Is Living Alone Making You Weird?

[Kobi]

There was an article in the New York Times (http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/23/garden/the-freedom-and-perils-of-living-alone.html)
looking at how 1 in 4 American households and 1 in 2 in Manhattan now have a single occupant.

The article also talks about how living alone might lead to quirkiness, eccentricies, and general weirdness in the comfort of our own homes where we are free to be ourselves. It is being called Secret Single Behavior.

Some examples of secret single behavior would be:

~ walking around naked at 2am eating peanut butter from a jar while drinking OJ from the carton

~ unique sleep habit cycles without a routine schedule

~ weird meal habits i.e. eating the same thing for breakfast, lunch and supper (hey, it was on sale) or having doritos as a meal

~ leaving the bathroom door open (which apparently is a habit we might take with us when we visit others)

~running stuff by our pets who are notorious good listeners

~drinking champagne in the shower at 8am

~washing vegetables while showering

~playing video games for days without sleeping

~unique home only outfits

I dont know if this stuff is really the result of living alone or just people being people.

So, I'm wondering, do you have any little quirks or eccentricies that you attribute to living alone? Do you ever take them with you when visiting others?

[The_Lady_Snow]

I LOVE living alone, it's easier on everyone!!!

As for quirks, I like my cereal to be opened and eaten ONLY by me...

[Electrocell]

unique sleep habit cycles without a routine schedule

weird meal habits i.e. eating the same thing for breakfast, lunch and supper (hey, it was on sale) or having doritos as a meal

~ leaving the bathroom door open (which apparently is a habit we might take with us when we visit others)---- so far I haven't left the bathroom door open when visiting someone lol.

running stuff by our pets who are notorious good listeners
yeah they are good listeners and rarely talk back lmao , however they do let me know what they need.

unique home only outfits
Hey ya have to be comfortable.

[tiggs]

I think that there are definitely habits we form when living alone. Many years ago (when I had been single for several years) I would not sleep in my bed but instead slept every night on the couch. Certainly saved time making the bed in the morning lol

[deedarino]

7 out of 9...LOL

Unfortunately, my cats haven't been much help in the advice arena. Maybe I should get a dog.

[ButchEire]

~ walking around naked at 2am eating peanut butter from a jar while drinking OJ from the carton
Uh, no. What would be the point? I hate drinking out of any container that has a slight bit of liquid left and someone has drank out of it directly. Can you say backwash?

~ unique sleep habit cycles without a routine schedule
Meh, i'd do that anyway, if i'm not going to work, i'm damn sure gonna sleep in.

~ weird meal habits i.e. eating the same thing for breakfast, lunch and supper (hey, it was on sale) or having doritos as a meal.
I do tend to have several favorites for breakfast, but I vary them. Never had doritos as a meal. I don't particularly like chips.

~ leaving the bathroom door open (which apparently is a habit we might take with us when we visit others)
Guilty, yeah, but not at someone else's house. Plus, four animals living here will open the door or paw at it if I even attempt privacy.

~running stuff by our pets who are notorious good listeners
I talk to my pets but then again, so does any friend who comes here, and they aren't necessarily single or living alone.

~drinking champagne in the shower at 8am
I don't drink champagne and never had the urge to have beverages in the shower. That's just doubling the risk of drowning.


~washing vegetables while showering
Uh, ew.

~playing video games for days without sleeping
Nope, I don't play video games and I wouldn't give up my sleep for anything.

~unique home only outfits
Nope. I have an ever-present possibility of a friend dropping by unannounced. I also notice if I dress grungy (when i'm sick, which is rare), it makes me feel worse.

[WomenMoveMe]

I think I started out weird. But indeed, living alone for twelve plus years does tend to exacerbate weirdnesses.

I make up little songs about the most mundane things I am doing, and torture my animals with them. I think their favorite is the 'time to feed the girls' song!

When lounging about the house, I wear some incredibly horrible outfits. I seem to only dress half of me for the most part. I will put on a nice shirt and no pants or I will put on nice pants, but no shirt. Sometimes just boxers, boat shoes, and black T-shirt (I call this a "B" day). I just can't seem to pull an entire ensemble together.

I often sleep sideways on the bed or upside down (feet where head should be or vice versa). Just to break up the monotony.

My stovetop must be pristine, while a small spill in the fridge can languish for a couple of days. Countertops must be uncluttered, yet the kitchen island will be littered with canned food cause I like to read the labels when I eat.

I have an entire kitchen drawer designated for candy and nothing else is allowed to be in that drawer. I do not buy candy for the drawer. So it sits, never to fulfill it's destiny.

I could go on and on, but will keep the truly odd things that are me, for me.

[Electrocell]

7 out of 9...LOL

Unfortunately, my cats haven't been much help in the advice arena. Maybe I should get a dog.

Lol my cat's say more than my dog does.

[Parker]

~ walking around naked at 2am eating peanut butter from a jar while drinking OJ from the carton

~ unique sleep habit cycles without a routine schedule

~ weird meal habits i.e. eating the same thing for breakfast, lunch and supper (hey, it was on sale) or having doritos as a meal

~ leaving the bathroom door open (which apparently is a habit we might take with us when we visit others)

~running stuff by our pets who are notorious good listeners

~drinking champagne in the shower at 8am

~washing vegetables while showering

~playing video games for days without sleeping

~unique home only outfits


LOL, I am guilty of 4 of these .... but I ain't saying which 4. :winky:

Also - Kramer did the washing veggies in the shower thing ... that nasty man made a whole meal for other people in his shower after he installed a garbage disposal in there .......... :blink:

[pajama]

I can't wait to live alone. When The Boy is gone I seldom put on clothes. I already leave the bathroom door open when I know The Boy is asleep. I already wear quirky home alone outfits, I don't care, I even go out and walk the dog in it. Honey badger don't care what she looks like.

I think its human nature, not living alone. I'm sure there are folks that live alone and still get up and dress every day, shower, prepare themselves 3 meals, etc. because it's their nature to be tidy and neat.

