Edit: People are really making me out to be an evil psychopath with no empathy. I get that you can only tell so much from one post, but it’s incredibly far from the truth. I have people that love and adore in my life and would do anything for. It just takes me a long ass time to get to that point…and as an introvert, my social battery with new people wears down quickly. Online dating is just difficult. I am not rude to others. Conversations just quickly peter out and neither I or my match end up continuing for much longer. The “ghosting” I speak of is often mutual. These aren’t people I’ve interacted with for months that I suddenly stop talking to. It’s chatting for a day or several and then we peter out.
If you think from this small post that I am such a psychopath as to discard a literal child, I don’t know what to tell you. It’s just leaping to such wild conclusions that I don’t even know how to respond. I don’t even necessarily want kids…I just want to be able to have the option to.
I’m sorry if this is too odd or specific of a question, but I have a bit of a dilemma.
I live alone. I have some work friends work friends, but they basically stay just friends at work. So I get lonely sometimes. And sometimes I just want to have someone around to do stuff with me. And sometimes I wonder what it might be like to raise a family.
So I occasionally try dating apps. But when I finally get someone to respond to me, my reaction is first a little bit of excitement, but then I get annoyed at having to chat with someone I just met all the time. So I unfortunately act like a dickhole by then ghosting them soon after. Even if I manage enough stamina to chat back and forth for a week or so, it always just ends up tiring and a bother to me.
The thing is, I don’t really have much capacity to feel attracted to people. I’m probably somewhere on both the asexual and aromantic spectrums. So you’d think, why date? Just make a friendship then. But there are some things you can’t do with a friend…like raise a family and such.
Plus, I don’t even think I could manage a friendship with how difficult it is for me to like someone. I don’t like anyone I just met. It takes a long time for me to enjoy and appreciate people, and many never actually make it to the point of someone I really like. There have been a couple of times where I have tried hanging out with people as friends and it’s just…kind of dissatisfying to me?? Yet I really like hanging out with certain members of my family. I don’t get it.
Plus like…what are you even supposed to do on a date or on an outing with friends? What are you supposed to say when you’re chatting with a partner? How long and often are you supposed to chat with each other? I feel like I need some sort of a step by step guidebook because I don’t even know what the hell people are supposed to do with each other.
Sorry if this is too specific. I’m just wondering if anyone else out there is as confused with human interaction as I am.
Instead of looking for people to date, look for people to be in your DND campaign.
Or else join the 501st legion or something like that.
Main point is that you don’t focus on the dating stuff and instead focus on the social interactions.
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i know how you feel.
i don’t really have any advice.
i stopped dating a little before covid, and never started again.
i feel lonely sometimes, but i have friends and a cat.
I must be missing the cat part lol
Get a female cat that has not been spayed, instant cat family
Perhaps it’s good to start with finding out why you dislike people so easily, or why spending time with other’s is so dissatisfying.
If you can, perhaps consider talking to a therapist about it. They understand how people work, and can help you figure out why you struggle with connecting.
As for orientation, things just work differently when you’re aroace. I’d say focus on the first part.
It’s not that I dislike them. It’s just that I’m not immediately in love with anyone. Otherwise, I have no affinity for them and socially it’s incredibly draining. People are getting a bit of a wrong idea. I don’t hate people at all. And I actually have the capacity to feel incredibly deep connections to others. It’s just that it takes a long ass time to get there and is usually done passively over the span of many months. I don’t see how any amount of therapy could possibly make me immediately fall in love with anyone.
Thinking you need to immediately fall in love with someone is an issue. That’s not a realistic expectation to put on yourself or them
This ^
Thanks, man. I’ve known and seen so many people that do. And even most in the comments here seem to think that I should just never bother to try because I don’t operate that way.
Your ‘problem’ is thinking that you must fall in love in order to start a relationship. Falling in love might work in the beginnen, but makes it harder in to long run when it wears off. After that you need to invest time and effort to maintain the relationship.
I’m currently in an 8 year relationship with the woman of my dreams. I was happy not falling in love immediately, because love makes blind resulting in making wrong decisions (own experience). After a while I started to appreciate who she was and what she meant for me, then the feeling of love kicked in. This feeling goes up and down which it should, because being in love all the time is something you really don’t want.
