I hate parties. What's wrong with me?

[TheRedViper]

So as a 17 year old in high school I feel pretty different and weird compared to most other people for this reason: I really don't like parties. I hate the atmosphere of heaps of people - many I don't know - crammed together in one place. I just feel really uncomfortable and out of place. Even if I do know people there, they are just so different from the kind of people I normally enjoy talking to, and I don't feel confident or motivated enough to talk to any of them.

I have friends, of course, and some of them go to these parties, and I've been to some parties myself. I went to a girl I knew at school's party last year, for example. I wasn't originally going to go, but we were talking in class one day and she wanted me to go specifically, so I did. It was just a backyard thing at her house, with only 100 or so people there, many from my school. There was no alcohol or anything like that, so it was pretty controlled. I went with some friends, but most of them I didn't want to hang around with there, cause they behaved so differently than usual. Two of my friends there were just as out of place and bored as I was, so I stuck around them, and we had a good laugh and talked. On a girl's absolute insistence, I danced with her for a bit, but felt like an idiot so stopped. I passed the rest of the party with my two friends, not really doing much.

So I didn't really enjoy the party, and knew parties weren't really for me, and I was more or less okay with that, although I did feel a bit disappointed because I really did want to like parties. So my dilemma is that tomorrow night there is an afterparty for a school dance that happened tonight (that I didn't go to, because my partner pulled out last minute -_-) and just about everyone from my year level is going, as well as heaps of other people. I'm really conflicted about going or not. I want to give parties another chance, and many of my friends will be there, and there will be alcohol too, so if all else fails I can at least get drunk enough that the night isn't too bad. But on the other hand I remember just how out of place and uncomfortable I felt at the other party, and I don't want a repeat of that. I know that everyone will be talking about it on Monday back at school, and if I don't go I'll feel so out of touch and 'different.' Peer pressure isn't the issue, since I never feel any, but I just want to be more socially active, and parties are pretty much the best way in high school.

So do you guys think I should go anyway and give it another try, or just skip it? Am I weird and anti-social because I don't like parties but pretty much everyone else does?

[Bull]

Some parties I enjoy, others not so much. Big parties with lots of people I don't know where there is likely to be booze and drugs are not for me. Parties at school events are usually pretty cool and fun. Parties with my close friends are always fun. So, no you are not weird or anti-social. You have the right to pick and choose which parties you attend. Don't attend those you will not enjoy or make you uncomfortable. Be yourself. Exert your uniqueness. Do NOT be a lemming!

[Typhlosion]

I'm no big fan of parties either!

Parties usually seem more common that they actually are. Because of the huge number of people that are in a party makes it look like everyone's partying. You don't get to see the flipside of the coin, where all non-party goers collect themselves and see huge in numbers. A huge amount of people do not go to parties, and I say that as a college student.

I think the bigger question is if you want to give it a second try. Your first parties are going to be awkward, only hanging out with friends, until you get the knack of it. Maybe the first party was atypical. Maybe it's exactly like the next one. If you want to be more social without partying, why don't you try joining a club on something you like, or perhaps something completely new?

[UnknownError]

Everyone is different and like you said, the atmosphere might just not be for you. If you want to try again then you should go along and just see how it goes, it won't do any harm. :)

Also you might feel left out for a while if you hear people talking about it, but from my experience of going to a lot of parties I know that nobody usually cares who is or isn't there. Usually it's like "Where's ____?" "Oh they're sick." "Aw that sucks."