I've grew up as an outsider in pretty much every aspect of my life. I don't have any need to fit in, nor any compulsion to do the thing everyone else is doing.

I've grew up as an outsider in pretty much every aspect of my life. I don't have any need to fit in, nor any compulsion to do the thing everyone else is doing. By the time I hit 25 I pretty much realized I don't need people to be happy. Being around other people means entertaining other people. For some reason there seems to be no "just existing doing my thing" with other people. I don't mind crowds, but it depends on the crowd. Throngs of people going to work? I don't feel lonely, I feel isolated. I can feel myself as a dot travelling through a sea of dots. Maybe it depends on the city. Where I am, crowds of people inevitably afford opportunity for heartfelt anonymous interaction. You can say something very personal to a stranger and they will respond in kind. And then you never see them again. I'm sure some of them remember me.