Technology and my introvert nature are an ideal combination for a reclusive existence. Since the advent of Skype, Facebook, Google, online banking, mobile phones, telework (working from home) and distance learning, being a hermit is an increasingly attractive alternative to face-to-face interaction. Add a recently acquired coffee machine into the equation, and there’s no reasonable excuse to leave the house any more - except maybe for groceries, weekly choir sessions and the occasional social engagement. Why go out into the world when I’ve got the world at my keyboard fingertips! Let’s face it – keeping up social appearances is hard work. It requires an understanding of social etiquette, conversational ability and a respectable dress code. I’m not sure I can keep up with it all. Or perhaps I’m just anti-social. Unlike hermits of the past, however, modern day recluses can maintain connection with the outside world as long as we have a computer and reliable internet connection. We can easily stay up to date with events, follow our friends’ travel blogs, converse with people all over the world, like/comment/share photos, work at a time that suits us, and even gain educational qualifications - all from the comfort of our own home. And the emphasis is on ‘comfort’. As a contemporary hermit, I have renounced the Spartan, minimalist existence (that’s so yesterday). Instead, I’m set up with hot running water, modern bathroom facilities, a comfortable bed, widescreen TV, espresso coffee machine and a deck with a view. It’s all about ambience. Here are some compelling reasons in favour of being a stay-at-home hermit: 10 benefits of maintaining online connections 1. Time saver – eliminates trying to tee up mutually free time for a catch up 2. Cost effective – saves on petrol, coffee and other meal costs 3. Eliminates the dilemma of deciding what to wear to go out 4. Reduces the stress of trying to find parking, especially when you’re running late 5. You don’t need to cancel a coffee/lunch date due to inclement weather 6. You can still chat online even if you’re in bed with the flu / or still in your pyjamas 7. You can switch your webcam off if you’re having a bad hair day (or still in your pyjamas) 8. You can multi-chat privately or conference chat with different people 9. You can block or unfriend undesirable people 10. Conversations are brief and concise (see Exhibits A & B below) Hermits beware, though - being a social recluse may not suit technophobes, those who crave gossip or other people’s opinions, feel guilty about spending the day in their pyjamas, or don’t enjoy their own company. You should carefully consider the following pitfalls before committing to an anti-social lifestyle: 10 potential pitfalls of being a hermit 1. Not all your family and friends use Facebook, Skype or social networks 2. Your messages/posts are ignored 3. You’re confused by or don’t understand text language 4. Exposure to publicly posted spelling and grammatical errors 5. A tendency towards sloppy dress code, embarrassingly obvious when making a quick run to the shops for groceries 6. An increased intolerance to crowds and noisy people 7. An inability to maintain prolonged and coherent conversations in face-to-face encounters 8. Early onset anxiety when away from your computer/iPad/smart phone for prolonged periods 9. Exposure to a relentless bombardment of spam email and friend requests 10. Followed online by people you don’t know or are trying to avoid If you do decide to pursue the quieter, carefree life of a recluse, however, let’s catch up for a Facebook chat.
Are you a socialite, or a recluse?
15 Comments
Alison
11/7/2013 11:14:08 am
All sounds very 'Brave New World' to me - or was it '1984'? It so long since I read those they seem to have become somewhat entangled in my brain.
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Hari Kotrotsios
11/7/2013 01:16:51 pm
It's a Reclusive New World, for those who wish to follow that path!
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Grasshopper
11/7/2013 05:02:51 pm
Its all about choice...recluse one day....extrovert the next...warm weather permitting of course! Don't believe you are a serious recluse Cricket...well not yet...too many coffee varieties to try out there!
Coral McBride.
11/7/2013 09:04:18 pm
Sounds good to me,I have always thought that I should have been a beard disappear socially all winter and reinvent myself in Spring.
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Hari Kotrotsios
12/7/2013 02:32:47 am
Yes Coral, bears are on to a good thing with hibernating during winter! That's a viable alternative to being a year-round recluse...
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Ilyhana
12/7/2013 01:56:22 am
You won't get away with this. We will find you!!!!!
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Hari Kotrotsios
12/7/2013 02:33:47 am
Not only will you come and find me, Ilyhana, but I'll invite you in for coffee and cake. Just because I'm a hermit doesn't mean people can't visit!
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Peter Nolan
12/7/2013 09:59:57 am
Morning, Hari, or whatever it is where you are. I think you have the makings of a competent hermit. I speak as one who aspires to hermitism (is that a word?) but who is compelled by circumstances to try to maintain a degree of face-to-face competence. That necessity will diminish over time until I don't know anyone, and then I won't need to go out. Cheers P
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Hari Kotrotsios
12/7/2013 10:14:42 am
So we're both studying the art of hermatics then? Or is it hermiopathy?
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15/7/2013 12:11:49 pm
Hari...This my take at 86:
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Hari Kotrotsios
17/7/2013 03:26:56 am
Bernie, sounds like you need to step away from the computer! Being a social recluse means you can also turn to the more leisurely pursuits of reading and writing, both of which can be accomplished without technology... well, maybe!
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Therese
18/7/2013 01:25:14 pm
Who would have thought it Hari, but after reading your recluse list I actually fall into the category of a quiet socialite. More importantly, where can I find the dishy bloke in the picture? Or is he just some kind of virtual reality that goes with being a technobrat?
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Hari Kotrotsios
18/7/2013 02:36:05 pm
Therese, it appears there are more recluses out there after all! Technology provides the means for creating your own virtual reality with the dishy bloke of choice!!
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Sue Kruger
2/8/2013 01:42:02 pm
I'm a bit of both, some days are pyjama days, but some days are full dress garb, however it's harder to look good as you get older so hermitism is an attractive alternative for the future.
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Hari Kotrotsios
4/8/2013 11:26:49 am
Sue, I think we should ban having to 'look good' at any age and just go with whatever feels comfortable - hermitism or not!
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I acknowledge the traditional Custodians of the land on which I work and live, the Gubbi Gubbi / Kabi Kabi and Joondoburri people, and recognise their continuing connection to land, the waters and sky. I pay my respect to them and their cultures; and to Elders past, present and emerging.
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