An Argument for Forgetting Your Friends this Weekend

By By Sophie Newman, Arts and Entertainment Editor     9/10/14 6:44am

As an only child of two working parents, it’s safe to say I have spent a fair portion of my life, or at least childhood, alone. Although I often joke about this to friends (which, by the way, I definitely do have), I  think learning to be alone has its merits. As I’ve gotten older and, through a combination of circumstance and conscious choice, spent more and more time around peers, I have begun to lament the fact that I am growing less fond of doing things by myself. 

To counteract this apparent transformation of my social needs, I sometimes purposely plan activities alone. Movies, music and even dining out are often characterized as strictly social outings, but here I plan to tell you why they don’t have to be. 

I am not telling anyone to ditch their social lives, or embrace the stereotype of the weird loner (although I am not advocating against these choices either); I am simply saying that there are real reasons why going out alone doesn’t have to be a sad occasion. 

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1. You can do whatever you want. 

When you go out with friends, you are subject to the will of the majority in terms of plans. Everyone wants to go see that Jennifer Aniston rom-com that got 23 percent on Rotten Tomatoes? I guess you’re going. They are dying to see a heavy metal band that’s so alternative, they aren’t even really a band? Buy some earplugs. But, alone, the world is full of options. You can even do embarrassing activities secretly, like go to a live viewing of Antiques Roadshow (is this possible?) or a Transformers convention. 

2. You set your own schedule. 

Not only do you have ultimate freedom of activity choice but also freedom of activity time. Treat yourself to a Sunday afternoon by visiting a Texans game without your overly inquisitive girlfriend being overly inquisitive. Maybe you are 90 percent sure that you just failed your intro econ test for the second time, and the only cure to your depression is immediate frozen yogurt consumption. Don’t wait for anyone. Get your butt to Red Mango pronto. Pile on all of the toppings. Eat only toppings. Go twice in one day. No one is judging you. 

3. You have better control of your environment. 

So there’s this movie you’ve been dying to see for months, and it turns out all your friends are dying to see it too. Yay! You get early tickets, wait excitedly in line, buy your $14 popcorn and sit down to enjoy the show. The problem? It turns out your friends have so much enthusiasm they can’t seem to contain their excitement until after the film. Instead of listening to Javier Bardem’s beautiful words, you are hearing those of your seatmate. The fix? Go solo! I promise, it’s not weird. Not only will you catch all of the movie’s nuances, plot twists and action montages, but you also don’t have to worry about finding 17 seats in a row in a crowded theater. 

4. You can people watch. 

Your friends are cool, but you also see them all the time. Like always. And it’s not your friends, it’s other Rice students (who are basically also like your friends). So when do you get a chance to see, you know, the mysterious others lurking just outside the hedges? When you go out with your friends, there’s basically a veil of conversation that keeps you from paying them any mind. Imagine, instead of sitting at a crowded table with your crew, picking a window seat at the bar and watching the passersby. There are so many interesting weirdos to be seen and maybe, if you look pensive and intriguing enough, even talk to. Who knows, you may even inadvertently expand your social circle. 

 Going out alone doesn’t mean you’re a loner; it just means that you are taking advantage of your time, free will and the world of culture at your fingertips.

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