Socialization

If we think about the three arenas of love - self/intimate connections/community - most of us have a preferred arena.  I have friends who are introverted and they can happily live for prolonged periods of time in solitude. I have other friends who get antsy with too much alone time and feel like a fish in the perfect pond hanging out with a group.  I have friends who operate within a small, pretty closed off group of intimates and they are content with that arrangement.

However - there are drawbacks to hanging ONLY in our preferred arena.  What is your preferred area? Would you like to live on an island built for one?  Does it sound like heaven to have a compound where only your most treasured companions live in relative isolation from the rest of the mad, mad world?  Or are you one of those gregarious sorts who never met a group you didn’t want to join?

Another issue is related to understanding which arenas are best suited for addressing the needs and wants of individuals and communities.  

Tomorrow we will continue to talk about the problems that arise when we do not have a healthy balance of interaction in all three arenas or when we go to the wrong arena to address a love need.