Greentext

Yeah I'm pretty far down the comments here and am just dumbfounded, as a 40+/m. I'm married, so maybe my perspective is skewed, but I'm anxious, introverted, and also don't feel like dating would be that much of a challenge if I found myself in that scene again.

For one, rejection isn't personal. They're doing me a favor if they decline or ghost me because I'm not going to waste more time on that relationship. I figured that out in my early 20s. I may need a couple weeks or months between because I don't have an abundance of social energy, but it's not that big of a deal either.

And then having hobbies is a great way to meet like-minded people. The more people you encounter with similar interests, the more likely you'll encounter someone with whom you may connect on another level. It's more difficult online, so I'd probably spend more time doing my outdoor things (birding, photography, surveying frog calls, etc) rather than gaming. They're mostly solo hobbies, but I do often find myself meeting people who want to chat about it while I'm out and about.

I thought I was one of the most socially inept people I know, but I can't relate to what I'm reading here. Maybe we need to work on our personal boundaries more and understand ourselves better before we're pursuing relationships.