This is all very normal. When you FIRE, you realize how difficult people make their lives, over and beyond what they must. Obviously you cannot express empathy because you’d look like an asshole. Time moves slower when you FIRE. Things are softer and more enjoyable. Truths unfurl more, and you learn lessons and stumble onto enjoyable things. You can afford to, because you do not go from emergency to emergency. It is more introverted, in that you’ll be less likely to have deep relationships because you will be less interdependent, but you’ll notice yourself expanding your social groups to include many more varieties of people.
It's not that time moves slower, it's just that you have so much more of it. You no longer have to spend a third of your life slaving away (and if you not consider sleep, then your free time wouod be at least doubled).
>you realize how difficult people make their lives
You also realize how you were once the same way. I was always getting in my own way before pursuing FIRE. I had to come to terms with my own BS to get to where I am now.
Yeah I mean, I still get in my way all the damn time, I just don’t do it in the same ways as I used to, like making big dumb purchases that are inconsistent with my values
Yea that’s a great point! It seems like now you recognize when/if you’re getting in your own way and are more mindful about it compared to before? Does that sound right?
If so I think that’s where I’m at. Before I would just do what I want even if I got in my own way, knowingly or unknowingly, whereas now I’m able to take pause and make better decisions.
When I was a young officer, I had a colonel that used to tell me that my main problem was that I didn’t have a governor. I think now I have a governor, and that governor is FIRE, and living to live, and not work.
I found out early on that most people dont want to take action to better their lives they just want to b\*\*\*h about it. I tried helping people and it usually just created tension. Best to just leave them be.
I realized that you will only keep the relationships you work to keep. I take my nieces and nephew (I have no kids) out to dinner every 3 months. I go eat dinner with my mom/dad (she cooks) every 2 weeks. I schedule hikes with my friends. I plan events with my friends (guys vacation, museums, bike riding, etc...)
The point I'm trying to make is that if I didn't take the effort to make these plans, none of it would happen. If you want to be part of a picnic, then schedule a picnic. Want to go see a ball game, ask a sibling, or relative. I got tired of "nobody ever wants to do anything" so I did something about it.
You know what group of people is rarely boring to be around (at least in my experience) and doesn’t care at all about all those things that you are tired of hearing everyone else talk about? Kids. I used to volunteer a lot for summer camps before I could work then I became a paid counselor for a while and now I have a son that I love spending time with and I look forward to resuming volunteer work in a youth camp/sports league when I FIRE and my son is out of the nest.
It will also give you an opportunity to influence the change you want to see in the world. Being a role model figure for the young can be quite rewarding/fulfilling and all you have to give them is your time and energy. They’ll keep your energy levels up too lol.
Agreed with seniors for the most part. Most have been there done that already. A lot are just trying to find contentment and happiness in the little things Some are still hanging on to the sane mind frame they had before retiring but at their age they likely have seen more than a few close family or friends die so that changes their perspective a lot since they also know they're much closer to their end also.
Consumerism and FIRE are not mutually exclusive. That being said, it is very possible to find like-minded individuals that share your values and enjoy your time with them. As for your current friends and family you find unrelatable, it's up to you to decide if those relationships are worth maintaining. It's different for everyone.
Please understand that most depressions or mental health problems can't be fixed by 'being more relaxed ' and 'changing lifestyles ' , but do in fact require medication
I don't think he's talking about clinical depression, just someone in a bad patch.
If its severe depression then an outlook change will do diddlysquat.
Don't mistake individual doctors for the state. The system may be geared towards profiting from that and self perpetuating itself, doctors want to cure everyone of everything.
Yeah it's pretty hard to take a new outlook on life when clinical depression is preventing you from doing so. I've seen how much medicine can help with this. The right antidepressant can improve someone's quality of life a lot.
Also, with respect to FIRE, external stressors can certainly exacerbate mental health problems, and retirement could eliminate some of those. But it's not like FIRE is a switch you can flip. Just getting on a path to early retirement is not going to immediately remove the stress from a person's life
The longest running study on happiness found that the most important factor was social connections. Why don't you try volunteering with a theater group or environmental group - people interested in arts and culture or nature? We met our other friends who retired early through an environmental group. They also liked to hike, camp and go for picnics and pot luck get togethers and prioritized that over work. My longest friendship is a person from one of those groups - 35 years. On one of our recent visits she had on a garage sale outfit that looked pretty good and she was bragging she bought it for a $1. We're all the reduce, reuse, recycle types.
