According to Professor Wikipedia, a hermit is "a person who lives to some degree, in seclusion from society. That would be me. I don't live in a cave up in the mountains and avoid contact with others or anything. But because of my work, hobbies, and natural inclinations, I'm not a social butterfly.
I work as a medical transcriptionist, which involves listening to dictation of a medical procedure and turning it into a legal document. You've heard of voice recognition software? I do the same thing, but I'm better at it. I am also paid according to the amount of work I produce, so interacting with others, live or virtual, is an interruption that cuts into my paycheck.
My hobbies include reading and writing, both of which tend to be solitary pursuits. I have been known to hide from everyone so I can read a really good book or get some writing done. When someone interrupts me, I try not to be annoyed, but it can be difficult.
By natural inclination, I'm an introvert. I heard this great comparison once that made perfect sense. Introverts and extroverts may be equally skilled at social interaction. But that very social interaction will charge an extrovert's batteries at the same time it drains the introvert's batteries. The extrovert could be with friends 24/7. The introvert must withdraw and have some personal time to charge up again.
The funny thing is, my "hermitting" disappears when I am with another group of writers. I morph into an extrovert, or as close as I will ever be.
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