> But I will say that while everyone might have different standards of "enjoying life", the key factor is actually _belonging_ to a family. Doesn't mater if tha

> But I will say that while everyone might have different standards of "enjoying life", the key factor is actually _belonging_ to a family. Doesn't mater if that family is blood related, it just needs to be people you fully trust and can do anything with and be completely comfortable with. I was reading about "Blue Zones" (areas of the world where people live exceptionally long lives) earlier today and one of the common traits among these areas is exactly what you're saying: have a close-knit social circle of family and friends. As an introvert, this idea goes completely against what I feel comfortable/happier with of course, but I think that's more a result of toxic people in my life in the past. When I reflect back on my social interactions with past friends (of the non-toxic variety), I do get a sense of being happier. What makes this especially interesting to me is while I have access to more "friends" now as a software developer, the white-collar interactions are less meaningful than when I was working minimum wage jobs. The friendships from my blue-collar jobs were far more memorable. The software work is more meaningful, but the blue-collar jobs gave me true happiness and I think the people I socialized with played a big part in that.