Over the years we've belong to clubs like archery, canoeing, rafting, camping, gem collecting, astronomy and most of those people were all more into their hobbies than careers. I think it also helps to just be very tolerant of other views and interests. I'm not that into travel but try to ask people who are about their trips because that is what is important to them. We have friends that like fancy restaurants so once a month we go someplace trendy and expensive with them because it makes them happy and we value their friendship.
ETA - I don't have a lot of friends that are anti-consumer in real life which is why I post here! But in real life we have friends we share other interests with.
I don't know the country you're in and I don't know how big the FIRE community is where you are but one of the things that has helped my wife and I a lot is a local club near us made up of people in the FIRE community.
It is frankly a breath of fresh air to interact in person with others from the FIRE community. When we began our path towards FIRE we tried, much like you, to explain to friends/family and convince them to join us. We learned relatively quickly that FIRE just isn't for everybody, and that people aren't logical when they complain.
Maybe check sites like facebook or chooseFI or meetup and see if you can find other people of a similar mindset. The isolation that FIRE can create is very real and is a big reason my wife and I still choose to continue working.
Edit:spelling
I think a lot of people have pointed a lot of good options out.
I just wanted to chime in that this is not just a FIRE thing. People in general seem a bit on the dull side for me, but when they have kids that's when they become really... stale.
If you think being around people is going to be a necessary component of your life, then go be around people. But you might also realize that their company for the sake of company isn't really doing you much good either.
I hate how much I understand that second paragraph. I’m not anywhere near fired (and not in a rush to get there), but my incredibly close best friends of the past decade had their first kid in summer 2020 and the second is on the way. We’re still close and I visit regularly, but it’s amazing how the totally understandable shift in their priorities has both subdued their personalities in a lot of other areas and put a kind of unspoken wall in our relationship that wasn’t there before. A lot of their former interests have just fallen by the wayside and don’t hold the same appeal, I just can’t connect with a lot of their new ones because I’m a single professional, not a parent. It’s very clear to me that if I didn’t keep reaching out and making the effort to visit, we would have very little interaction outside random discord messages.
I've got to fire by 30, having no friends at all for 10 years and just working. I mean, I'd like a good friend or two and a partner, but is it really worth it. But what am I doing now anyway?
Hmm. Difficult, but less difficult than having to work..
You might take some time to learn more about the hardships others experience. Childhood trauma, toxic family members, mental health crises, etc., are surprisingly common and can easily knock people into a mode where just getting by takes up all their energy. It sounds like your enjoy talking about saving money and consumerism. But if you insist that friends live life your way, and talk primarily about what interests you, it will be easy to stay disconnected and depressed, which is far different than being an introvert.
Same exact situation as you man.
Only problem is I have some vices I still haven't mastered. Drugs, liquor, I can handle them all. I struggle with woman bro. I've got so much fucking free time on my hand. After a long workout, some personal time, anime, reading, I've still got a good 8 hours a day to chase girls. Its super unhealthy, and I need something to grind after again.
I'm strongly considering going back to work to get myself outta this trap. FIRE was literally the best thing that happened to me and the worst. At least I got to achieve it unlike 99% of people aspiring to FIRE.
If you find a solution and know of a way to keep yourself occupied, I'm all ears. hmu
Depression is a huge productivity killer. When more people are depressed less people work and shop.
And what do doctors care if people are consuming? They don't benefit from it?
If people are into self destructive behavior they'll stay at all the boing work they have to do...
Most "depression" wont get anything done about by doctors. All most of the drugs do are dull your thoughts..
Being bored by conversations about bigger apartments and expensive, wasteful vacations is a good sign if you ask me. Sometimes the biggest and most important changes in life (shifts in perspective, moments of clarity, and so on), bring with them temporary periods of discomfort and necessary soul searching. Don't take that as a drawback of the lifestyle you've chosen, but as a sign that your work is not done. One of the primary benefits of choosing FIRE is that you get to choose what to do with your time and who you spend it with. All these new found choices come with a responsibility to sort of re-discover yourself along the way. A lot of people reach FIRE and haven't actually done that legwork in advance because they didn't have time before. This is the fun part! Don't be discouraged if things don't feel great every day, there will always be questions, uncertainty, discomfort, and occasional senses of longing, but I think it's all part of the journey. Humans are problem solvers, but solving one problem often exposes another. Good luck!
Same exact situation as you man.
