How Social Distancing Has Become Too Social for Introverts
Now the virus has another major symptom: non-stop interruptions from restless extroverts
“Come to the living room, my cousin Jane is on Zoom.”
My partner’s voice beckoned me once again to leave my writing and join her for yet another Zoom session, the fourth such event this day.
I dutifully went to the living room, said hi to Jane and her family, and after a few minutes of forced smiles and extensive enquiries about everyone’s health, made a comment about “lots of work” and escaped back to my computer.
Before the pandemic, we saw Jane and her family once or twice a year at family events and holidays. For me, that was about the right frequency to meet these members of our extended family. They are likeable, but we don’t really have much in common. It now seems that with social distancing, there is no acquaintance who can survive more than two days without being in touch.
When the crisis began, many of us introverts thought our time had come. We would help our extroverted family and friends get through these difficult times by enabling them to see the benefits of a quieter, more reflective lifestyle.
