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We recently asked our Upworthy audience on Facebook‚ "What's something that you really enjoy that other people can't seem to understand?" and over 1‚700 people weighed in. Some people shared things like housework‚ cleaning and laundry‚ which a lot of people see as chores. Others shared different puzzles or forms of art they like doing‚ and still others shared things like long car rides or grocery shopping. But one answer dominated the list of responses. It came in various wordings‚ but by far the most common answer to the question was "silent solitude." Here are a few examples:"Feeling perfectly content‚ when I’m all alone.""Being home. Alone. In silence.""That I enjoy being alone and my soul is at peace in the silence. I don't need to be around others to feel content‚ and it takes me days to recharge from being overstimulated after having an eventful day surrounded by others.""Enjoying your own company. Being alone isn’t isolating oneself. It’s intentional peace and healthy… especially for deep feelers/thinkers."Spending time by ourselves is something some of us relish‚ while some of us hate being alone. Naturally‚ this points to the common theory of introversion vs. extraversion‚ but in some ways‚ that's overly simplistic. Even the most peopley people among us can enjoy some quality alone time‚ and not all introverts see time alone as truly enjoyable. (It might be necessary for an introvert's well-being‚ but not necessarily something they truly revel in.)Interesting‚ studies have found that people who enjoy being alone are not any more or less extraverted than those who don't‚ though they do tend to be less "sociable." They are also less likely to be neurotic (tense‚ moody‚ worrying types) than the generally population and more likely to be open-minded. Those characteristics are the opposite of what social norms often tell us about people who want to be alone. "If our stereotypes about people who like being alone were true‚ then we should find that they are neurotic and closed-minded. In fact‚ just the opposite is true‚" writes Bella DePaulo‚ PhD. There may be lots of reasons some people like to spend time by themselves while others don't. We are naturally social creatures and need social interaction‚ but some of us find ourselves overstimulated by being around other people all the time. On the flip side‚ some people find being alone not just unenjoyable‚ but extremely uncomfortable‚ which can be a problem."Ideally‚ we should be comfortable with ourselves‚ alone or with others‚" writes psychologist Tara Well Ph.D.. "If you are uncomfortable being alone‚ it means you are uncomfortable being with yourself without distraction‚ engagement‚ or affirmation from others. This can be a liability in life. If you cannot be alone‚ you may stay in situations or make life choices that aren’t good for you in the long run‚ like staying in a job or a relationship‚ mainly because you can’t tolerate being alone while transitioning to a better situation."Dr. Well also points out that people can make the most of their alone time‚ even if it's not something they naturally enjoy. One way is to make it purposeful‚ setting aside a little time daily to write in a journal‚ meditate‚ go for a walk or otherwise engage your mind and body in some form of reflection. Another is to pay attention to self-judgments that might make alone time uncomfortable and challenge them with some compassionate confrontation and counteraction with positive thoughts about yourself. Alone time can be refreshing and rewarding‚ especially if it's something you naturally crave. Some people even like to take themselves out on dates or enjoy traveling by themselves. That kind of self-care can be just as important as connecting with others for our overall health and well-being. Being alone doesn't mean being a loner and it doesn't mean being lonely. Some of us genuinely like having quality time with ourselves‚ whether it makes sense to other people or not. This article originally appeared on 1.1.24

A story that recently went viral on Reddit’s AITA forum asks an important question: What is a parent’s role in taking care of their grandchildren? The story is even further complicated because the woman at the center of the controversy is a stepparent.The woman‚ 38‚ met her husband Sam‚ 47‚ ten years ago‚ when his daughter‚ Leah‚ 25‚ was 15. Five years ago‚ the couple got married after Leah had moved out to go to college. Leah’s mom passed away when she was 10.Last year‚ Leah became pregnant‚ and she wanted to keep the baby‚ but her boyfriend didn’t. After the disagreement‚ the boyfriend broke up with her. This forced Leah to move back home because she couldn’t afford to be a single parent and live alone on a teacher’s salary.Leah’s story is experienced by many young mothers who are facing difficulties. The father isn’t involved in the baby’s life as a caretaker or financially. Sadly‚ 33% of all children in the U.S. are born without their biological fathers living in the home.The new mother is a teacher and can’t afford to live on her own with a child. A recent study found that out of the top 50 U.S. cities‚ Pittsburgh is the only one where a new teacher could afford rent.The stressors of taking care of the baby made Leah realize she needed help.