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Comment by decodebytes | Hacker News Reader

Surely if they have crippling social anxiety, being stuck in an office all day with others where they are expected to socialise no matter how bad their anxiety might be playing up on any given day, is far worse?

Also the only social part I referenced was coffee with close friends. I think drinking a coffee with an understanding friend(s) is much easier then being around 20+ colleagues for 8 hours straight.

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Depends on the person. I am generally fine in a "being stuck in the office all day" situation, but get anxiety trying to setup plans for social interactions, even with really close friends. Even just coffee. Also, 1 on 1 situations tend to cause me more anxiety that groups/crowds.

Point being, everyone is different in this regard.

I cannot speak to what is easier or not. I was simply pointing out that you were laying down a blanket assertion that it was lazy and undisciplined, and that might not be universally appreciated.

Just because someone has extreme social anxiety doesn't mean they permanently refuse to take action. Sometimes they succeed in actively overcoming it and are capable of forming connections. Being in an environment where you can passively observe the character of others does tend to make it easier to approach them on the days when you're feeling up to it. A person might choose to work in an office because they understand this benefit of consistent forced exposure.

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