There’s a little voice in your head. Sometimes, it gives you good advice like, “Don’t eat that, it’s way past the expiration date.” Sometimes, it gives you bad advice like, “What’s one more drink?” And sometimes, it just sits back and gives you a little nagging anxiety, asking questions like, “Is it weird to go to a concert alone?”
Everything is lined up. Your favorite artist is playing in your favorite venue and you have a free night. But there’s nobody who can make it to the show with you. Or you were only able to snag the one ticket to this sold-out show. Or the person who was supposed to go dropped out at the very last minute. However you got there, suddenly you’re faced with the prospect of going alone. And that voice is telling you that going to concerts alone is weird.
That’s what sad people do. That’s what lonely people do. That’s what that weird kid in English class used to do.
Studies have shown that people who do things alone actually derive similar enjoyment from the activity as people who do things in groups. Why do we not do things alone more often? Probably because we’re just self-conscious about it. The aforementioned stigma that society places on doing things alone.
Which, fine, if you can get a group together for yourself to feel better about doing something, that’s great. But if you’re instead missing out on an experience because you’re letting societal expectations get the better of you, that’s not a net-zero anymore. That’s you losing out on something you would have otherwise had. All because you gave into the voice asking, “Is it weird to go to a concert alone?”
But, as it turns out, knowing that may be the solution to solving it. There’s another concept in psychology called loss aversion. Once you have something, you don’t want to lose it. And there’s your plan. Want to go to a concert? Grab a spot and go, whether or not you have someone to go with. Want to try out going to concerts alone? Just find a show and get tickets. Knowing you have the spot and the opportunity to go, think about what you’d lose if you bailed after committing.
If that’s not enough to convince you the voice asking, “Is it weird to go to a concert alone?” is wrong, then let me tell you in no uncertain terms: it’s not.
It’s not weird to other people. I’m another person, I don’t care. As for you, if it’s weird to you, that may just be that little voice of anxiety. Ignore it. It’s wrong.
For those of you who aren’t necessarily there for just the music and crave the social interaction of going out, going out alone isn’t a bad option either. We can also teach you how to be more outgoing at a concert.
Got a story about how you went to a concert alone? We’d love to hear it on Twitter!
