They largely get weekends off. Maybe they'll chime in tomorrow.

I haven't even done the medical appointments I should have. I'm not alone and that is going to prove costly in terms of cancer screening etc. My excuse is my General Practitioners retired just before the pandemic but it's just an excuse. I did have my teeth cleaned because the Dentist was aggressive in getting patients to keep appointments. What I really shouldn't be putting off is my appointment with the retinal specialist but it feels elective. Bottom line I'm really privileged in that social distancing is a practical option for me. I have a lot of sympathy for essentially workers and wonder how much cognitive dissonance concerning the pandemic isn't a coping mechanism for the less privileged.

I really hate to admit that the social isolation is effecting me. I have always been self sufficient to a fault. As an engineer I prefered to not have anyone else involved in my work accept experts, in other words no technicians. I have always been introverted, books and solo outdoor activities being my favorite things. Now I'm realizing how even someone like me can suffer depression if they are too isolated. The internet is however a poor substitute for in person contact.

On your point about discourse I'm having the same problem as with social isolation. I don't like debate. To me it's an exercise in domination not inquiry. A good conversation always starts with agreement on the basic concepts. Global Warming is a good example. The greenhouse potential of co2 was established two hundred years ago. The problem is our science isn't good at dealing with complex chaotic systems. Extroverts drive me crazy with the tendency to want to engage with other people for the sake of engaging. I like to engage with ideas not people. It is often confused with being socially unaware. I know the rules I just don't like them. It results in an unhealthy degree of isolation.

On your last point my English professor sent me to get psychological help because of my disjointed stream of thought. I have the unusual belief that random errors are not only key to physical evolution but also the evolution of thought. Errors in replication are the source of everything. It's why quantum uncertainty never bothered me. People who need truths drive me nuts. I'm happy with statistically relevant facts. If more people accepted this reality it would be easier to get along.

@wolfhnd

I have always been introverted, books and solo outdoor activities being my favorite things. Now I'm realizing how even someone like me can suffer depression if they are too isolated. The internet is however a poor substitute for in person contact.

Quoted for truth.

@wolfhnd Interesting that our approaches are very different - I AM an extrovert that is known for my willingness to debate simply for its own sake! However, I seek to find agreement on basic concepts and establishing facts and chaos does not bother me at all! I do like your last paragraph!!