I, personally, love my solitude. I love it when The Boy sleeps in and its just me. I'm sure i'll miss him when he's gone maybe...not really that sure LOL I just hope he doesn't move so far I can't see him every few weeks. That would make me sad. But I would still love living alone. LOL

A

[Princess]

I guess i do the peanut butter out of a jar thing, but I use a spoon and i dont do other things at the same time. So I dont know if it counts reallyyyy.

[Parker]

I make up little songs about the most mundane things I am doing, and torture my animals with them. I think their favorite is the 'time to feed the girls' song!

Thank god I am not the only one who does this. lol

Mainly my songs are *for* my dogs though, so I basically just make little songs out of their names, which they seem to love, which makes me do it more, and on and on it goes.

[*Anya*]

Let's see, wierd? Perhaps!

I usually wear T-shirts around the house ( no panties) or my oversized, white, fluffy bathrobe when alone...

Before my dogs died, I had running conversations with them-now I can't pretend that they are listening, I am plain and simple-talking to myself...

I have a king-size bed. When I sleep alone (ahem) I sleep in the middle, surrounded by pillows on all sides. When I sleep with my honey, I do eliminate the pillow fort on my right side...

More often than not, I have had cold cereal for dinner...

Bathroom door open? What is the point of closing it when you are by yourself? I do, however, close it when not alone...

This is all I care to disclose!

[macele]

people who don't live alone, ... do all of these things lol. seriously. maybe lol.

all i can think of is, whether i live alone or with others, i need space. i need for certain things to be mine. and for certain things to be a certain way. like lady snow not wanting others to touch her cereal. she needs that space.

i don't think it's weird. it's just the way it is.

[Sparkle]

I would agree that I just am a bit weird, full stop; and living alone neither makes me more or less so.

I do think living alone makes me lazier though. I do chores as and when they suit me. In fact I do everything in my own time, to suit my own schedule, whims and needs - when I live alone.

I do talk to my pets. I play my music too loud and I dance about the house in my undergarments. I procrastinate mopping the floors and I allow the recycling to pile up. I fold all of my laundry but then leave it stacked in my bedroom. I'm often to be found in mismatched outfits, manky old slippers and a bit of left-over mascara smudged cross my face on weekend mornings.

And when I'm feeling particularly self-indulgent (like this morning) I return to my bed (after my dog walk): in my pajamas, with my dodgy hair, a pot of french press coffee, the back catalog of EBTG, a stack of fashion porn, my laptop propped in front of me, my iphone lit up with texts, two cats practicing the art of napping beside me, a new book and absolutely no plans nor obligations. It's quite blissful. :)

I also love that when I come home from a long and rough day - I can find peace and solace, a deep sense of quiet in my own space. It helps me recharge and allows me to regroup.

[deedarino]

I would agree that I just am a bit weird, full stop; and living alone neither makes me more or less so.

I do think living alone makes me lazier though. I do chores as and when they suit me. In fact I do everything in my own time, to suit my own schedule, whims and needs - when I live alone.

I do talk to my pets. I play my music too loud and I dance about the house in my undergarments. I procrastinate mopping the floors and I allow the recycling to pile up. I fold all of my laundry but then leave it stacked in my bedroom. I'm often to be found in mismatched outfits, manky old slippers and a bit of left-over mascara smudged cross my face on weekend mornings.

And when I'm feeling particularly self-indulgent (like this morning) I return to my bed (after my dog walk): in my pajamas, with my dodgy hair, a pot of french press coffee, the back catalog of EBTG, a stack of fashion porn, my laptop propped in front of me, my iphone lit up with texts, two cats practicing the art of napping beside me, a new book and absolutely no plans or obligations. It's quite blissful. :)

I also love that when I come home from a long and rough day - I can find peace and solace, a deep sense of quiet in my own space. It helps me recharge and allows me to regroup.

We must be soul sisters...you just described my life in detail. Blissful is a beautiful word for it.

[The JD]

I was a weird little child, and I certainly didn't live alone growing up. But yeah, with no one around to modify the behaviors, my eccentricity tends to flourish.

I know every restaurant that will deliver to my house. I've ordered a pizza at 11PM just because I wanted a coca-cola.

I make up little songs about the most mundane things I am doing, and torture my animals with them. I think their favorite is the 'time to feed the girls' song!


Yes! Whenever my chihuahua rolls on his back and bends his body around in the shape of a comma, I break out into a rousing chorus of "comma comma comma comma comma chihuahua" (sung to the tune of Karma Chameleon).

And really, it seems more eccentric to close the bathroom door when you're the only one home...though maybe I'll start doing it now that I know the possible consequences. :|

With all of us stepping forward to admit this stuff, maybe it's not so weird after all?

[UofMfan]

I don't think living alone makes me weird.

Looking at the list of things from the article, only one fits my life and that is leaving the bathroom door open.

Personally, I think that living alone has made me perhaps less tolerant of other people's quirkiness. I tend to be very organized and living alone has made me even more so.

I do love being able to do what I please, when I please and that is hard to give up. I tend to plan my days but I can change plans at my whim. I love spending Sundays in boxers and a t-shirt while watching movies, reading a book, or whatever I feel like doing.

I love eating my meals wherever I want to, usually at my desk, and eating whatever I feel like eating, which is normally ordered in.

When I had a dog I used to talk to him all the time, throw ideas around and see what inspired me, it worked really well. I loved seeing his face move from side to side when I did that.

Living alone is great, I love my own company and to be able to come home, change into my home clothes, relax and find the zen and solace that I get being inside my own mind and in my space.

[deedarino]

Sometimes I eat cereal out of the one of the big mixing bowls in the cupboard because:

1. I like lots of milk with my cereal
2. I don't feel like washing dishes
3. I want to.

[Cuddles]

~ walking around naked at 2am eating peanut butter from a jar while drinking OJ from the carton

At 2am I'm dead asleep... and I'm not a PB fan =P

~ unique sleep habit cycles without a routine schedule

Yup

~ weird meal habits i.e. eating the same thing for breakfast, lunch and supper (hey, it was on sale) or having doritos as a meal

I'll do that living single or not; I'm a creature of habit!

~ leaving the bathroom door open (which apparently is a habit we might take with us when we visit others)

GUILTY! Guilty as charged! Well I wanna be able to hear the voices on the TV duh!

~running stuff by our pets who are notorious good listeners

I run stuff by to my computer from time to time... does that count?

~drinking champagne in the shower at 8am

I don't like champagne... nor do I drink or eat in the shower... how can you??

~washing vegetables while showering

Yuck... NO!

~playing video games for days without sleeping

Been there, done that, got the fat to show it!

~unique home only outfits

I got that, single or not.

[BoDy*ShOt]

I will be living by myself for the first time in a very. very. long time in the next week or so... i'll get back to you w how weirder I've become ;-s

[Gentle Tiger]

I am a loner by nature. I enjoy living alone. I need space. Does it make me weird? Hmm... Well, I do talk to myself. :blink: But I know how to behave when outside. That being said, I have had to catch myself when making quirky noises. I am very particular about my space, how things are organized and cleaned. I wouldn't say I'm a neat freak but others might.

Some might consider my eating habits weird. They seem normal to me. lol I eat what I want, however I want, when I want. If I feel like using a mixing bowl for my cereal or whatever I'm eating I do. If I feel like using a nice plate I do. Closing doors to use the bathroom? Why? There's no one here. But I remember my manners when outside of my house. As for clothing, I will just say I am always comfortable and leave it at that. *smirk*

But isn't this what being grown is about? Having your own place where you set the rules and are 100% free to be you without judgment? I'm a quirky guy and living alone means enjoy being quirky in peace no matter what that looks like on any given day.

[aishah]

amen to gentle tiger's post.

i'm living alone for the first time in my life and i love it. when my partners move here in the next year we're getting a house together but til then i have a whole two-bedroom apartment all to myself (one bedroom's an office). i've always lived with roommates before this.

i have weird house-only outfits...they're called "pajamas." (i.e. tank tops and plaid pants i would never wear in public but i wear them all the time if i'm staying home all day or working from home.) i don't think that habit is THAT quirky. lol.

i eat weird things sometimes but i try to eat pretty regularly and eat normal stuff. i do sometimes have a strange sleeping cycle and i leave the bathroom door open, but i do that whether i'm alone or with a partner - it doesn't really matter. my partners have weird sleeping cycles too.

[genghisfawn]

So... I thought I wanted to reply, but honestly, my weirdnesses are mine. They are weird and probably make me unappealing on so many levels, but I'm glad to see that some of my eccentricities are shared by others (bathroom door open, eating out of jars, declaiming ingredients lists as one would a monologue, etc.)

Maybe there are things I do which I don't find weird, but others would. That's the scary bit!

[Hack]

Technically, I don't live alone. I have a housemate, who is also one of my best mates, but he isn't here about 50 percent of the time because his work takes him out of town or out of state quite often.

Living alone doesn't make me weird. I've never really been bothered by it. It does make me lazy about inside chores (I love doing work outside), as some of have mentioned. I do chat with my dog from time to time. I like being able to lounge about in my boxers and a tshirt and watch baseball whenever I want. I like being able to have my own schedule, though lately I am not as good about sticking to it.

Lately, I have found myself having brief periods of acute loneliness. I've started working on it in therapy to try to determine the root of it. It has only started in the last couple of months. I think part of it is a lot of my local friends now have kids who are older and more involved in after-school things, like sports or the arts, and they are all wrapped up in that. And while I do occasionally go to a high school swim meet in support of my friends' daughter, I do miss our more care-free days of potlucks and cook-outs.

[aishah]

i forgot to add! one of my other weirdnesses is that i eat on nice dishes all the time. when i first moved into my new place i couldn't bring a lot of my previous possessions, including cheap dishes. i got a few plastic plates just in case until i got settled, then my neighbor gave me two huge boxes of gorgeous antique chinese dishes, cups, and bowls. and a friend gave me some crystal plates. and i figure why let them sit around and go un-used? lol :) so if you eat dinner at my house you'll get the fancy schmancy stuff. even if it's just for pizza.

i sleep on a mattress on the floor and i actually like it that way. i have a bed frame with box springs but when i moved the bed from room to room the box springs wouldn't fit around the corners. so i tried to convert the bed frame into a platform bed. that didn't work out so well. so i just put the frame in a closet and now i sleep on the floor. i'm looking into buying a new platform bed (i want a bigger bed) at some point, but i'd still prefer for it to be low to the ground even if not on the ground. sometimes getting up and down is hard, but on the upside it encourages my crippled behind to stretch in the mornings.

i'm not sure if this is weird but i close all the doors when i'm sleeping. open doors kinda freak me out.

i do get lonely a lot with working from home and living alone. i love living alone for work purposes - i get a lot more done than when i had roommates or when i'm with a partner. but i can go days without seeing anyone, which is really unhealthy for me. i try to get out as much as possible.

[Kobi]

I never saw the things I did as odd or weird or related to living alone. To me, it has always been my preferences for me in my space.

I like eating when I am hungry rather than on a schedule. I sleep when I am tired, not at prescribed hours.

I buy household stuff to suit my preferences. So, if you show up unexpectedly, the only things you will have to drink is coffee or bottled water. And if you want a sandwich, I have cheese and condiments - if you want bread and cold cuts with it, you had better bring them. :)

I do close the bathroom door. It is the only reprieve I get from the cat. If I abuse this privilege she allows me, I will see paws making their way under the door.

In warm weather I do go topless. However, I have learned to keep a shirt by the door, and after flashing the maintenance guys one too many times, I do shut the blinds.

I sing the theme song to the Jetsons in the shower including the sound effects. It used to be the rubber ducky song. :rubberducky:

So much for projecting a certain image eh? ;)

[TimilDeeps]

So, I'm wondering, do you have any little quirks or eccentricies that you attribute to living alone? Do you ever take them with you when visiting others?