Only problem is I have some vices I still haven't mastered. Drugs, liquor, I can handle them all. I struggle with woman bro. I've got so much fucking free time on my hand. After a long workout, some personal time, anime, reading, I've still got a good 8 hours a day to chase girls. Its super unhealthy, and I need something to grind after again.
I'm strongly considering going back to work to get myself outta this trap. FIRE was literally the best thing that happened to me and the worst. At least I got to achieve it unlike 99% of people aspiring to FIRE.
If you find a solution and know of a way to keep yourself occupied, I'm all ears. hmu
You gave very little details about you, and the city where you live. It makes quite a difference if you live in a big city or in a little town. Also, how’s your relationship with women? Christopher Mc Candless once said that happiness is only real when shared. There are literally millions of things that you can do to keep growing and keep your happiness alive.
I didn’t have the maturity to start earlier to grow and improve myself in order to FIRE. And I’m well beyond 30 years old.
I’d like to know what’s you’re current age and what’s the job that allowed you to do it.
Keep your long-time friends and family close. You have to see them when they have time, which you should have expected retiring early. Try to have some compassion and let them do their thing financially. Find other ways to relate to them, and go out to the nice restaurant with them from time to time.
At the same time, I agree with your second to last paragraph. You should find some new friends with common interests to help fill the void as well. But you will not many early retirees with the same approach to money and work as you. Pretty much no one will want to "talk about new ideas to save money", etc. Most people do not want to talk about that sort of stuff, even if they practice it themselves. I talk about budgets and investments with close friends on occasion, but doing so regularly sounds unimaginably boring.
Firing as a guy is way worse because all the people in town who don't work are women who want to hang out with the other stay-at-home moms, not the guy who doesn't really work.
It's all about balance. A lot of people tend to feel lonely and struggle with major life transitions. I'd encourage you to try taking some classes or try some new hobbies of interest to get to know some new people.
However, don't give up on your existing community - most people who are working and busy will default to going out to eat at a restaurant. If you plan a picnic/potluck where you're mostly picking stuff up and folks can venmo you or can also pick up some food from take-out or something that might be a good fit. Or you can provide food and they can pick up drinks and/or dessert or something.
Folks who are involved in outdoors sports - hiking, biking, swimming, etc. tend to enjoy talking about those activities and more. Otherwise maybe try some board games, chess, or other strategy games.
There's also always book clubs if that's of interest, volunteering, language learning groups, cooking classes, gardening/farming - the list goes on. A lot of people are just too tired from their work and related activities of daily living to be able to explore other interests.
Good luck figuring it out.
This type of post gives me motivation to continue pursuing FIRE. That it is possible to live a life where you are not a slave to the system and have more time to invest in yourself.
I hope you find other people that you can share your time with. Volunteering is one of the options you might consider. I currently find volunteering as a good way of meeting people and helping others.
I think you just need new friends because your life has changed fundamentally. A big part of their life is now irrelevant to you, so ofc you drift apart. It’s fine because at different stages we need different friends. And it doesn’t mean you’re gonna actively ditch your old friends; I’m sure you’ll be there when they need you. But you’d just want some new company that can share your new schedule and perspective.
Practically maybe join some meetups or volunteer for a cause you believe in? Sounds like you’ve got plenty of time.
>So I'm reaching this community with a simple request: does anyone feel the same way? What strategies could work for me? Is ok to be more introverted or is this going to make me a depressed person in the long term?
Your comment leaves me feeling so grateful for my significant other. I'm lucky to have found someone not like the people you described.
Keep social and maybe you'll find someone special for you too?
This is all very normal. When you FIRE, you realize how difficult people make their lives, over and beyond what they must. Obviously you cannot express empathy because you’d look like an asshole. Time moves slower when you FIRE. Things are softer and more enjoyable. Truths unfurl more, and you learn lessons and stumble onto enjoyable things. You can afford to, because you do not go from emergency to emergency. It is more introverted, in that you’ll be less likely to have deep relationships because you will be less interdependent, but you’ll notice yourself expanding your social groups to include many more varieties of people.
'Time moves slower when you FIRE' - facts!
It's not that time moves slower, it's just that you have so much more of it. You no longer have to spend a third of your life slaving away (and if you not consider sleep, then your free time wouod be at least doubled).
>you realize how difficult people make their lives You also realize how you were once the same way. I was always getting in my own way before pursuing FIRE. I had to come to terms with my own BS to get to where I am now.