Get out there and talk to people, be honest about your feelings and I’m sure you will find the correct person to share your life with and start a family. Love is nice, but not necessary. Good luck.
People rarely fall in love immediately. While love at first sight does happen, it‘s not the norm. Relationships build over time. You start with mutual interest, try to build a friendship and eventually it might click. If you bail before giving it a real chance, then of course, it’s unlikely you’ll build a deep connection with anyone.
This is good to hear, honestly. I felt like I am taking crazy pills a bit when so many people in these comments are saying there is something wrong with me for not being immediately really into someone I just met.
I think one of the difficulties I had is that…maybe a decade ago when I was a lot younger, I had someone who was interested in me. I wasn’t interested in them, but they were nice and so I thought I would maybe try it. We go on a date and it’s going fine but the guy wants to be able to kiss and stuff.
I get that boundaries are a thing and you can tell people no, but… I noticed at that point that most people are sexual. And most sexual people seem to be immediately interested in making out and having sex with someone. I get that not everyone is this way, but the majority of people are because they are driven by sex. So it’s all just a bit confusing and difficult to navigate as someone on the asexual spectrum.
It might help being up front about that to potential partners, be it on an app or on a real life date. It sets the expectations right. And while most people are indeed sexual, there are still a lot who aren’t. You aren’t the only person on the ace spectrum that likes companionship. I’ve even met people who are aromantic and asexual and still have something you could probably consider a relationship, even if there are neither romantic nor sexual feelings involved. There’s a lid for everyone, you just have to meet someone who gets you.
Nobody falls in love immediately. Some people feel like they do, but that’s infatuation. My wife and I dated for 3 months before we ever kissed. You don’t have to rush these things, and it’s almost certainly better if you don’t.
But when I finally get someone to respond to me, my reaction is first a little bit of excitement, but then I get annoyed at having to chat with someone I just met all the time. So I unfortunately act like a dickhole by then ghosting them soon after. Even if I manage enough stamina to chat back and forth for a week or so, it always just ends up tiring and a bother to me.
I’m not one to tell somebody they shouldn’t feel annoyed, or tired, or bothered, but it sounds like you’re not satisfied with how things are going for you, and I’ve italicized three things above you should take a hard look at if you’re interested in any kind of change.
Recognize that you don’t have to feel annoyed. Feeling annoyed or bothered is often what we feel if we have fears, anxieties, or expectations that aren’t being met, and you can actually learn to let all of that go and just be present in the moment, if you want to.
Also, you identified yourself that you “act like a dickhole,” so stop it!
Try to meet people irl. There are lots and lots of people. Try to let your barriers down, meaning approach people with no expectations, no judgment, and unconditional positive regard. Ask people questions about themselves. You’ll be flabbergasted how easily you can make connections if you do these things.
I know you italicized it to tell me I need to change, but my point in saying it was to demonstrate that I don’t have the stamina to get past the “getting to know you” stage of meeting someone. It takes me literal months to start to like people (and some people I never end up meshing with). Before then, any sort of interaction with someone new is just unpleasant and catastrophically draining to me, to the point where I do not wish to continue.
I wish I could say that I could flip a switch and just be engaged with strangers or have greater stamina to do so, but my brain just doesn’t operate that way.
I find it much easier to develop a kinship at places like work. I don’t have to be constantly forcing myself to get to know and like people people, as it just happens gradually and naturally over time through exposure. Dating is the polar opposite of that.
But then the question is what do you want? If you want something out of life that you’re not getting, you’re going to have to start by identifying and changing something about yourself that’s creating that barrier for you. Otherwise, keep everything the same and either keep feeling dissatisfied or work on accepting things just as they are.
I disagree with you wholeheartedly that getting to know someone gradually and naturally over time through exposure at work is very much different than dating. They’re actually really similar, as is all relationship building. A big difference here is chatting online vs irl. Are you actually going on dates in real life, or are we just talking online here? Those are very different things
I’ve just been talking online. It’s tricky because the dating pool for asexuals is so small. So the asexuals that respond to me unfortunately never end up in my local area. I do agree that seeing someone irl would probably work out better for me, but as of yet I’ve yet to mutually connect with someone physically close to me. It’s my ultimate goal though is to find someone close enough that I can meet up with.
