’s liberating.
only problem is there's still other people there.
She said on the internet, asking others to normalize it rather than just doing it herself without seeking validation.
"Normalize dining alone."
"No you're wrong, you should normalize dining alone."
i upvote therefore i validate
Unless I'm traveling for work I don't really want to go to the movies or restaurants alone. Living room and takeout is better.
Eh, went to my first concert by myself. Lost my spot when I had to pee and got to watch my favorite band from side stage.
I don't go places with people for social validation. I do it because doing those things by myself is incredibly boring.
I used to go to restaurants alone and I the last time I did it the waitress/owner started asking what I do and gave me the impression that she felt sorry for me.
Now it has been a while that I didn't go. It wasn't because of her but it I feel like it.
People tweeting stuff. We allow tweets from anyone.
RULES:
