Some people just don’t know how to sit still.
I have a son who is an extrovert. Somehow in the midst of three other family members who just prefer to skip a party, we got an extrovert who must be around people 24/7 or he will die an instant death (it might have something to do with him being adopted, but that is a story for another day). He is maniacally trying to find friends after school, as soon as he gets home. It drives me crazy. Clearly, he has F.O.M.O.
If you haven’t heard of F.O.M.O. it means Fear of Missing Out. It is these crazy people who always feel like they are missing a party, or a gathering or an opportunity to travel somewhere. These wanderlusts that can’t seem to enjoy an evening in, because heaven forbid, someone on Instagram post about being at an event, or sitting in jail and their Instagram doesn’t match.
Stayathomelust at its finest.
On the other hand, I have a stayathomelust. It is this constant need to get the stupid thing done that I need to get done outside of the house, like getting groceries, or picking up kids at school, or getting gas for the car that is necessary to get groceries, and then rush home. I would gladly match photo for photo with a wanderluster, pictures of me on my couch, or pictures of me playing video games, or me with my computer background displaying the same picture you took of Hawaii, minus me being in it.
I don’t need to travel around the world, picking up scurrvy, or getting a stupid souvenir to prove I went somewhere. I can experience different worlds right from my couch. I don’t need an expensive airplane ticket, an Air BnB, and an expensive car rental to go to Paris. I just need Netflix to see Paris. There are probably 12 movies that feature the parts I really need to see.
I don’t need to have friends with all the hook ups just to go to the parties of the century. All I need is the latest video game, that takes me on a magical journey to Pandora, or Sera where they have the coolest guns, the wickedest vehicles and the craziest people. Who needs a rave, when you have party meet ups online?
And why do I need to go outside and meet people in order to have fun? I meet the strangest, quirkiest, most fun and interesting people in movies. And the best part? When they get annoying, I turn them off. When they get too clingy, I go to the fridge. When they whine a little too much? There is always another show that can entertain me.
I don’t have F.O.M.O., I have F.O.M.I. The fear of missing the inside. And guess what? I wrote this post all in the safety of the indoors. Not on a beach somewhere. Not looking at the Eifull of itself tower. Not near the leaning tower of Pizza. I’d rather eat the stuffed crust of pizza. While inside.
ARRRRGGGGHHHHH
Bitter F.O.M.I. Ben
Ben's Bitter Blog 
I used to suffer from FOMI now I just don’t care
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That is one way to combat FOMI.
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I’m with you, Ben. On Saturdays, I make a list of all the things I have to get done out of the house, map out my route and drive myself to exhaustion, just so I can stay home all day on Sunday. When I have to be out both days of the weekend, it takes me a week to recover.
The worst thing about being outside is dealing with cashiers and salespeople asking, “How are you today?” One of these days, I’m really going to tell them.
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Actually the worst thing with salespeople is when they ask, “Is there something I can help you with?”. Either there isn’t and I just want to look, or I need some help and they disappear or don’t know or don’t have the product.
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We must shop at the same stores ☺
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I don’t really shop at them, I just look. I’m guessing that is why they keep trying to get me to buy stuff.
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I have never been a FOMO but am not quite a FOMI. Maybe I am a FOMO-excluding-the-humans. I love to go outside and travel but not with people, just by myself. Also, loved the little gif highlighting that some people never sit still – brilliant! You know, if being a FOMI makes you happy, then so be it 🙂 Some people like to exist in the indoors.
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I’ve always been a fan of not being outdoors. Maybe I get a little cabin fever every once in a while and stuff, but being indoors is my thing.
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Glad I didn’t miss out (GIDMO?) on this one …
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You didn’t miss much, trust me.
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😀
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Inside is safe. Outside is scary. There are people outside who might want to talk to you if you go outside. The mail man said hello to me yesterday and I almost hyperventilated.
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I can’t imagine how scary it would be to meet the mailman. Why do they insist on talking to you when you just want to get your junk mail and throw it away.
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Exactly! And what’s with bringing me bills? I don’t want those either!
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I know. You’d hope for once they would bring you lottery winnings or something.
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My outer introvert is always fighting with my inner extrovert. Its exhausting.
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That sounds like a battle for my Bitter rivals of the week. Actually, I may have done it once, but that sounds like a bitter winner. Any suggestions for that may be featured on the site.
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I’m a sole introvert in a house of extroverts. Can you imagine???
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I can’t. How the heck do you deal with all that?
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I drink a lot of wine. A lot.
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I hear that helps many people.
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Ha! Sounds like my husband has FOMI too!
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Yeah, maybe that is why he is so bitter that you make him go outside so much. Give the poor man a break!
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Oh , he rarely goes outside!
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Which is why he is so bitter that you drag him to those concert thingys.
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Oh no, those he likes…well that is until he actually has to go. Then he says he just wants to stay home!
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Maybe you need to arrange for those to be at home, so he doesn’t need to leave for them.
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Hi! Can you recommend some Parisian movies because I am a wanderlust, and Netflix is my substitute.
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I think the Bourne movie’s eventually get there. And probably some James Bonds. I don’t really watch the cultured ones. Oh and probably the Mission Impossibles go there too. Any of those action movies that movie across Europe are a good one to find Paris in.
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lol Thanks, I’ve watched all of the above, I was looking for the cultured ones.
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Uggh, cultured ones? Why would you want to get culture? That just makes you refined and want to like, learn stuff.
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Lol!!!
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Keep it simple. The Griswalds will take you across Europe in one movie. See London (look kids Parliament, Big Ben), experience a real German Octoberfest, shop and buy outrageous looking clothes in Paris. An underrated movie experience.
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That’s the right stuff. Exactly. That’s the Europe we all need to see.
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I was quite the sufferer of FOMO when I was in Jr. High and High Schoo, and through much of college. But that’s mostly because I had such a fascinating and active bunch of friends I suppose, because as I grew in college and away from that group, my desire to get out leveled to a more manageable level. 😉
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So you are finally realizing how great FOMI is? I learned it from the very beginning.
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FOMI is great. FOMO is exhausting. While I do like to travel, I want to do it minus other people. Basically, I am Legend is an ideal scenario. Minus crazy zombie things. You get the picture!
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Yeah, the I am Legend thing would be ideal. Too bad zombies didn’t get the memo that we just wanted to be left alone.
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Right. They were annoying. Having to fend them off would be exhausting.
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I would just try to become one of them, so I didn’t have to fight them. Plus, being a zombie would be a perfect excuse to be lazy.
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