[graham1]

There are too many people around who believe you should be their friend, no matter what they do or say to you. They are not your friends.

As no one is perfect, a real friend will be happy to see or talk with you anytime, & won't mind too much if you say or do something inappropriate. But you have to return the favour.

[Tease T Tickle]

I cut people out of my life all the time, and usually for less than what it seems like you've tolerated.

People are irritating and generally not worth your time.

However, we're social creatures. If you tried to live alone and mind your own business, you'd eventually start to get lonely or like your life doesn't matter. If no one's around to say, "Good job!" why do anything?

Find the ones who aren't abusive, but mildly negligent. Keep them. You can come and go as you please and suffer no ill consequences.

[Gazelle]

I like my own company. If i spend to much time with people, i get irritable, and, if i have to more than a marginal 'contact' with the world, it also negatively affects me. Be this as it may, i know living a completely solitary life could get marignally depressing...in fact, i've been there, done that, don't want to go there again. Also, you learn a lot from interacting with people.

Shutting people out entirely, is not the answer...it is infact rather a shame. Think of what we may have lost if many of the great people did such a thing? (of course, there is a similar arguement for the not-so-great ) I think you just need different 'social surroundings'.

If these people did this stuff to you, they are not friends. Find a couple of people that you like being round, and you can trust, and vice versa, and, stick with them. As for everyone else, you can answer their calls, speak to them etc, but, there is no pressure on you for it to be anymore than that.

[Bloodybirds]

Personally, at my age I have discovered two things...first, it is great not to generally care what others think of you as long as your wife/son love you, and secondly, I grow more and more attached to my animals and plants than people....less bother, unconditional love, and motivated by instinct and survival, in other words true sentient beings!!

[Stazzy]

Originally Posted by Bloodybirds

Personally, at my age I have discovered two things...first, it is great not to generally care what others think of you as long as your wife/son love you, and secondly, I grow more and more attached to my animals and plants than people....less bother, unconditional love, and motivated by instinct and survival, in other words true sentient beings!!

I had a friend that was really attached to his plants. He ended up smoking all of them.

[Gazelle]

Originally Posted by Stazzy

I had a friend that was really attached to his plants. He ended up smoking all of them.

Is that true, Stazzy, or a jest?

Animals and plants are wonderous things!

[Stazzy]

There's a bit of truth in every jest I make.

[Gazelle]

Good to know.

[Bloodybirds]

Stazzy's true nickname around here is the Court Jester.... Watch out Gazelle, Stas is a young Russian with doctor aspirations, a pretty good punch, and loves to kid!

[Gazelle]

lol. I'll keep my eyes open for his scalpol.

Doctor? Cool. I would ask 'why', but i'll probably get told off (and probably rightly so) for going off topic, but, if you fancy answering, Stazzy, feel free to pm me the answer, or, if you fancy really publicising it, starting a whole knew topic on it.