Have you ever gone to an event where you didn’t know anyone? Did you think of backing out because you didn’t have someone to go with you?

Leading up to and following my recent conference, these were the initial questions people asked me when they realized I was attending solo.

Each asked: “So, do/did you know anyone at the conference in Vancouver?” My answer was: “No.”

My friends remarked that I was courageous to go somewhere unfamiliar and try something new all by myself. Years ago, I would have shied away from events if I had no one to go with me. I feared what people would think if I came alone.

Why do people have a fear of doing these events alone? If you really wanted to do something (i.e., go to a concert), would you not go simply because you had no one to go with? I have a friend who went to this huge sport event by himself; he had an amazing time! Should he not have gone because he couldn’t find someone to go with? This sounds kind of silly; but in reality, it is a pretty common choice. I am partially guilty of this as well. Most people have to go to events with others.  These individuals wouldn’t even consider the possibility of going alone; they worry about being insulted, or having nothing to say, etc.  Individuals then think that the notion of being alone is a bad thing.