Do you have activities that "make you feel human"?

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When I train Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, although I am clumsy and awkward, not terribly fit by the standards of my teammates and have more difficulty than many in learning the techniques and movements, socially, an interesting thing happens: it doesn't matter that the 19 year old party animal with the faux-hawk haircut or the 40 year old father of 2 has almost nothing in common with me and that I ordinarily couldn't and wouldn't interact with them - we relate through chokes, armlocks, sweeps and escapes, we laugh when one of us ends up in an unusual position, and we marvel at our coach's ability to seemingly let his training partner do whatever they like, all the while laying a trap for them. The personal space issue is interesting - I get anxious when there are too many people near me in the elevator to work, but there's no time to worry about personal space, inhibitions or most of the social graces when you're trying to stop a giggling 18 year old girl who weighs a little over half your weight from breaking your arm

There's the usual post-exercise endorphin rush, and I sleep very soundly afterward. It's one of the things that makes me think I'm on the right planet after all.

How about you?

I take a dump usually once a day thats good enough for me

Participating in a common activity can help changing the usual social expectations, because the topic that everyone is concerned with is more important than some of the many social rules there are. That means it can make it easier for people who have issues with social skills and meeting those exceptions at other times to connect to others. You know, people more readily have an interest in you and want to casually interact with you because you like and do the same thing as them at that moment.

Personally, I really don't connect in a similar sentient way, because the amount of social rules has nothing to do with that bit. I never feel part even if others feel so. I don't have the same feeling as you, and I feel it's as stressing to do the supposedly mutual chat and express/pretend the same interest as in every other situation.

Anyway, sounds as if you got quite the achievement with the sport socially! You should definitely keep doing that for as long as it makes you feel as good as that and helps you interact with others there.

Riding my motorbike used to make me feel like a normal person, it relaxed me to, just me and my machine on the open road etc. Then someone decided to steal it off my driveway and total it for fun. Other than that, photography and exercise/going to the gym, even though I do get a bit self conscious when Im there sometimes.

Picking up, doing domestic repairs and rearranging my possessions to work and look better give me great pleasure and improve the world in a small, nonthreatening way.

Working makes me feel human.

I prefer to feel like a fish.

I agree with Sora. I find it much easier to interact with people, especially people I don't know, if I know in advance that we have something in common about which we can converse. This in turn makes it easier for other people to interact with me. For example, I am completely at ease when I go to weekly meetings to play board games and card games, because the game is the center of attention, and most conversation revolves around the game, or games in general. - LJS