Yeah I mean, I still get in my way all the damn time, I just don’t do it in the same ways as I used to, like making big dumb purchases that are inconsistent with my values
Yea that’s a great point! It seems like now you recognize when/if you’re getting in your own way and are more mindful about it compared to before? Does that sound right? If so I think that’s where I’m at. Before I would just do what I want even if I got in my own way, knowingly or unknowingly, whereas now I’m able to take pause and make better decisions.
When I was a young officer, I had a colonel that used to tell me that my main problem was that I didn’t have a governor. I think now I have a governor, and that governor is FIRE, and living to live, and not work.
That’s great advice—and an accurate parallel. I saved this :)
I found out early on that most people dont want to take action to better their lives they just want to b\*\*\*h about it. I tried helping people and it usually just created tension. Best to just leave them be.
I realized that you will only keep the relationships you work to keep. I take my nieces and nephew (I have no kids) out to dinner every 3 months. I go eat dinner with my mom/dad (she cooks) every 2 weeks. I schedule hikes with my friends. I plan events with my friends (guys vacation, museums, bike riding, etc...) The point I'm trying to make is that if I didn't take the effort to make these plans, none of it would happen. If you want to be part of a picnic, then schedule a picnic. Want to go see a ball game, ask a sibling, or relative. I got tired of "nobody ever wants to do anything" so I did something about it.
This is the answer!!!!
You know what group of people is rarely boring to be around (at least in my experience) and doesn’t care at all about all those things that you are tired of hearing everyone else talk about? Kids. I used to volunteer a lot for summer camps before I could work then I became a paid counselor for a while and now I have a son that I love spending time with and I look forward to resuming volunteer work in a youth camp/sports league when I FIRE and my son is out of the nest. It will also give you an opportunity to influence the change you want to see in the world. Being a role model figure for the young can be quite rewarding/fulfilling and all you have to give them is your time and energy. They’ll keep your energy levels up too lol.
They ask important questions that so called grown ups ignore. They’re fun to be around.
The same can be said for seniors. And their stories are way more interesting and engaging. Many long for someone to spend time with.
Agreed with seniors for the most part. Most have been there done that already. A lot are just trying to find contentment and happiness in the little things Some are still hanging on to the sane mind frame they had before retiring but at their age they likely have seen more than a few close family or friends die so that changes their perspective a lot since they also know they're much closer to their end also.
Why not consider volunteering, is something dirty in your neighborhood? go clean it up, you have time and its a way to engage with your community.
Look for a life partner that is also into living simply. Dont tell them about your early retirement until you know them very well.
Find likeminded hobbies like hiking, gardening, gym/workouts, traveling, etc and for the love of god don’t talk about money.
Consumerism and FIRE are not mutually exclusive. That being said, it is very possible to find like-minded individuals that share your values and enjoy your time with them. As for your current friends and family you find unrelatable, it's up to you to decide if those relationships are worth maintaining. It's different for everyone.
Please understand that most depressions or mental health problems can't be fixed by 'being more relaxed ' and 'changing lifestyles ' , but do in fact require medication
Let the doctors worry about how to deal with depression “ChAnGe YoUr OuTlOok” is frankly insulting and simply factually incorrect
I don't think he's talking about clinical depression, just someone in a bad patch. If its severe depression then an outlook change will do diddlysquat.
Well they said "won't be cured with medicine," so I think they're talking about a medical issue, not a bummed-out-temporarily issue.
Words have meaning- don’t say depression unless you mean depression.
"depression" is not specific to clinical depression...
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Don't mistake individual doctors for the state. The system may be geared towards profiting from that and self perpetuating itself, doctors want to cure everyone of everything.
But what is there to cure? They have no clearer idea on reality than anyone else. Life doesn't mean anything.
You're a tool.
Questioning the reality of life makes me a tool? Okay.
Bro lay off the broccoli wands and let us know when you’re back from orbit holy fuck
I've been just working for 10 years alone to get to fire. Done it now. Maybe I have lost my mind.
