Andy in Germany
Guru
- Location
- Rottenburg am Neckar
I've been thinking a bit about how much cycling is helpful to me as an introvert in a world which, let's be honest here, is designed for Extroverts. Examples I've found so far are:
What other advantages have I missed?
- You can cycle/travel alone, which really cuts down on unnecessary small talk; this also neutralises the old extrovert comment of "You should get outside more / do more sports." I "get out" more than most people, and I'm a lot more active then them.
- It is an "acceptable" activity to do on your own: I dreaded the question "what did you do on the weekend?" because "I made a model of a railway locomotive" Is apparently not "acceptable". People react very differently when I say "I cycled to Tübingen and back".
- Cycling with other people can be a way so socialise without doing more extroverted activities like going to the pub or karaoke night. It also means that the focus is on the road, bikes, map or landmark, not on me, and it means we're never short of a conversation subject.
- Also, it isn't loud or competitive.
- I'm not expected to "stop and chat" with people when I ride in the the local area. This is an advantage over walking which people seem to think is an invitation to make small talk.
- Riding gives automatic common ground with other cyclists so it's a easier way to have conversations without having to work out what to say.
- It also provides a way to stop conversations by cycling faster/slower/in a different direction.
What other advantages have I missed?
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