So what things are you actually experienced with?

>>16908732
Experienced with? You mean my hobbies?

I'm 7 years older and I still feel that way, bro. I just cannot bring myself to relate to the shallowness of the common human condition. In the 7 years from high school to today I did as much as any other person, I finished a tour in the army as a parachute rigger (I wanted to jump from a plane and do the hard exercise), I did some school and got work as an emt, I've volunteered at too many places, I've had lots of sexual partners, but fuck I just don't care about any of it. I'm thinking of just re enlisting with a harder job, but the army is draining for people who have a hard time understanding people.

I have no advice beyond do what you love, man. Shitty advice, but it led me to a good life and a good looking future, so hey.

>>16908732
>>16908735
I'll just assume you meant my hobbies. I like listening to music and reading, but my taste is a lot more in line with /mu/ and /lit/'s than any I see in real life. I realize I sound like an ass here, but it makes it very difficult to bond with someone in real life over these things when "I love reading" in real life equates to shit like Divergent, Harry Potter, and The Martian.

>>16908751
Not sure I agree about the shallowness of the human condition and all, but I do have a hard time understanding others.

>>16908767
I guess to put it in perspective, I admire Buddhist culture, very calm, almost detached people. Most everyone I've met in my life has been like a scrambling, angry, sad, stressed worker ant who postpones the good things in life so they can talk to you about how bad things are, all while smiling. In layman's terms, there's absolutely no chill in the average person. I just have trouble relating when someone struggles with something I see as shallow, I suppose, it's led me to be largely reclusive and aloof in my relationships, which hasn't helped my disposition.

I realize there's a bit of irony, but we're all constantly in a state of transition, so there's that at least.

>>16908792
I can see that. My parents told me I didn't relate well with other children at a very young age, but that adults liked to talk to me. Even now, I have a very hard time talking to people my age, but speaking to adults is very easy.

Buddhist culture is fun, especially with how enjoyable meditation is. It's a really nice experience just to meditate for 5-10 minutes and feel the difference afterwards.

I'm in my sophomore year of college and feel the same way.

This is how I've been looking at the problem: most people our (17-25) age haven't found something they love or are passionate about because the cycle of socializing, approval, distractions via social media and the internet and consuming mass market products and art is completely satisfactory to them.

When I started to sleep around and got a better understanding of relationships, the opposite sex (women), and achieved high social status, strong networking and near perfect academics, I've realized that none of its made me happier. I'm lonely after sex, anxious even after taking tests, and feel disingenuous in social situations even if I'm making be laugh or engage an audience.

Art, design, abstract music, expirimental and classical literature, language are all important and interesting to me, but not at all relatable to my peers.

I feel isolated and unchallenged

I feel you OP, but well find good people along the way that will challenge us and make us feel loved and appreciated and engaged on a real level.

>>16909171
Life is all about stories.

I think the reason it gets better as you get older is because you have more experience and more stories to draw on for entertainment. The freedom and independence that comes with it is the key.

Young people just don't have as many stories to tell.

>>16909181
That's why I want to travel. It's looking bleak though since the only things I can make a lot of money off of are things I have zero interest in. It seems my best bet is in the foreign language industry, since translation involves travel and isn't completely soul-killing.

I do think it gets better as you get older, though because of the independence and freedom, and not at all for the stories.

>>16909171
I can empathize with the part about success. My parents were very apathetic and so throughout childhood I was obese and received poor grades in school. After reaching high school I managed to get my weight under control and get straight As for the first time in my life, and it was strange to see how neither of those things actually made me happier or made me feel different in any way.

>>16909210
Both of my parents worked non-stop and I came home to an empty house 5 days a week, I had poor grades in middle school and couldn't socialize because of vicious rumors that started up because I moved from a poor town to a wealthy one.

I was a heavy kid.

I'm in much better shape now, have been in a few casual relationships and am a straight A student at a top 50 school after doing well in HS by keeping my head down.

I'm no happier.

It's probably because deep down we are all at the mercy of our most primal fears. Of being alone, of being rejected or hated, of being abandoned, and no amount of merit, or meaningless sex, or booze, or grades, or money will ever change that. I think most people hate themselves on some level, and ultimately never get over it

It's gloomy, but that's as close as I can get to leveling with myself.

>>16909235
I don't hate myself, and I don't live in fear. Things just seem too dull. I guess I'm attracted to weird forms of art because they're the only things in the world with a bit of mystery still left to them.

I hope to be able to travel the world some day, since that looks to be the only thing really enjoyable left.