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>>47520
It's a combination of the economy as you pointed out, as well as the effects of Covid. A lot of people I know, including myself, got so used to isolating that it became comfortable for them. Around 1/3 of the people I knew became shut-ins after Covid.
>>47588
Are you truly content John? I lived the same way for years and convinced myself that I was content. Perhaps I genuinely was. However, I slowly started getting this itching feeling that maybe I was missing out on something. That feeling grew stronger to the point that it became an anxiety.
Finally my anxiety over potentially wasting my life grew so loud that I couldn't peacefully sit at home anymore. The only solution, I figured, was to force myself to go out. I started meeting with my friends again, rekindling old connections, planning trips, and even signing up for yoga classes, going rock climbing, and even hopping on online dating.
It's been anything but comfortable, but that being said, it's been exhilarating. I've experienced some lows, but I've also experienced some highs that I did not know existed. For example, pulling a sweet girl who likes you close and cuddling her while you stroke her hair is a feeling I'd not experienced before, but that brought me great joy unlike anything else in life. I would have not known of this pleasure had I resigned myself to my previous life.
Of course there are lows too - I've experienced embarrassment from making multiple faux pas or just generally being awkward, as well as experiencing the heartache of feeling a romantic interest slip away from you. Still though, it's been a more eventful 6 months than the previous 4 years combined.