Someone on Quora asked:
I am a solo entrepreneur in my 20s and I do not socialize with friends at all due to my schedule; will I regret this later on in life?
This was my response:
Don’t buy into all the hype. Socializing isn’t all it’s cut out to be.
I spent most of my 20’s mastering communication, in professions like sales, marketing, etc. I made a lot of friends, or people whom I thought were friends and interacted with everyone I could. Sure, I partied here and there with models, beautiful women, whatever. I acted like I enjoyed myself, but I really didn’t.
As time passed, I am here today. I have probably… Five to ten friends. Oh, and that’s stretching it. Everyone else I met or who were in my life for a period of time, they don’t miss me, nor do they think of me. They’re off doing their own thing, taking care of themselves.
All I have acquired in this period of time were stories. Most of these stories are self deprecating, because all I’ve really done in life is ruin friendships and relationships. So, I suppose, the honesty of my stories that I share have been the only benefit to the skills I had acquired.
Yet, when push comes to shove, if I had spent my time alone and to myself, I wouldn’t have lost the friends I had made along the way. I would probably have had a chance to live a normal life. I would probably been happy with just exactly how my life turned out.
So, will you regret it?
I highly doubt it.
How can I say that now?
Because all I do is write.
I don’t reach out to anyone at all. Yet, people are now attracted to me. They message me, they contact me, they ask me for advice, they tell me they want to meet. Instead of going out and searching for something, people do that with me now. Hell, my philosophy for networking is that I won’t approach anyone first, unless they interact me first, whether it be someone who wants to be a friend or a client.
So, if I can make it possible to be happy by not socializing, then I’m sure you can too.
—
Originally posted on Quora.
Leonard Kim is Managing Partner at InfluenceTree. At InfluenceTree, Leonard and his team teach you how to build your (personal or business) brand, get featured in publications and growth hack your social media following.