I want a life partner. Ultimately, I will never be as important to my work friends as they are to me. They all have family which obviously comes first. It’s totally understandable and I get it. It would be insane to think that I should come before my friend’s husband and children. I’m not delusional. But I want someone who is on the same level of the relationship as me. Someone who I am as important to them as they are to me. Someone to spend my life with.
My og advice still stands, you’ve got to meet people in real life. You need to develop enough confidence to approach people in public settings to strike up conversations, and put yourself in situations where you see people regularly, like a meetup or hobby group. A ton of people I know met their significant others through friends. Meeting and making friends will broaden your social circle, which will open up options for you.
The problem with that is I have to deal with the restriction of asexuality. I’ve had opportunities to date in irl in the past, but they’ve always been with sexual people, and I’m not compatible. It just… doesn’t pan out that way for me.
I get that “sex isn’t the most important part in a relationship”. But it’s actually a core need for 99% of the human population. If I’m only ever going to run into sexual people irl, then it doesn’t at all make sense to start my search there.
Do you ACTUALLY want a life partner, or do you feel your life is lacking something, and you suspect that a life partner would fill that hole?
Just kick the idea around for a bit. If getting to know someone is that painful, then why would you pursue a situation where they are ever present in your life?
You’ll know you’re ready for a relationship when you find yourself NEVER getting tired of talking to someone and wanting to go out of your way to spend even more time with someone. Now, you probably don’t think you’ll ever feel that way, maybe not, but that’s ok too. It just means you don’t need anyone right now, and trying to claim someone as yours just so you can check a box on a list of things that make other people happy isn’t going to help.
You’ll know you’re ready for a relationship when you find yourself NEVER getting tired of talking to someone and wanting to go out of your way to spend even more time with someone
This is a bot too far in the opposite direction to be an absolute for everyone. There are a lot of people including myself who do want to spend the vast majority of time with someone, but still get tired of talking to anyone at all and just want some time to my own thoughts. It isn’t much time, but it is more than zero.
Heck, it is nice to just be in close proximity with someone and do our own separate things aometimes.
Oh, absolutely. I meant it as a litmus test for relationships. It’s not an all the time forever thing, but especially in the beginning.
Reading OPs comments felt like the butterfly meme: “Someone I can’t stand interacting with” “Is THIS a life partner?”
My cousin has this sort of relationship with her husband. They actually are generally off doing their own thing most of the time. But their relationship is very healthy and they have a great life together. It’s interesting seeing the spectrum of relationships that I see… with some couples seeming to be glued together at the hip, and some just coming together now and then. I guess I’m just a bit more of a standoffish type in general.
I do feel that way about people. But it takes a long ass time to get to that point. I don’t meet people and immediately like them. It takes me freaking forever to get there… we’re talking months.
I do have people in my life that I always want to be around and can’t get enough of, but for various reasons, it doesn’t make for a relationship. (Ex: obviously I’m not going to date my family members or my coworkers who are married with children). I do have the capacity to feel deep connections with others. It’s just not at all a quick thing for me.
I guess I don’t know for sure if I want a life partner…I just want someone to always be there for me and to be the same priority to them as they are to me.
Someone who I am as important to them as they are to me. Someone to spend my life with.
But if you don’t like people, what’s the purpose of having this? A merely pragmatic reason is insulting for the other person.
I feel like a lot of people in these replies are getting the wrong idea. I don’t just hate everyone. There are people in my life that I care very deeply about and love spending every moment I can with them.
BUT it takes me a long time to get to know people to the point that I feel that way about them. And for many, I don’t ever feel that way about them.
I can’t just flip a switch and adore someone immediately without taking forever to get to that level. It takes a long ass time for me to develop that kinship. It happens passively when you see someone often for unrelated reasons (like for me, at work…I get to know people over time without the stamina struggle of constantly forcing a relationship). But in dating, that’s the sole focus.
And what happens when you start a family and then… get tired of them? Get annoyed by them? Children can be absolute twats, and it takes them a long time to grow up. We all have low points with our spouses. Those kinds of relationships take a lot of social stamina, which you claim you don’t really have. Think about what it might do to your child if things don’t work out the way you planned. Let’s say you don’t feel the kind of love for them that you expected to. What would stop you from ghosting them, either emotionally or physically?
I can’t just flip a switch and adore someone immediately without taking forever to get to that level. It takes a long ass time for me to develop that kinship. It happens passively when you see someone often for unrelated reasons (like for me, at work…I get to know people over time without the stamina struggle of constantly forcing a relationship). But in dating, that’s the sole focus.