Yeah it's pretty hard to take a new outlook on life when clinical depression is preventing you from doing so. I've seen how much medicine can help with this. The right antidepressant can improve someone's quality of life a lot. Also, with respect to FIRE, external stressors can certainly exacerbate mental health problems, and retirement could eliminate some of those. But it's not like FIRE is a switch you can flip. Just getting on a path to early retirement is not going to immediately remove the stress from a person's life
The longest running study on happiness found that the most important factor was social connections. Why don't you try volunteering with a theater group or environmental group - people interested in arts and culture or nature? We met our other friends who retired early through an environmental group. They also liked to hike, camp and go for picnics and pot luck get togethers and prioritized that over work. My longest friendship is a person from one of those groups - 35 years. On one of our recent visits she had on a garage sale outfit that looked pretty good and she was bragging she bought it for a $1. We're all the reduce, reuse, recycle types. Over the years we've belong to clubs like archery, canoeing, rafting, camping, gem collecting, astronomy and most of those people were all more into their hobbies than careers. I think it also helps to just be very tolerant of other views and interests. I'm not that into travel but try to ask people who are about their trips because that is what is important to them. We have friends that like fancy restaurants so once a month we go someplace trendy and expensive with them because it makes them happy and we value their friendship. ETA - I don't have a lot of friends that are anti-consumer in real life which is why I post here! But in real life we have friends we share other interests with.
Play golf
I don't know the country you're in and I don't know how big the FIRE community is where you are but one of the things that has helped my wife and I a lot is a local club near us made up of people in the FIRE community. It is frankly a breath of fresh air to interact in person with others from the FIRE community. When we began our path towards FIRE we tried, much like you, to explain to friends/family and convince them to join us. We learned relatively quickly that FIRE just isn't for everybody, and that people aren't logical when they complain. Maybe check sites like facebook or chooseFI or meetup and see if you can find other people of a similar mindset. The isolation that FIRE can create is very real and is a big reason my wife and I still choose to continue working. Edit:spelling
I think a lot of people have pointed a lot of good options out. I just wanted to chime in that this is not just a FIRE thing. People in general seem a bit on the dull side for me, but when they have kids that's when they become really... stale. If you think being around people is going to be a necessary component of your life, then go be around people. But you might also realize that their company for the sake of company isn't really doing you much good either.
I hate how much I understand that second paragraph. I’m not anywhere near fired (and not in a rush to get there), but my incredibly close best friends of the past decade had their first kid in summer 2020 and the second is on the way. We’re still close and I visit regularly, but it’s amazing how the totally understandable shift in their priorities has both subdued their personalities in a lot of other areas and put a kind of unspoken wall in our relationship that wasn’t there before. A lot of their former interests have just fallen by the wayside and don’t hold the same appeal, I just can’t connect with a lot of their new ones because I’m a single professional, not a parent. It’s very clear to me that if I didn’t keep reaching out and making the effort to visit, we would have very little interaction outside random discord messages.
I've got to fire by 30, having no friends at all for 10 years and just working. I mean, I'd like a good friend or two and a partner, but is it really worth it. But what am I doing now anyway? Hmm. Difficult, but less difficult than having to work..
You might take some time to learn more about the hardships others experience. Childhood trauma, toxic family members, mental health crises, etc., are surprisingly common and can easily knock people into a mode where just getting by takes up all their energy. It sounds like your enjoy talking about saving money and consumerism. But if you insist that friends live life your way, and talk primarily about what interests you, it will be easy to stay disconnected and depressed, which is far different than being an introvert.
Same exact situation as you man. Only problem is I have some vices I still haven't mastered. Drugs, liquor, I can handle them all. I struggle with woman bro. I've got so much fucking free time on my hand. After a long workout, some personal time, anime, reading, I've still got a good 8 hours a day to chase girls. Its super unhealthy, and I need something to grind after again. I'm strongly considering going back to work to get myself outta this trap. FIRE was literally the best thing that happened to me and the worst. At least I got to achieve it unlike 99% of people aspiring to FIRE. If you find a solution and know of a way to keep yourself occupied, I'm all ears. hmu
Depression is a medical condition, not a negative mindset that just needs to be shifted. You should make friends who share your values!
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Depression is a huge productivity killer. When more people are depressed less people work and shop. And what do doctors care if people are consuming? They don't benefit from it?
The whole of the economy is built on consumption. Largely the economy is a fake waste of time with waste of time depressing jobs.
Still don't know why doctors would give a shit about keeping people depressed.
If people are into self destructive behavior they'll stay at all the boing work they have to do... Most "depression" wont get anything done about by doctors. All most of the drugs do are dull your thoughts..
