Being part of the human race, it's only natural that we, people. want and seek the company of other people.
Yet, when I look back at my life, I find out that it is people that have weakened me most - more than work, more than bad habits, more than the...flu. What can I do with this awareness? Not much. I can try to ignore bad manners, stay away from some "toxic" individuals, keep to myself for protection (avoiding isolation).
Barbara Streisand opens her famous song 'People' with a line claiming that "people that need people are the luckiest people in the world". Well, let's not exaggerate. We all need people, but needing them might also make us dependent, and dependence of any sort is rather undesirable, even within the family.
Another singer, Jonathan McReynolds, has also a song named 'People' . He says about them that "they are the best and the worst you've created / loving and hating and opinionated / loners in basements, and those congregated / ". That's closer to what we know of people.
People with talent find a long escape in art, others bestow hours of attention on critters . I've got none of these tendencies (except feeding pigeons and growing the 'lucky bamboo' plant). So, no escapism for me, only the bare reality of trying to cope with people.
That's not as bad as it sounds ; it gives me considerable insight into human nature, and often saves me from falling into the traps laid by the combined efforts of populism and stupidity.These traps are becoming more numerous as the outer conditions (virus, climate) are getting worse.