Nuiloa
Recycles dryer sheets
- Joined
- May 12, 2011
- Messages
- 496
This is a continuation of the earlier thread about being anti-social.
I've tried volunteering for different things and I've discovered that I begin to feel a deep seated anxiety about having another mandatory thing in my life. I start out with altruistic intents, but....
For example, I volunteered to clean cat cages for a local cat rescue organization. They assigned me a shift every Monday evening. At first, it was ok, but after a few months I dreaded Monday evenings. It wasn't because I didn't enjoy the cats, it was because I HAD to be there. I started almost resenting the incursion on my time. Eventually I quit and just started fostering cats at home (talk about incursions on my time!), but at least I don't feel that I have to report to anyone.
I suspect I would do much better if I could do one-off volunteering whenever the mood strikes me, although I recognize that that is more than a little selfish and is somewhat useless in terms of helping.
In a lot of threads, people suggest volunteering as an option for social contact. But, given that we INTJ's don't do well in social settings, isn't volunteering just setting us up for anxiety?
I've tried volunteering for different things and I've discovered that I begin to feel a deep seated anxiety about having another mandatory thing in my life. I start out with altruistic intents, but....
For example, I volunteered to clean cat cages for a local cat rescue organization. They assigned me a shift every Monday evening. At first, it was ok, but after a few months I dreaded Monday evenings. It wasn't because I didn't enjoy the cats, it was because I HAD to be there. I started almost resenting the incursion on my time. Eventually I quit and just started fostering cats at home (talk about incursions on my time!), but at least I don't feel that I have to report to anyone.
I suspect I would do much better if I could do one-off volunteering whenever the mood strikes me, although I recognize that that is more than a little selfish and is somewhat useless in terms of helping.
In a lot of threads, people suggest volunteering as an option for social contact. But, given that we INTJ's don't do well in social settings, isn't volunteering just setting us up for anxiety?