Nope, just living makes me weird:bolt:

[girl_dee]

i loved living alone!

it's probably what makes me a rather difficult room mate, i get hung up on things that aren't a big deal but get under my skin, and i know that's *my* stuff and am learning to lighten up a bit!


like, crumbs in the butter, drives me NUTS.

[femmennoir]

Unique home only outfits.......well, yes, mostly pyjama bottoms with whatever on top, and I will walk my dog wearing these, hoping not to be seen!
Running things past the above mentioned dog.......of course! she is a fountain of wisdom, and the two of us share conversations and snacks (we do so love foie gras on toasted rustic bread, with a flute of Champagne for me, but never in the shower)
Reading until 2 or 3 in the morning....all the time, and with a dog against my side
Breakfast for lunch or dinner............never! I do cook and enjoy doing so, almost as much as I enjoy eating. Besides, the wise dog enjoys my cooking!

Living alone, how glorious!

Elle*

[Scuba]

Nope, just living makes me weird:bolt:

Ditto :cigar2:

[SugarFemme]

Let's see if leaving my bathroom door open when I am alone, talking to my dog who is a member of my family, taking a spoonful out of MY PB makes me weird....YUP!!! Guilty as charged!!! I'm weird LOL

[Mr Nice Guy]

I love living alone. It's having my Mom live with me thats making me weird.

[Billy]

I don't think living alone makes Me weird , I was born this way :)
I have lived alone for some time , I believe it gave Me a chance to get to know Myself and grow as a person .. :)

[LeftWriteFemme]

I blame the strangeness that goes on in my house on the eccentric dog that I live with.....

[Ciaran]

The article also talks about how living alone might lead to quirkiness, eccentricies, and general weirdness in the comfort of our own homes where we are free to be ourselves. It is being called Secret Single Behavior.


The NY Times needs to get with the times - weird is the new normal and normal is the new wierd.

Personally, there's nothing new about any of this. Typically, if living alone, we have more freedom to act how we want and when we want to.

However, it's no different to someone who lives as part of a large family i.e. their behaviour will be very different in that family setting to when the rest of the family disappear and, similarly, their behaviour will typically be different when at work i.e. to a certain extent, we adjust our behaviour to varying degrees depending upon the social circumstances and expectations.

When living on your own, you're clearly less restricted in that sense. Is that weird? To me, it seems weird to want it any other way ....... as someone who works intense hours in a crowded city, has an active and rather intense life outside of work, I love to be able to shut the door to the world, to escape people and just be my natural grumpy and curmudgeonous self.

[iamkeri1]

I actually don't find any of these behaviors to be weird. I do not live alone, and I do most of these things. I do not drink champagne in the shower at 8am. I don't like champagne, and I takes baths, not showers. I have, however, eaten many meals while soaking in the bathtub. I think it makes sense to wash your vegetables while in the shower since it saves water. Having them share a soaking in the bathtub with me, is much less appealing, I must say.

Weird is normal
Smooches,
Keri



There was an article in the New York Times (http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/23/garden/the-freedom-and-perils-of-living-alone.html)
looking at how 1 in 4 American households and 1 in 2 in Manhattan now have a single occupant.

The article also talks about how living alone might lead to quirkiness, eccentricies, and general weirdness in the comfort of our own homes where we are free to be ourselves. It is being called Secret Single Behavior.

Some examples of secret single behavior would be:

~ walking around naked at 2am eating peanut butter from a jar while drinking OJ from the carton

~ unique sleep habit cycles without a routine schedule

~ weird meal habits i.e. eating the same thing for breakfast, lunch and supper (hey, it was on sale) or having doritos as a meal

~ leaving the bathroom door open (which apparently is a habit we might take with us when we visit others)

~running stuff by our pets who are notorious good listeners

~drinking champagne in the shower at 8am

~washing vegetables while showering

~playing video games for days without sleeping

~unique home only outfits

I dont know if this stuff is really the result of living alone or just people being people.

So, I'm wondering, do you have any little quirks or eccentricies that you attribute to living alone? Do you ever take them with you when visiting others?

[genghisfawn]

Okay... Here's an observation. Right now I am staying at my best friend's place with another close friend and my best friend's mom. We all live alone and are all the creative sort. Throughout the day we've spent mainly together, we've all silently yet mutually agreed that for a half hour, here and there, we need to retreat and do something solitary. Play a game, take a nap, read, knit, whatever. I mentioned it and nobody thought it was weird, apologised, etc. I'm going to assume that it's because we take these lapses of solitude as our way of personally regrouping whilst thrown together.

Oh, and all of us, within 5 minutes of getting in the door, take our bras off.

[deedarino]

Dressed in my "oh hell no only at home" wear, doing dishes with ipod in tow, my inner cuban/pole/?? dancer decided to come out. My cats think I am fantastic.

Kitchen is clean and the cats aren't talkin. EVER.

[cinderella]

Make the bed? Who makes the bed????

Living alone...I am an expert. I've lived alone for most of my adult life, taking time out for the few live-in relationships I've had - most long-term. But I adapt very easily to going it alone - yet again.

Sometimes I think it would be nice to have a live-in partner, but I think again and reflect:

I would be expected to have a neat & clean house (I do for the most part - but am a lousy housekeeper, and only do it when I absolutely can't stand it anymore).

I would have to deal with eyerolls every time I wanted some wine - which is often. Hey, you're not paying for it, nor do I expect you to, so piss off!!

I'd have to consider someone else before making any decisions...I don't like that at all. I'm too used to pleasing me, and of course my puppy - but she's easy - for the most part.

I'd have to get out of bed to pass gas at night - which is often.

I'd have to close the bathroom door - something I never do, unless of course, I'm visiting (which is never), or have company, which is maybe once or twice a year.

Go out when I don't feel like it.

Control my impulse buying - I hate that one!

Have to consider someone else's opinion/desires when decorating - something that is anathema to me! Or for that matter, on anything!

