I joined a gym for a few months last year partly because I thought it would be a great way to meet some people. BIG misread on my part. It turns out most public gyms around here have a strong "leave me the hell alone vibe." Essentially zero eye-contact. Pretty much everyone had earbuds in and I didn't bother them. I said "hello" to those without earbuds once in a while but only got a silent death glare in response. So I stopped doing that.

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CalRobert 6 days ago | parent [-]

:-\ that's a shame.

I mean, I have earbuds. And sometimes I use them on the commute to work to practice Dutch (or did, before I worked remote). But there's definite downsides to the increased convenience of filling "empty" time.

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dingaling 6 days ago | parent [-]

I was thinking about this today, a lovely morning run on the beach with the Sun rising in a blue sky. Should have been a wonderful shared experience but everyone I met had earbuds in and the most interaction I obtained was a nod.

Why go to the shore with the sounds of the waves lapping gently on the shingle but then block it out with earpods? It irritated me.

	▲	CalRobert 6 days ago \| parent [-]
		Even the most beautiful setting can become mundane if you see it every day, but I generally agree.