[cjpb]

You raise some good points.

I also believe personality types play a large part, for example I'm an introvert, and while spending time with others makes me happy - that can easily be negated if I spend too much time with others or don't have a chance to come up for air (e.g. some alone time).

Not to mention the personality types of others as well. I have introverted friends whom I can quite happily spend weeks at a time with (low energy, deep conversations, no awkwardness with silence), and on the other end of the scale there are friends who are extremely extroverted whom I cannot spend more than several hours with (high energy, shallow and constant changing of topics being discussed, a feeling of awkwardness when there is silence).

[yuhe00]

I'm also an introvert. I get exhausted when spending a lot of time with other people. One thing I've noticed though is that when I do spend time with people, I prefer getting to know new people rather than hanging out with people I already know. I guess this is some subtype within introverts, because the "stereotype" is that introverts have a few close friends - Instead I have lots of shallow relationships and I am terrible at keeping close friends because I never spend time with them...

[jchw]

I agree, being introverted definitely seems to impact the amount of time you want to spend with others, though I am maybe somewhat different in my preferences. I absolutely enjoy spending time with people, but even spending time with other introverted folks can be tiring for me, because sometimes I just want to sit in a quiet room completely alone. (Many of my other, also very introverted friends, disagree and can spend nearly all of their time with like-minded people. Which can be a little awkward.)

[chantelles]

Yep. Though I am gregarious, I grew up very isolated with very little interaction even with parents and my biggest problem as an adult is remembering to make time alone for myself because if I do not I grow less patient with people around me. But I also know that many people need to always be with people and I wonder: am I a result of a strange/bad upbringing? So I have committed to spending time with people but there is nothing I love more than a week totally alone and my happiest memories are months where I lived completely alone. One trick for balance: living in countries where I do not speak the language is an excellent way to be around people but have peace.