“But once she had the baby around 4 months back‚ Leah seemed to realize having a baby is not the sunshine and rainbows she thought it was‚” the woman wrote on Reddit. “She barely got any sleep during the last four months. All the while Sam was helping her with the baby while I did almost all chores myself.”“Now her leave is ending. She did not want to leave the baby at daycare or with a nanny‚” the woman continued. “Sam and I both work as well.”Leah asked her stepmother if she would stay home with the baby. The stepmother said no because she never wanted to have a baby and she has a job. “I asked why Leah can't stay home with the baby herself‚” the woman wrote. “She said how she was young and had to build a career. I said many people take breaks to raise kids‚ and she broke down crying about how she was so tired all the time being a mom and needed something else in her life too.”After the woman told her stepdaughter no‚ her husband pressured her to stay home with the baby. But she refused to give up her job to raise her stepdaughter’s child. “Leah said yesterday how she wished her mom was alive since she would have had her back. She said I didn't love her‚ and my husband is also mad at me‚” the woman wrote. The woman asked the Reddit community if she was in the wrong for “refusing to help my stepdaughter with the baby‚” and the community responded with rapturous support."[The woman] should tell her husband to knock it off and stop trying to pressure her into raising his daughter’s baby. If he wants a family member to look after her baby while she works‚ then he can do it‚" Heavy_Sand5228 wrote."This is Leah's baby that she alone chose to have. That doesn't obligate you to change YOUR life to suit her desires. The whole business of saying you don't love her because you won't quit your job to watch her baby is manipulative and messed up‚ and I'm shocked your husband is siding with her‚" SupremeCourtJust-a** added.Leah and many women like her are in this situation because‚ in many places‚ teachers are underpaid‚ rent is high‚ and not all dads pay child support‚ even those required by law.Another commenter noted that the baby is much more the father’s responsibility than the stepmother's. "To add‚ Leah should consider seeking child support from her ex. Her kid should be getting that money‚" Obiterdicta wrote.This article originally appeared on 10.3.23

There are very few things that would make people nostalgic for the 1950s. Sure‚ they had cool cars and pearl necklaces were a staple‚ but that time frame had its fair share of problems‚ even if "Grease" made it look dreamy. Whether you believe your life would've been way more interesting if you were Danny Zuko or not‚ most would agree their technology was...lacking.All eras are "advanced" for their time‚ but imagine being dropped off in the 50s as someone from the year 2023. A recent post by Historic Vids on Twitter of a 1956 commercial advertising a refrigerator‚ however‚ has some people thinking that when it came to fridges‚ maybe they were living in the year 2056. I don't typically swoon over appliances‚ yet this one has me wondering where I can purchase a refrigerator like this. Of course‚ there's no fancy touch screen that tells you the weather and asks how you'd like your ice cubed. It's got more important features that are actually practical. Like a fruit drawer that not only pulls down so you can quickly check your inventory‚ but also pulls completely out. "A big picture window hydrator for fruits and vegetables‚" the actress says while demonstrating. "It tilts down to show you your supply at a glance‚ and it also lifts out‚ so you can take it over to the sink when there's a fresh supply to be washed and put away."Yeah‚ that could be helpful and reduce the clutter in your fridge from all those clear storage bins companies designed to essentially do the same thing but maybe in a more cumbersome way. But the cool factor of the vintage refrigerator didn't stop there. You know how sometimes it's like playing Jenga removing leftovers? Well‚ this fridge has shelves that slide out nearly completely. Oh‚ the amount of reduced stress that would give folks sneaking a late snack after a holiday meal.Watch the fascinating video below: \u201cThis refrigerator from 1956 has more features than modern day fridges\u201d — Historic Vids (@Historic Vids) 1682958373 ​One commenter said‚ "Can we vote to bring this back?" and I have to agree. Take my money.For a little extra fun‚ check out the full commercial below and marvel not only at the refrigerator but at how our attention spans for advertisements have diminished over the decades. This story originally appeared on 5.3.23