it's all gay and retarded, but at least it's more interesting than sitting around at home lamenting my lots.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5611087&forum_id=2#48193716)

also you should realize that you can't date without risking 'hurting yourself too much'--you have to be open to the radical possibility and risk of love which involves the potential for a lot of pain (even in the best case scenario!)

people who are much less intelligent and/or less conscientious than you manage to find each other for meaningful and beneficial relationships every day; you can too

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5611087&forum_id=2#48193730)

make sure to treat her as an intellectual equal, speak to her like she is your therapist, and make sure to tell her your deepest, darkest secrets within the first couple hours. tight hug (ass out) at the end. remember: she could very well be "the one"!

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5611087&forum_id=2#48193688)

on that last point, it does seem like you need to treat every date as potentially "the one", just like you need to treat every job interview as a potential good fit. you might well fail either way, but there's no chance of success if you're just punting everything, and you don't want to have any regrets later about not trying harder.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5611087&forum_id=2#48193711)

yes but you also have to treat it like it doesn't matter at the same time.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5611087&forum_id=2#48193768)

if yes to either, proceed if she's AZN

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5611087&forum_id=2#48193722)

i know you're being self deprecating and facetious here, but to the extent you're sincerely blaming your social awkwardness/anxiety/inexperience on getting a phd -- lol.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5611087&forum_id=2#48195230)

dissertation writing gets especially isolated, because you get so deep into esoterica that you become incomprehensible to even the rest of your grad school cohort. you could try hanging out with non-academic friends (if you still have any, or ever had any after you moved for your program), but you don't really have much to talk about if your mind is still on the footnotes you were writing from dawn 'til dusk and what all you have left to finish.

hell, even during coursework, you're coming fresh out of undergrad usually, and the socialization you do isn't that different from what you did in undergrad if you were dorky enough to go to grad school -- maybe hang out with other students in your classes and get drinks occasionally, mostly talk about classes. remember that the attrition rate is rather high across the board (national research council collects stats on this every decade or so, almost due for another study) -- the school is usually paying you, you aren't paying it, so there's no reason to keep you around if you aren't performing. it all tends to make people really weird, even some previously well-socialized art history girls, for example. (this is all ime obviously, i'm sure it differs based on field, program, and personal disposition.)

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5611087&forum_id=2#48195404)

my point is only that you can't blame getting a phd for stunted socialization anymore than a remote coder can. i'm sure there is significant self selection bias in introverted dorks pursuing phds. but ultimately most people must make an effort to socialize. many people pursuing a phd maintain a social life. it's not so intensive that you *must* sacrifice socialization. you managed to megapoast here, after all.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5611087&forum_id=2#48199287)

fizzkade?

fizzkaught?

fizzkudd?

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5611087&forum_id=2#48193814)

skid

bid

forbid

I'm sure there are more but these are just the first that come to mind

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5611087&forum_id=2#48193841)

FizzKidden it is then

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5611087&forum_id=2#48193869)

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5611087&forum_id=2#48193902)

like bamboozled

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5611087&forum_id=2#48193847)

lex needs sex

driving over

but they won't be long

they're mesmerized

gelatin

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5611087&forum_id=2#48193839)