Well, I’d say that’s how it works for must of us. In the cases of “love at first sight”, generally it’s mostly lust dressed as “love”. Dating should be an occasion to know a prospective partner, but it’s the first step of a long road if you want to know the person enough to open to them. I don’t know how many people acts like this, though.
I can relate to your last paragraph. And all I can suggest is find a hobby that brings the amount and kind of interaction you can stand. It’s ok to try different things. Could be sports, politics, chess, parachuting, boardgames, volunteering at the animal shelter, what ever you like to try. Do it for the thing itself and the interaction will come naturally. And don’t be afraid to try many things. Sometimes hobbies sound better than they actually are, sometimes we lose interest. That’s ok.
Just get a grip on that „being a dick“ thing when you are overwhelmed and frustrated. Again, I can relate, but it is probably your biggest problem. Try being straightforward with people instead. It is ok to tell people „sorry, my social batteries are drained right now“. Some will not understand, but some will and at least you are giving them a chance at that. If you lash out or just ghost people, it is guaranteed that nobody will understand, and I bet that in itself is another source of frustration.
Accept that you are not the great extrovert that society (and especially media) seems to put so much value on. And that is ok. There are plenty of people out there who are strong introverts and socially very awkward that find happiness and success at the amount of interaction they find acceptable. They don’t stand out by their very nature, but if you look for them, they are there. And there are plenty of people who appreciate those that are not the loudest blokes at the center of the party.
Yeah, I suppose I should try to join some sort of groups or something irl. Part of the problem is that dating-wise, I’m working with the small narrow group that are asexual people. You don’t run across them irl. So I can’t hope to just naturally find someone to date in person like a sexual person would. I could naturally make more friends maybe, but not date those that I find.
Dating is the polar opposite of that.
I feel like you feel that you should do that. Ask yourself why.
Well…I hadn’t wanted to for the first 3 decades of my life. But through the years I’ve had some friends go. And I’ve realized that to any friend, I will never be as important as their own family. And that’s perfectly understandable. It would be delusional to think that I should be more important than say, someone’s children, for example.
With a life partner, they are your #1 priority and you are their #1 priority. You are meant to be equals. And you’re supposed to stick with each other for life. I get that it’s not necessarily a fairy book that turns out this way, but at least you have a partner in crime. It gets lonely sometimes to be alone.
With a life partner, they are your #1 priority and you are their #1 priority. You are meant to be equals. And you’re supposed to stick with each other for life. I get that it’s not necessarily a fairy book that turns out this way, but at least you have a partner in crime. It gets lonely sometimes to be alone.
Well, but that’s earned. You’re not entitled to that. If you tire of people easily, have a short fuse and don’t like people (or the interactions with them) in general, I don’t see that you have much to offer in a way that’s palatable for other people.
Crudely said: What do you have to offer, for someone to want you as a long-term companion?
You sound exactly like me. I’m neurodivergent and went to therapy and it’s somewhat fixed my issues with anti-social behavior that you seem to have and depression which sounds like you also have.
You guys should get married!
You want to join us and make it an ugly trio?
I would, but I’m spoken for already. I’m sure there are plenty of others here who will!
Would you mind expanding a bit on the anti social behavior and how therapy altered it personally?
Anti-social is very very different than A-social. With the former, a person is deliberately destroying the interactions with others either inadvertently or purposefully. With the latter, one simply does not have well developed social skills.
You are anti social. You need to talk to a fucking therapist. Stop trying to get free therapy from idiots and dipshits from the internet. Go to, and pay, a fucking professional therapist.
I resonate with most of your post. I deleted and rewrote this 5 different ways because I simply just don’t post on the internet, but I’ve been coming around to the possibility that I’m gay with maybe some demi or ace on the side. As another more eloquent commenter said, I’m not saying that this is the case for you, but it just put things into perspective for me that I may have been unaware of a dimension of myself even in my mid-30s. Hope you have a lovely day.
Also, I like your saying about how everything changes, and to stick it out for the next inevitable change. I added it to my growing mantra list.
To be honest, I have thought now and then that “maybe I’m just gay”. But I still don’t seem to feel any of that stuff as strongly as sexual people do so idk.
