You may have seen this before, but I thought this was awesome.

You've probably seen the move 'Castaway,' where Tom Hanks played a FedEx employee who was stranded for years on a remote island, struggled to survive, and struggled to hold onto his sanity by talking to a volley ball he named ' Wilson.'
Do you remember the FedEx box that survived the plane crash, and how Hanks was compelled to deliver it? Did you ever wonder what was in that FedEx box?.......

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=alSQpinagp0

That's great!

Wilson is my best friend's favorite character. Isn't that right, Spalding?

I think that was a super bowl commercial a few years back.

Very funny. I hadn't seen it before

HAHAHAHA

That was great.

I think there would be a loud "SNAP!" from somewhere in my brain and I'd go play in traffic at that point.

That wouldn't be nearly as bad as opening it on the island and discovering...NO BATTERIES! Twitch twitch twitch.

Yup, it was.

That aspect of the movie annoyed me. Are people really so emotionally fragile that they would start treating a ball like a real person? I guess, being an introvert, it's just too far beyond my own understanding. Personally, I would be quite at peace on an island by myself.

ok - Got me i laughed

IIRC People start to have significant psychological changes if left totally alone for a few days. Some say 3 days, and it is noticeable.

Try it out and then you'll understand the situation.

I have spent a great deal of time alone. The results have been interesting,,

I discuss everything in every aspect with myself as I go along (no my voice doesn't change as each side of my brain speaks).

I tend to be wary of all strangers, more so when there is no reason to be.

I have become the "perfect towboater", basically anti-social, able to stand long watches, late at night, without feeling a need for company.

And all of y'all thought it was easy to be the village idiot! Hah!!

Party on Wildman's boat.

See, I think it depends on your personality. An introvert, like me, who actually prefers to spend time alone, would not react the same as an extrovert who feeds on social interaction with other people.

People wear me out. When I spend too much time around other people it stresses me. I NEED time alone in order to recharge my batteries.

If I were ever to go to prison, solitary confinement would not be the way to punish me. I would prefer it. If you want to punish me, make me stay in the general population.

Actually, my understanding is that those prisoners who say that solitary won't bother them are usually the first to go around the bend. But even they know that there are other people around, even if they don't get to interact with them. Humans are social animals, if you know that there is NO ONE for miles, and no way to change that, you'll not be in such a healthy place after a while.

Here's my schedule on a typical day:

5:30 a.m. Wake up
6:30 a.m. Go to work at the post office
7:00 a.m. Start getting the mail ready for delivery
10:00 a.m. Leave the post office to deliver mail
4:30 p.m. Go home

For 3 hours a day I have to deal with people. Those 3 hours are the worst part of my day. The rest of the time I'm alone. My mail route is in a rural area and I hardly see anyone unless they need to sign for a package or certified letter.

When I get home, I stay home. I don't call people on the phone. I don't go out with friends. It's just me until 7:00 a.m. the next morning. And that's the way I like it.

Don't tell me I couldn't handle being alone. I know myself better than you know me.

When I find myself isolated, I tend to notice my praying is more focused, as if in dialogue.

You have a social life, don't you? You have contact with family and friends, right? No offense, but lots of people think they are tough enough to beat isolation, lots of them going into prison isolation start off believing that. They are the ones who usually get interesting hobbies like carving on themselves or eatting their socks. And it isn't just criminals- NASA has done individuals and small groups, and most people get more than a little strange after six or seven months.

Humans are social animals. All humans. Some need more, some need less, but all humans need interaction. Saying that you are immune from that is like saying you are immune from pain.

No, and no.

I stopped having a social life years ago. I have a 16 year old son who lives in another state. Haven't even talked to him on the phone since January. I pay child support and send him stuff for his birthday and christmas, but that's been the extent of my involvment with him since I moved.

I don't have any friends. I couldn't even tell you my neighbor's names.

But on IronRaven's defense you are posting here which shows you do have some bit of sociability need. If you can be at home staring at a wall for 24/7 for years without any contact or whatsoever, then you are one of a few breed. I know of nobody that can do that, but that's not to say someone can't do that. You may be that one but not me, I'd go nuts.

I know when I'm lost and alone my mind's wondering doesn't help my situation,I continue to try to improve my self when it comes to being alone for long periods of time but I need that social intervention from time to time. It's a part of human nature and we sometimes don't discover it until we are in trouble and alone. Then it rears it's nasty little head.

Just about the time I finally start to de-stress right now, 7-10 days ALL alone sounds REALLY good

Some years ago, I lived by myself for the better part of year in a small tent by the river in which the nearest modern conveniences, people and town were approximately six miles around the mountain. The longest I went without any human contact was three weeks and although I was not ready to go off the deep end, I noticed many psychological changes in myself and had a deep need to interact with other people. However once I went and visited in town for a couple of days, I was ready to go back to my solitude but never again did I go for so long without being around any people...I really believe that people need to be with other people if even only for short time frames to help keep their psychological well being in order.

Oh, I'll agree that weeks with NO human contact (including electronic) WILL make you strange. But 3 days? Like I said, if I', in my usual "stressed out NYer" mode, after 3 days I'm just getting to the point where I'd want to casually see someone. By the end of the week, I'd want someone to talk to for an hour or so

The first 3 days? Probably spend somewhere between 30-35 hours of the 72 asleep, 9 cooking/eating/cleaning up, a much curled up with a good book, the rest, chores etc, and if I had access to the great outdoors (particularly the woods) time on walks/sitting in the woods, just watching/listening

when i was working at the Vets Hospital i did a lot of two week solo canoe trips to try and decompress from the stress..
i once went seven days without seeing anyone..thats no canoes far away across the lake..no overflights by the park service..no one on the carrys..at three days it was nice--by day five i was looking around and by day seven i camped at a portage in the hopes of meeting someone--midday day eight i found a lake with people and camped at lunch time just to be around someone---you really do let your mind run to odd stuff wondering if anyone else is out there--

I think one has to take into account that it only took Tom Hanks 3 days to go a little loony in the movie is plot progression. There was only so long the movie would have been able to reamain interesting with him just puttering around the island.