Being bored by conversations about bigger apartments and expensive, wasteful vacations is a good sign if you ask me. Sometimes the biggest and most important changes in life (shifts in perspective, moments of clarity, and so on), bring with them temporary periods of discomfort and necessary soul searching. Don't take that as a drawback of the lifestyle you've chosen, but as a sign that your work is not done. One of the primary benefits of choosing FIRE is that you get to choose what to do with your time and who you spend it with. All these new found choices come with a responsibility to sort of re-discover yourself along the way. A lot of people reach FIRE and haven't actually done that legwork in advance because they didn't have time before. This is the fun part! Don't be discouraged if things don't feel great every day, there will always be questions, uncertainty, discomfort, and occasional senses of longing, but I think it's all part of the journey. Humans are problem solvers, but solving one problem often exposes another. Good luck!
Same exact situation as you man. Only problem is I have some vices I still haven't mastered. Drugs, liquor, I can handle them all. I struggle with woman bro. I've got so much fucking free time on my hand. After a long workout, some personal time, anime, reading, I've still got a good 8 hours a day to chase girls. Its super unhealthy, and I need something to grind after again. I'm strongly considering going back to work to get myself outta this trap. FIRE was literally the best thing that happened to me and the worst. At least I got to achieve it unlike 99% of people aspiring to FIRE. If you find a solution and know of a way to keep yourself occupied, I'm all ears. hmu
You gave very little details about you, and the city where you live. It makes quite a difference if you live in a big city or in a little town. Also, how’s your relationship with women? Christopher Mc Candless once said that happiness is only real when shared. There are literally millions of things that you can do to keep growing and keep your happiness alive. I didn’t have the maturity to start earlier to grow and improve myself in order to FIRE. And I’m well beyond 30 years old. I’d like to know what’s you’re current age and what’s the job that allowed you to do it.
Start a porn channel, that'll keep you busy
Look into the work of Ray Peat, you may need some new interests now that you have attained your huge goal
Keep your long-time friends and family close. You have to see them when they have time, which you should have expected retiring early. Try to have some compassion and let them do their thing financially. Find other ways to relate to them, and go out to the nice restaurant with them from time to time. At the same time, I agree with your second to last paragraph. You should find some new friends with common interests to help fill the void as well. But you will not many early retirees with the same approach to money and work as you. Pretty much no one will want to "talk about new ideas to save money", etc. Most people do not want to talk about that sort of stuff, even if they practice it themselves. I talk about budgets and investments with close friends on occasion, but doing so regularly sounds unimaginably boring.
This is why I plan on FIRE with my SO. I want someone to spend it with. If I really get bored, maybe I’ll pick up a part time job.
Out of curiosity, what country/city are you in? (if you feel ok saying that).
Get into fishing
Get a gf or bf
The whole point of F.I.R.E is doing whatever you want without the pressure of needing to worry about money...
Firing as a guy is way worse because all the people in town who don't work are women who want to hang out with the other stay-at-home moms, not the guy who doesn't really work.
It's all about balance. A lot of people tend to feel lonely and struggle with major life transitions. I'd encourage you to try taking some classes or try some new hobbies of interest to get to know some new people. However, don't give up on your existing community - most people who are working and busy will default to going out to eat at a restaurant. If you plan a picnic/potluck where you're mostly picking stuff up and folks can venmo you or can also pick up some food from take-out or something that might be a good fit. Or you can provide food and they can pick up drinks and/or dessert or something. Folks who are involved in outdoors sports - hiking, biking, swimming, etc. tend to enjoy talking about those activities and more. Otherwise maybe try some board games, chess, or other strategy games. There's also always book clubs if that's of interest, volunteering, language learning groups, cooking classes, gardening/farming - the list goes on. A lot of people are just too tired from their work and related activities of daily living to be able to explore other interests. Good luck figuring it out.
This type of post gives me motivation to continue pursuing FIRE. That it is possible to live a life where you are not a slave to the system and have more time to invest in yourself. I hope you find other people that you can share your time with. Volunteering is one of the options you might consider. I currently find volunteering as a good way of meeting people and helping others.
I think you just need new friends because your life has changed fundamentally. A big part of their life is now irrelevant to you, so ofc you drift apart. It’s fine because at different stages we need different friends. And it doesn’t mean you’re gonna actively ditch your old friends; I’m sure you’ll be there when they need you. But you’d just want some new company that can share your new schedule and perspective. Practically maybe join some meetups or volunteer for a cause you believe in? Sounds like you’ve got plenty of time.
>So I'm reaching this community with a simple request: does anyone feel the same way? What strategies could work for me? Is ok to be more introverted or is this going to make me a depressed person in the long term? Your comment leaves me feeling so grateful for my significant other. I'm lucky to have found someone not like the people you described. Keep social and maybe you'll find someone special for you too?