Is three (or less) a crowd?

This is spun off from a discussion  in another thread. It would seem that many people on this site display varying degrees of introversion.  I found myself writing that for me three truly was a crowd.  So I have become curious,  at what point do you feel you are in a crowd?  That is, when do you begin to feel uncomfortable?

John F Dean wrote:This is spun off from a discussion  in another thread. It would seem that many people on this site display varying degrees of introversion.  I found myself writing that for me three truly was a crowd.  So I have become curious,  at what point do you feel you are in a crowd?  That is, when do you begin to feel uncomfortable?

Each number of people has its own energy, from just me, to two, to three, up to 50,000 people all in the street celebrating, protesting, what have you.  I love them all.  The largest crowd I've spoken to was ~5,000 and that was invigorating so I don't know if there's an upper limit.  Probably but I don't know what it is.

In a interview with just 1 other person can feel like a crowd, but two parent and their 2 or 3 college age kids would not feel like a crowd.

I think it starts being a crowd, when you would feel "nervous/anxious" standing up and explaining something/give a speech/pray for everyone/make an executive decision for the group/team/etc

In addition to the number changing person to person; I find the number also changes for me, depending on how I'm feeling that day. Or even who the person is.

Some days, a whole football stadium full of people did not deter me. Some days, just one person can be too much.

Sometimes just being with myself can be a crowd.
Where I am telling the left side of my brain to just shut up and let me get some rest, because thinking anymore will not make a difference.
In another month, you might find me happily daydreaming about what is essentially the same topic, and I am talking about daydreaming for hours, seven days a week.

As usual it depends on so many factors, but if I had to go based on avg and rule of thumb: I would say that hosting 5 random couchsurfers would be my definition of a crowd.

Oftentimes just myself can be a crowd. The voices in my head that don't pay any rent for the space they take up can get rather noisy. I can chase them away through prayer or focusing on writing or watching a DVD. In these times I do find myself not really interested in going anywhere where there's people.

I flip around on that. Some days I don't want more than one person I trust around (if even that) some days I can easily do what I call surfing a crowd, where I flow with it and have zero problems.

As far as "at what point would you feel anxious?" I never have felt anxious on stage or leading a group in any way, so I that's not a valid marker for me. At what point do I get very tired of humanity? About 10 minutes after walking into a mall.

On the Meyers/Brigg testing I score straight down the center line for introvert/extrovert. I actually am almost always at one end or the other, either dealing well with everyone, or dealing well with no one. And one more weirdness: I deal easiest with people I trust totally, and total strangers. Hardest for me is people I know, but not well.  On a bad day, I'd rather deal with an utter stranger than a casual acquaintance.

:D

"Is three (or less) a crowd?"

Some days, yup. Some days, alone is what I crave. Occasionally, I want our kids around (I always seem to miss them, but not enough to want them around, all the time, lol). Some days, I need something like... church, a private party, a wedding, family reunion... But, probably 75 - 80% of the time, I just want it to be John and me, with no outside influences. Ha! Including the internet!

More than one other person is a crowd.  But some days I have better tolerance for small crowds (3-4).  Interactions with others do wear me out though, even though I generally enjoy them.  If I have a long interaction, I am usually done with those for a week or more.  

Pearl Sutton wrote:I actually am almost always at one end or the other, either dealing well with everyone, or dealing well with no one. And one more weirdness: I deal easiest with people I trust totally, and total strangers. Hardest for me is people I know, but not well.  On a bad day, I'd rather deal with an utter stranger than a casual acquaintance.

:D

I feel this way too. I think there is an "awkward valley" between the trusted friends whose acceptance and allegiances you are sure of, and strangers who you will probably never see again so you are not trying to make an impression or build a bond.

Its a crowd when you can't clearly identify whats being said in the room.....not to you, but in the room.
Its crowded when people have to lean close to share confidences.
Two people on either end of a US auto's bench seat is tolerable three is insufferable.
Heck with social distancing, if your close enough for me to smell your breath, your invading my personal space and I'll step back, and if you follow close I'll ask where the bar / restroom, / vomitoreum is.
If you continue I'll consider you a grade A, Type A, arse with intent to intimidate and avoid further contact, and finally if that is insufficient, happily pick a fight to give you adequate reason to avoid me.

The most obnoxious people are the "motherly", unrelated people, whom demand hugs and want to share confidences, and encourage the world at large to divulge their "feelings".
Unnatural enablers, one and all, constantly embroiled in unneeded drama.
Beyond that a thousand people on a spacious beach is a happy gathering, a thousand people in a high school auditorium is a virulent noisome atrocity.