I’ve never dated someone from the same sex, but I’ve been curious about it. These asexual dating sites are mostly filled with men, though, so it’s hard to find a woman both that I’m interested in and that ends up responding to me. My profiles put me as open to both men and women, but I’ve yet to find a woman that wants to mutually chat tbh.
Well good luck to us both! I have yet to find someone, but I hope we each find what we’re looking for
Thank you very much for your kind words. Same to you! 😊
Being blunt here, but it seems like you like the idea of dating and relationships, but probably not the reality of them.
I would suggest a pair of guinea pigs.
Sounds like you want a roommate
You may be overthinking it - everyone is different, and wants different things.
You’ll probably find it easier to hang out with people that share common interests though, and that might be harder if your interests do not match those around you.
Do whatever you want, so long as you let others do the same.
Get platonic friends through a hobby, like D&D, online gaming, rock climbing, music, etc. Find something you can enjoy locally (ideally).
Get a cat
I was in a similar boat for a long time before finally realizing that I’m gay. Now I’m happily in a relationship with someone that I can’t get enough of.
I’m not implying that you’re gay, but instead suggesting that maybe you just haven’t met the kind of person that fills your social meter instead of draining it. Other comments here on finding friends that match your hobbies are great ideas, and would be a great place to start. Friends can become the best lovers, can become the best life partners.
Tbh, I have occasionally wondered if maybe I’m just gay. I’ve never dated someone from my same sex, but I’ve wanted to try. Problem is on these asexual dating sites, they are mostly filled with men. So they are the ones I get the most back and forth with. I’ve yet to really mutually interact with a woman that I’ve had an interest with on there.
I’d rather not stray too far out of the asexual realm when thinking about a partner tbh. It would be nice if there were more aces locally to do stuff with and get to know, but there just aren’t.
On the one hand, I firmly believe that whatever attributes you have, there are people who want exactly that. On the other hand, the less popular those attributes are, the fewer people there are who want them. You apparently need someone who leans towards sexuality, is patient enough to deal with someone who is somewhat antisocial, and is willing to put up with kind of rude things like being ghosted or whatever, but is interested in reading a kid with someone like that. That’s a tiny percentage of people. You didn’t mention if you have other qualities that would be really attractive to people and might help balancing things out.
So what you do is just keep plugging at it, while understanding that it’s probably going to be a long search.
Lol. I wasn’t looking to make this into a dating ad for myself. So no, I didn’t list my positive qualities. I was just explaining my difficulties with dating in general and that I’m a bit confused as to how the whole thing works for everyone.
Oh, I understood, just saying that all we heard was a bunch of negatives for most people, and I’m trying to recognize that they might be somewhat balanced by some positives.
For most attributes, most people fall somewhere within normal tolerances. People might lean towards being introverted or extroverted, have sex as a higher or lower priority, etc., but they aren’t that far away from a midpoint. You have some attributes that you’re way out at the 90+ percentile, and that means your experience is likely going to be different from most people’s.
That’s probably pretty frustrating. You’re as deserving of happy, rewarding relationships as anyone, but like the guy with the size 16 shoe, you’re going to be harder to fit than most.
Right, some advice from an allo person with an ace family member:
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Dating and meeting people is hard, I’m sorry to say. Same as making friends, sometimes it just happens but most of the time it takes putting yourself out there in a meaningful and deliberate way.
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Liking someone and being interested in dating them does not usually hit like a bolt from the blue. It often grows over a while. You’ll often have to build a friendship with someone before you build a relationship.
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If you find someone tiring and boring, don’t date them. If you find everyone you meet boring and tiring after very little time then you have two options, either really challenge that preconception internally or consider whether you actually want to date.
If you want to date but aren’t ready to actually put in the time and effort to get to know people then you are really going to struggle. Are you going to want to date someone long term when you don’t even want to be connected to them for more than a few days?
There is also no guidebook, as much as it would be easier that way. People are individuals and dating requires you to see another as a person, not a puzzle to be solved. The only piece of advice that actually applies as a blanket is “be interested in them”. You need to actually take an interest in who they are, what they do, how they feel. Ask the questions and listen to the answers.
Good luck, truly. Learning how to do friendship and relationship stuff is fucking hard. But getting interested in people is the most rewarding approach to take (at least in my experience, and that of my close friends).
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