...and the list goes on and on, but this will do for a start. Wow! What a surprise that I'm single! lol

I think that there are definitely habits we form when living alone. Many years ago (when I had been single for several years) I would not sleep in my bed but instead slept every night on the couch. Certainly saved time making the bed in the morning lol

[theoddz]

Well, I have to laugh because I was weird long before I ever lived alone. :thinking:

I don't think that living alone, in itself, has done the damage. :twitch:

It's no one's fault but mine that I have two groups of underwear....one for day and the other for night wear. :|

The rest is just a bunch of OCD, phobias and quirks going on. :sunglass:

I got those all by myself, too. :winky:

Independent-like. :twitch:

~Theo~ :bouquet:

[Kelt]

Yep

Picky doesn't begin to describe it. After a couple of decades of "voluntary simplicity" I upgraded to "minimalist".

Having anything around that isn't specifically functional or aesthetically loved makes me buggy. Like crawl the walls buggy.

Ironically, if something sits out of place for a few days it becomes invisible and can go unnoticed for months until something else brings it back to my attention. Then it must go or be dealt with immediately.

Sometimes its as though all the cupboard and closet doors went missing. I can see exactly what is in them and then they have to be re-edited just to be sure. Fortunately, I don't have much stuff anymore.

Weird might apply.

:blink:

[Leigh]

That's one thing about me, I've never been able to live alone ~ I always have to live with someone, even a roommate ~ I don't seem to do well living along lol

[puddin']

it makes me no weirder den i already am, and i'm weird enough to start wit'. lol. but i do behave well in public, and play well wit' othas! (and between you and me, i prefer it!)

[dixie]

Ha! I'm weird enough on my own, so I don't think being alone makes any difference.

[Glenn]

Well, I'm getting ready for bed so I'll raise the security level to defcon 4.
don't have to worry about anyone coming here...
battlestations...the shade are down...my cats have their helmets on...and gave me the thumbs/paws up...
We are ready...operation disengagement is in effect...
holy s***...someone called up and ordered sandbags:confused:

[foxyshaman]

The last 1.5 years I have lived alone for the first time in my life. The first few months were weird. I kept expecting the kids to come at all hours. And then slowly the 'freedom' started to move into me. We became friends.

This is also the first time I have been single AND lived alone. So, I feel like I am in a really exciting place.

Will I get weirder... laughing... by whose standards?? <says the dangerously dorky dyke who refers to herself as a fox> <smiley widely>

[Ciaran]

I don't talk to my pets - I don't have any so if I talked to them it would be a bit wierd I guess.

I do talk to my stuffed Kermit and occasionally grope him too. I don't think that this is too wierd given that, as he cannot answer back, he tends to implicitly share my outlook on life (good) and, as for the groping, we'll at least he doesn't expect me to take him out for a meal before or afterwards so it's cheaper on my wallet.

See, even what may seem wierd at the outset can have a perfectly rational explanation ........

[Kätzchen]

It's been about 7 weeks now that I've been on my own, but I think if anything about me has changed, I'm thinking that it has to be this deep need to have someone to talk with and share about everyday life.

Other than that and a few other items of interest, life seems to be full of new discoveries.

And I find that enchanting and beautiful.

[cricket26]

yes...that is all...

[Diablo]

living alone is fabulous ...until its not. I miss my wife....i miss waking up next to her...i miss coffee together...i miss parts of sharing my life..and living with her. Then.....i LOVE living alone..i love having a clean apt. Money...i love having MY money...and having it. I love knowing where stuff is...i love coming and going as i please....i find myself...enjoying my alone time more than enjoying my time with friends.....i LOVE the quiet......the ease...of just being....alone.......i think this isnt always healthy or good for me.

[Gemme]

I'm with the general consensus that I was weird before I started living alone.

I prefer living alone and it tends to be safer for the general population.

If I don't like the paint on the walls, I'm the only one that's going to bitch about it. Or not. If I forgot to take something out for dinner, I'm the only one who has to make the decision to patchwork something from the fridge or go get something. And, if going out, where to go. I only have to fight the sofa cushions for the remote and I usually win. I'm a total bed hog and that's best when there's no one for me to have to bully. It's not pretty.

On the flip side, I have no one to blame when I lose shit or forget to do something important.

Maybe I should get a pet.

:thinking:

[Kelt]

I don't think I'm weird, and I love living alone. I tried the live-together bit, three times, two years each, all in my twenties. Each time I started feeling trapped at about six months but tried to stick it out. Bad idea for everyone involved.

I've lived alone for the last twenty five years and wouldn't change a thing. I have been partnered and single, and I have been pressured hard to "be normal". I am normal, perhaps more normal than most, I'm happy when many are miserable for the sake of.. what? I have no need to share the joys of housework. I will live down the hall, across the street, or upstairs. But not with. I know my limits and respect those of others.

I'm glad so many want to and do live together, but it isn't for me.

Gemme, get a cat! They're the bee's knee's, well not so much but you know. :cat: Calicos are best. And yes, I talk to my cat all the time. She is mute, literally not figuratively, so we're a matched set.

[Gemme]

I don't think I'm weird, and I love living alone. I tried the live-together bit, three times, two years each, all in my twenties. Each time I started feeling trapped at about six months but tried to stick it out. Bad idea for everyone involved.

I've lived alone for the last twenty five years and wouldn't change a thing. I have been partnered and single, and I have been pressured hard to "be normal". I am normal, perhaps more normal than most, I'm happy when many are miserable for the sake of.. what? I have no need to share the joys of housework. I will live down the hall, across the street, or upstairs. But not with. I know my limits and respect those of others.

I'm glad so many want to and do live together, but it isn't for me.

Gemme, get a cat! They're the bee's knee's, well not so much but you know. :cat: Calicos are best. And yes, I talk to my cat all the time. She is mute, literally not figuratively, so we're a matched set.

