Stumbling Along...

So, Reecie mentioned that she keeps to herself in areas that are new to her or that she doesn't feel comfortable in. I think that most people do this, and that just as was said in class, that the cosmopolitan canopy is rare and, to a certain degree, so is the cosmopolitan himself. It would be terribly lonely and, I think, impossible, to live on names and basic information alone. Everyone has someone they can discuss their feelings and beliefs with. I think a true cosmopolitan, though, is open to socialize in almost any fitting situation.

I also think that many people wait to be approached, but if everyone is doing the waiting, who's ever going to get approached for social interaction?

I've learned this lesson the hard way. Before I got here, I was much more shy. Even in elementary school, I would wait for the other kids to ask me to play. At first, it was very seldom. Even in high school, I would sit quietly thinking, and people would continue chattering about things occuring in their own circles. Oftentimes, I revert back to my internalized mode, especially when walking around on campus, when I feel embarrased or self-conscious. I'm afraid to make confident eye contact with others. I look down at my shoes or straight ahead, and sometimes, since I am a LandRe, I trip. So I try to watch my feet, lol. They might think I'm stuck-up if I stare for longer than a second, or they'll give me funny looks. ~.~"

Why do some people enjoy testing these boundaries? What about first impressions?

But if people are so accepting, if most people are some version of a cosmopolitan, why would it matter if you tested the boundaries of social contact? But I'm much more social now, and you'll probably see me chatting with people you haven't seen me with before in a seating area. I feel that many of the people around me want to be approached, they want to feel like someone wants to get to know them, and to branch out and meet new people, even if its just to have fun in the moment. They show that they are open to conversation by sitting in public seating areas for no reason, like in my spot. People kill time alone outside the comfort of their rooms.

Most of the time, people don't ignore me...when I approach them, either. They're either open to conversation, or just very accepting.

I feel like my math class is really stiff, though. Most of the time our math teacher asks us questions that he doesn't intend for us to answer, and so when he does intend it, we don't, or, if we do, we answer very quietly. He has a great sense of humor, though. Maybe certain people attract non-cosmopolitan behavior. People that can be taken advantage of. But most people are self conscious of themselves around strangers, so they don't want to try anything. We normally sit in the same seats, so maybe the room is clickish, too. Someone took my seat the other day, which is in the middle and close to the board, and I found myself to be unhappy about it. I told myself it was nothing to get upset about, but it just goes to prove that we are creatures of habit, and that it makes people uncomfortable when the norm is broken, whether it be social or not. Maybe these are some reasons people avoid each other. But just starting small with a simple question can be an easy route to cosmopolitan acceptance. You had the courage to break the norm and made an effort to care.