people or interests

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I am starting to feel like people are a constant source of pain, frustration, and you never able to rely on them fully. I feel like my interests bring me more joy in life, with the exception of my daughter. It seems like people bring mostly pain, but interests will always be there for me. Has anyone else felt like interests are mostly better to you than people? They don't hurt you whereas people constantly drive you to the edge?

Although I feel lonely people simply cannot satisfy that itch, so I always will be. I get no positives from interacting with people, i'm only on here to externalise my thoughts tbh.

People aren't worth the hassle, so if you are lucky enough to have things you enjoy then indulge in those.

Personally, I feel like friendships are overrated and I’d be perfectly happy if you left me alone with my interests.

Yes. There are some benefits to interacting with other humans, but so many drawbacks. Learning about asd has helped me because I feel more aware of what boundaries support my well-being. I also feel educating myself about asd gave me concrete justification for putting my boundaries in place since my boundaries might not be understood or accepted by nt society.

Same as you, but ain't got no children

The frustration is not "constant"

However, almost everyone that I have ever interacted with, is not worth the cost benefit analysis

I enjoy my interests more than I enjoy people. I have two great friends that I prefer over my interests. I prefer my interests over most of the people that I know. I also confess that I prefer interests over the company of my family and I feel guilty about it sometimes. A completed painting can't roll its eyes at me, a die-cast Routemaster can't disown me for identifying with the wrong ancestors and a war helmet will never be in denial that I'm trans. I make an effort and I see my parents and family every chance that I get, because family is important in the eyes of God and for my own mental health. If I ever decided not to see my parents for a long time, I'd be feeling very horrible looking at my mum on her deathbed.

lately i have had neither precious lil "friends" or interests

but if i could have one, then it would be interests

I never made any long term friends growing up. I'd just come home from school, play some games or draw and that was all. Other kids my age were shopping for Gucci stuff after school and I was so socially unpopular I have no doubt they wouldn't want to bring me along.

So I'm gonna go with interests. People are strange...

Definitely.
I'm much more engaged by ideas than I am by people. People are only enjoyable when they facilitate the idea - for example people in an interest group can be enjoyable if we are interacting on that interest we are both there to engage with. But it frustrates me that often you will need other people in order to facilitate an interest - someone to teach you how to do things perhaps, or the dreaded "networking," whereby without contact with other people, you wouldn't get the same exposure to interesting opportunities. I wish I could just leave people out of it.

I know what you mean. Very often, give me five minutes with a member of the human race and the thought of living and dying alone somehow loses its sting. It beggars belief, the crap I go through in the interests of maintaining social contact. I can't even say it's because company is thrust upon me - being retired and of independent means, I could spend the rest of my life almost completely isolated from people if I wanted to. And my stress levels are usually very low when I'm alone, except when I'm contemplating some necessary and potentially tricky interaction with another person, such as phoning a jobsworth about an insurance policy.

But the converse is also true - if I'm completely alone for long enough, the thought of social contact begins to look like a nutritious meal on the horizon would look to a starving man. I guess the truth about people for me is that I can't live with 'em, yet can't live without 'em.

My partner and son are rather the exception to the rule, I can generally spend a long time with either of them without wanting to dismiss them. And to be fair, I've been known to enjoy company from time to time, so much so that it's been worth the stress. I'm very thankful for the blessing of communication via the written word, the social interaction-without-interaction, though it's not enough for me on its own.

With the exception of my family, I tend to find people annoying and in the way of what I want. While there have been a few people I didn't mind talking to occasionally when we both were at the place where we got to know each other (usually school), for me it has never lead to me wanting to spend time with them outside of said place. I never miss being around people (very close family not included). Out of sight, out of mind. (Although they weren't usually on my mind even when they were in sight.)

I suffer burnout if I can't engage in my interests often enough over a prolonged period of time. I get irritable and impatient if I don't get to do my stuff short term.

Friends vs interests isn't even a dilemma. I have 2 priorities, and in this order:
Family (and pets when I had any)
Interests

I prefer to not be too close with anyone because even if we get along, they want to spend far more time together than I want. I would much rather do something related to my interests. I don't wanna waste my precious time on social stuff. Life's too short to not live it fully whenever I can.

Xatrix26

A dog bit me last year

But if I wasn't terrified of dogs, maybe I would get one

The dog can't take revenge against you, the way (former) friends can (and do)

The dog has no choice but to interact with you

Xatrix

Furthermore I am too broke to pay for dog food and vet bills

Furthermore I am too lazy to train the dog or even walk the dog.

My house has carpet. Too much energy to keep it clean

Moreover I am afraid of dogs