Kelt, thanks for the suggestion. I've had many cats through the years and up to 8 at one time. I'm an OCL -- Original Cat Lady! lol

My dad has the best solution I've found for those that wish to be partnered but wish to live alone as well. He lives in one modular home and a few doors down, his wife lives in her own mod home. He's close enough to do the stuff around her place that she can't or won't do and she's close enough to bring over his favorite home cooked meals. They go to church and doctor visits and the store together like any other married couple but then he goes home to his bed and she goes home to hers. Brilliant!

[Daktari]

Another here who was weird waaaay before I lived alone. I love living as a single household with just me and Woodipotimus to please. We're a partnership that can never be broken. Our conversations have to be heard to be believed.

Like Kelt, tried the living together thang but shied away from it ever since. Should I meet another person I hope to spend a life with and they wanted to live together then I would require the west wing of any dwelling to myself. :cheesy:

[Orema]

I love living alone. The perfect partnership for me would be for both of us to live on different sides of the park (or lake, or mountain). Spend a night or two at your place, a night or two at my place, then retreat to our own places to rejuvenate.

[SirenManda]

Before I moved to Seattle I attempted living alone but ended up having family stay with my constantly because actually being alone felt empty. Growing up with a big family (tons of cousins) I got used to people being around all the time, just background talking or someone always wanting to watch movies or just hang out. As I've gotten older and moved away, I noticed I appreciate alone time and privacy more even though I actually live with my husband. More of a "he's at work, look at all the things I can do!" sense of it. I'd have people come stay as long as they'd like if honey would be okay with it. I like being around people I guess.

[Kelt]

I love living alone. The perfect partnership for me would be for both of us to live on different sides of the park (or lake, or mountain). Spend a night or two at your place, a night or two at my place, then retreat to our own places to rejuvenate.

This can work really well. I had this for five years where we were a few miles across town. 3 nights a week together, 4 nights doing our own thing. It was perfect (for me). Ultimately she decided she wanted the white picket fence. I think you have to find the right style of introvert to match, extroverts tend to want the "on" all the time kind of set up. At least in my experience.

[*Anya*]

Back when I first wrote in this thread, I was still living alone.

I never hated it. Lonely sometimes: yes, of course.

Did I develop what could be called by some as weird behaviors living alone: yes.

On the other hand, I don't think the desire or need to live alone is weird or strange at all.

I am an introvert so learning to live with someone again has been a challenge in some ways.

When I met my GF, I slowly began to spend more nights at her house, until I really was not spending any at my own.

It was moving in-introvert style. My brand of introvert anyway.

I do miss living alone sometimes.

Those times that I really want and need to be in my own head; don't feel like making the bed or picking stuff up that I have strewn about; don't feel like doing the dishes or cooking (I used to live on Special K for dinner when I lived alone) etc.; then I miss living alone.

For example, my GF always is half-apologetic when she plays 18-holes on the weekend and then has a beer afterward with the 4-some she plays with. Her ex used to get mad when she did that.

I smile and say: "have a great time!" And I really mean it. She does not quite "get" that.

That is my time to put my PJ's on (even 2 in the afternoon), read a book, watch a B movie or just do nothing but listen to silence. That is heavenly to me.

Living with someone, even when you love them, can be a challenge. As can living alone.

Neither makes one weird. We are who we are.

[QueenofSmirks]

I LOVE living alone! I've been living alone for 13 years, and I love it! Some of my "quirky" living alone behaviors:
- I do laundry at all hours because I don't have to worry about waking anyone else.
-Sometimes I leave (non-perishable) groceries sitting in the bags on the kitchen counter because I feel too lazy to put them away at that moment.
-If I feel particularly frustrated about something, I may scold myself out loud to give myself a verbal ass kicking.
-I fold back the comforter to the other side of the bed so making the bed is easier in the morning.
-I sometimes use the other side of the bed as a temporary holding place for all the clothes I've just folded and haven't put away yet.

I'm sure there are many others!

[Cole610]

Currently sitting on my little balcony in my boxer briefs and sleeveless tee. Eating pretzels for breakfast. Last friday I had bbq peanuts for dinner.

[QueenofSmirks]

I've been known to eat trail mix as a meal :)

[starryeyes]

Living alone is making me more amazing!! I love it!!

Yes, I don't always clean the dishes right away, or pick up the clothes on the floor... But who cares!? It's my decision!! :-D

[RockOn]

no


=>10 characters now with this line
:)

[lilapache]

kinda sorta and kinda sorta not

it makes me see why i stay away from a lot of people
it makes me enjoy the close knit circle i do have

but most of all.. it's showed me i can be alone and do anything and everything i set my mind to and that i really never needed anyone... but myself..

[ksrainbow]

Weird or not, I am very content and selfishly enjoy sharing my own space and solitude!

[Happy_Go_Lucky]

http://www.gigglepedia.com/e/articles/images/1/article-1285.jpg

[femmsational]

Since the Brutal One is driving his big orange truck all over creation and is only home 5 days every six weeks, technically I'm living alone.


I've always been a little weird but my goodness, I think I'm crossing some sorta weird line.

My OCD is getting worse. I caught myself talking to my kitchen the other day. Yes, my kitchen....I constantly have full on conversation with our animals. Which I did before but now I answer for them :vigil: I've found myself doing all kinds of new weird things that kinda give me pause.


Although I also just started going through the "change" so I'm not sure if it's being all alone in this house with a bunch of four legged creatures, or hormones.


I hope I don't fall farther into the crazy cat lady mode I seem to be heading towards.

:jester:

[DapperButch]

I don't know, but my wonderful world of solitude is coming to a crashing halt soon. :blink:

[tantalizingfemme]

Hey.... :4femme:

[DapperButch]

Hey.... :4femme:

.....:bolt:

[cricket26]

this thread has made me think about this question more than i normally would consider a topic..

i am wondering if living alone makes me weird while i am alone?

ie talking to myself, walking around the house nude, eating over the sink, singing to myself or talking to the fur babies...

or does living alone make me weird when i am around others?

ie...any socially awkward behavior...

or...a little bit of both?

[Sweet Bliss]

I will soon find out....:rrose:

[cricket26]

ok so i am obsessed with this thread...forgive me...it must be from living alone...haha...i have a question...if you act weird and you are alone...is it really weird?

or is it like when a tree falls in forest and no one is there can you hear it?

just sayin....


p.s. i am not alone as much anymore as my kids are here with me and i spend time at the hunny bunnys apartment :)

[Happy_Go_Lucky]

But But But.... one of the perks of living alone.

http://media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/f5/a1/f0/f5a1f0d64babd6c7ba328a717b3f57a6.jpg

[stargazingboi]

It's been a couple years since I lived alone, but I remember it well. I'm not sure if my behavior was actually weird. I mean, why would I close the door to the bathroom...it's not like anyone is there, did I really require additional privacy from my walls or dogs? The same goes with walking around naked (Although, I didn't do that much...I was more of a A Shirt and boxers kind of guy).

I think living alone allows people to fully be who they are without concern of judgment and social politeness (meaning: clothes are required when certain folks are around and germs are not cool to share unless engaging in certain activities)

By the looks of this thread it seems certain behavior is shared by many...so, to me that would be common behavior not weird. :)

Now, that being said...I have been told for many years that I am eccentric (the polite term for weird). I have habits...I lived with a very strict schedule and in many ways it was ritualistic...this created a calm for my brain and soul. I am still that way on many levels...in my brain I create a schedule for the day and I stick to it unless I absolutely have to veer from it. I have a lot of "quirky" behavior that when others view them raise an eyebrow or make comments. I personally don't find them quirky...but it seems others do because they don't understand the reason behind it.

It's all perspective really...I have lived a different life, with different cultures etc. I meditate, I work out, I pray, I eat certain foods and food combinations because my life experiences. Those things alone could cause someone from a different back ground to view me as weird.

So, am I really weird? and if so was it truly created by my living alone? Maybe, living alone just gave me the room to develop the true me?

Hmmm it's much like the old question: which came first the chicken or the egg?

I may never know...

[cinnamongrrl]

easy:

NO...I was already strange to begin with :) and I am SOOO ok with that!

[cricket26]

https://fbcdn-sphotos-d-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xpa1/v/t1.0-9/10347418_885066618225096_5498019332554999510_n.jpg ?oh=3cdf2f3cb8d177a988ecb98864ca1606&oe=54E068B2&__gda__=1423414282_2890391f6a9128785cdd8032a48b2e8 c

[A. Spectre]

define weird

[cricket26]

define weird



to me, weird means anything that makes others uncomfortable...thus my theory if you are alone, it is not weird :)

does that make any sense at all?

[Smiling]

lol, no; living with someone is what is making me weird.

(lol, I'm just teasing, but as a rule I do tend to do best when I have my own space to which I can retreat). That quiet time helps me to stay less weird, lol; I do have an established baseline of peculiarity that never really dissipates totally, though.

[JoSchmooze]

I had to go back and go through every single post, to see if I was any weirder than anybody else living alone.

Oh I talk to the animals all the time. I threaten to throw them out in the street. Or cut off their college tuition. All the doors are open, or half open because one of the cats hides out in the linen closet in the clothes closet underneath the bed everywhere. The dog tries to make friends with the cats. But the cats just want to have nothing to do with him. So he sits up in my lap and we end up singing together.

As most of you know, I travel quite a bit for my job. So I have a friend who housesits for me. But every week when I come home I have to go through the dishwasher and rinse everything because I think she doesn't clean them enough. Is that weird or is that just my OCD taking over?

I have a closet for what I call my corporate drag, a closet for polo shirts and Hawaiian shirts, a closet for jackets in Arizona for goodness sake's, and a closet for clothes I'll never be able to fit in again. That alone I think is weird.

I try to keep a regular schedule but there are nights of coarse that I don't want to cook. So I opened up the freezer and find something I've already packaged because I don't know how to cook for just myself.

We are who we are truly when we live alone. And who's to say what's normal or weird? Like a friend of mine says it is what it is.......

[Gemme]

define weird

weird
/wird/

adjective

adjective: weird; comparative adjective: weirder; superlative adjective: weirdest

1. suggesting something supernatural; uncanny.
"the weird crying of a seal"

synonyms: uncanny, eerie, unnatural, supernatural, unearthly, otherworldly, ghostly, mysterious, strange, abnormal, unusual

informal
creepy, spooky, freaky

"weird apparitions"

antonyms: normal

informal
very strange; bizarre.
"a weird coincidence"

synonyms: bizarre, quirky, outlandish, eccentric, unconventional, unorthodox, idiosyncratic, surreal, crazy, peculiar, odd, strange, queer, freakish, zany, madcap, outré

informal
bizarro, wacky, freaky, way-out, offbeat, off the wall, wacko

"a weird sense of humor"

antonyms: conventional

archaic
connected with fate.

noun
Scottisharchaic

noun: weird; plural noun: weirds

1. a person's destiny.

verb
North American informal

verb: weird; 3rd person present: weirds; past tense: weirded; past participle: weirded; gerund or present participle: weirding

1. induce a sense of disbelief or alienation in someone.

[Crow]

Hmmmm?

Well...?

I'm good living alone. I also think I'm a good person to live with. I would prefer to be sharing my life with someone. But I'm good. It does feel weird from time to time.

Sometimes I wonder if I will live alone forever? Better question is would I choose to live with someone again. Getting gun-shy about the possibility of forever. Sometimes living alone is lonely. Then I remember you can be alone even though you are not. That's the loneliest place there is. Rather live alone than feel that again. I'm weird about that now.

So what if I talk to myself on occasion...or to the fish. Or that my black lab and I like to spoon and love talk. Weird? O.K. Cause that will never change.

I liked this definition from an earlier post the best:
present participle: weirding.

Yup...that's what's happening up in here. And I'm cool with that.

[Gemme]

Talking to yourself isn't weird at all.

Answering yourself might be.

:blink:

[Electrocell]

I don't talk to myself ,I talk to my cats. Sometimes they answer me back with a meow or 2 other times the look at me with that WTF look. Either way it's a good conversation. :superfunny::|

[Orema]

Talking to yourself isn't weird at all.

Answering yourself might be.

:blink:

I think it's weird not to answer yourself when you're talking to yourself. Who else is gonna answer? I really don't like one sided conversations--even with myself.

Answers like, "Yeah", "Okay" or "That's a brilliant idea!" work very well. :)

[Daktari]

I think it's weird not to answer yourself when you're talking to yourself. Who else is gonna answer? I really don't like one sided conversations--even with myself.

Answers like, "Yeah", "Okay" or "That's a brilliant idea!" work very well. :)

Talking with oneself provides a better class of conversation!

[Sweet Bliss]

Well I'm already weird. I record myself on a digital recorder. It helps me remember and process. Great self discovery tool.


Try it, you'll like it. :rrose:

[A. Spectre]

"is living alone making you weird?"

geeeez i can only hope. ;)

[Jesse]

No, I think I have always been weird depending on what your particular definition of weird is. Living along just enables me to be weird without having to listen to the judgement of others. Besides, my dog says I am just fine. ;)

Yes, I do talk to myself, and yes I answer and have even been known to argue back if I don't like the answer.

I never shut the bathroom door, why would I? I live alone after all and that space is small enough without being confined behind a closed door.

I am not one to walk around butt nekkid, but I do live in FL and keep my blinds and curtains drawn in the summer to keep the heat out, so I am usually in no more than a pair of boxers or cargo shorts if inside. No shirt, no shoes. :)

I guess I am weird because I do not see how any of this makes me weird. :sunglass:

[cinnamongrrl]

This thread has actually made me consider the question.....

the only difference I see is that I spend a lot more time being nakie...which is rather liberating...lol

:byebye:

[Sweet Bliss]

I guess I am weird because I do not see how any of this makes me weird. :sunglass:

:rrose: Jesse, I think we just wanna know what other folks do in case we hadn't thought of it yet and we wanna do it too!

Or maybe so we can say "ewwww how weird! They do that too!"

Or say " see?! That's normal! Jesse does it too!!" :jester:

[MasterfulButch]

I found myself thinking about this thread this morning whilst naked cleaning. I think pre-shower naked cleaning is an efficient strategy but perhaps it ticks the weird box for others?

Suffice to say, I don't extend this theory to washing the car...

[DapperButch]

I found myself thinking about this thread this morning whilst naked cleaning. I think pre-shower naked cleaning is an efficient strategy but perhaps it ticks the weird box for others?

Suffice to say, I don't extend this theory to washing the car...

I think it is logical. If the reason why you were cleaning naked was so that you didn't "dirty up", any clothing prior to your shower, it makes total sense.

[Gemme]

I don't think it's weird. Like Dapper said, it's logical. I wouldn't do it but I have a strict panties policy, so I could topless clean but not naked clean.

[DapperButch]

I don't think it's weird. Like Dapper said, it's logical. I wouldn't do it but I have a strict panties policy, so I could topless clean but not naked clean.

Yeah, I have a strict no cleaning policy, so I wouldn't be doing it, either.

[KayCee]

Haha, what's all this cleaning and being naked 'stuff'?? I don't need to be cleaning to run around naked....:giggle:

jk

[A. Spectre]

after being with someone for many years, residing alone these last few years has been a learning and growing experience.

in the beginning, i was terrified. my partner, my best friend, confidant, sleep mate was.......*whoosh! gone.

after the initial year or so, the idea of not relying on her for my happiness, my breath began sinking in. each morning, i had to wake up and face myself, my loneliness, my struggles.

now, after several years, my confidence, my comfort levels are sustained and i have not not only acclimated, my confidence level has soared.

don't get me wrong, one day i would enjoy having a special someone but more importantly, i have learned to enjoy myself. with this, perhaps i can be a better and improved partner to someone in the future.

[Rockinonahigh]

My son says I may be getting weird,he said carrying on a conversation with my fur kids makes him wonder.They talk back just fine,he on the other hand dose not understand their language as I do.

[cinnamongrrl]

if it is...so what??

I'm only hurting myself....figuratively speaking..

:fastdraq:

[cinnamongrrl]

Now that Im no longer living alone, I realized how much I count on having my things where and as I left them....

[RockOn]

If it is, I prefer weird! LOL!

[C0LLETTE]

I honestly don't believe anything could make me "weirder" than I already am.

[Mormegil]

Well I dont live alone. But i do isolate myself alot.and yes thats possible ive done it since i wS a teenager. I can say iam very weird in.comparison to others in my house and outside.

Ive hidden my strangeness completely from my housemates amazingly. And the following list is sure to make all you think im insane..

So one thing i do and have always done is have a conversation with myself. I even did this as a kid. There was no other children in.my neighborhood so i played alone how boring.

I could be playing a video game or looking for something in my room , or just laying in bed. Now i know what im doing and that nobody else is there. But it stems from my lonliness. Im just lonely and when i try to have a.conversation with other people it just..meh. they either dont get me or its super short lived. Iam completely myself with myself , no misunderstandings and no weird stares lol. And i known its a strange habit but stops my lonliness for a short time. When im super lonely i write myself love letters to.

I also talk to my cats. Heck ill talk to any animal or fish. I love goldfish.

Iam religious although not A crazy zealot . But i sleep with a bible on my bed. Like next to me. I have nightmares and.when i wake up i can just reach grab it and i feel better and go back to sleep.

Hmm what other oddities... i play mincraft on xbox in my underwear does that count?

[Jane Bond]

I had some good answers that disappeared. So I just want to answer this one:

~washing vegetables while showering

I wash all of my body in the shower thoroughly, including my derriere. What if a tiny flake of fecal matter fell on the celery I had already washed for snack time? "Hep, this is Cholera, have you met?" Uhhh. I don't feel so good...:(