Personality Tendencies - Schizoid Personality Disorder and alike.

It takes a great deal of self-awareness to notice this feeling and to rule out the common explanations like depression, anxiety, or social media overuse.

The fact that you feel no connection, yet don't have a lack of empathy or negative expectations, is a crucial clue. It suggests the issue isn't about negativity or misanthropy, but perhaps something deeper about your neurobiology, personality structure, or life experiences.

Here are several potential reasons, grounded in psychology and neuroscience, that could explain this feeling:

1. Neurodivergence (Specifically Autism Spectrum)

This is one of the most common reasons for a persistent feeling of disconnection, despite having empathy. Many autistic individuals report feeling like "anthropologists on Mars"—they can observe and understand human emotions (cognitive empathy) but don't naturally share the intuitive, emotional rhythm of social interaction.

• What it might look like: You might find social interactions to be a conscious, analytical process rather than an intuitive, flowing one. You may miss unspoken cues, find small talk confusing or exhausting, and feel most connected when sharing information about a special interest rather than through emotional exchange. The feeling of disconnection isn't from a place of dislike, but from a fundamental difference in how your brain is wired for social connection.

2. Schizoid Personality Tendencies

This is not about schizophrenia. Schizoid Personality Disorder (SzPD) is a personality pattern characterized by a long-standing detachment from social relationships and a restricted range of emotional expression.

• What it might look like: A genuine preference for being alone, with little desire for close relationships, including with family. You might be self-sufficient, introspective, and not driven by a need for social validation. Importantly, people with schizoid tendencies often do not lack empathy; they can understand emotions, but they simply don't feel a strong pull to engage with others emotionally. Your statement "I don't have expectations of humans" aligns very closely with this.

3. Alexithymia

This is a personality trait, not a disorder, characterized by a difficulty in identifying and describing one's own emotions. If you can't easily access your own emotional state, it becomes very hard to feel an emotional "bridge" or connection to others.

• What it might look like: You might feel emotionally "neutral" or "blank" most of the time. When others are emotional, you understand it intellectually, but you don't have a corresponding emotional response within yourself to mirror them. This can create a profound sense of isolation, as if you're watching life from behind a glass wall.

4. Deep-Seated Attachment Style (Dismissive-Avoidant)

Our early childhood relationships with caregivers create a "blueprint" for how we connect as adults. A dismissive-avoidant attachment style develops when caregivers were consistently unresponsive or rejecting.

• What it might look like: You are highly independent and self-reliant. You learned from a young age that you cannot depend on others to meet your emotional needs, so you shut down that part of yourself. You don't have negative expectations (like an anxious person would), but rather, you have no expectations because you've deactivated your attachment system entirely. Connection feels unnecessary or even intrusive.

5. A Philosophical or Existential Perspective

Sometimes, this feeling isn't pathological at all, but a result of a particular way of viewing the world.

• What it might look like: You may have come to the conclusion, through introspection or study, that all individuals are fundamentally separate consciousnesses. You see social rituals as superficial and crave a connection that feels truly "real," which you find elusive. This can lead to a feeling of detachment, not from a place of dysfunction, but from a place of seeking a deeper, more authentic truth that you feel is missing from conventional interactions.

How to Explore This Further

Since this is causing you concern, understanding the "why" can be very helpful.

1. Self-Reflection: Which of the descriptions above resonated most with you? Try to pinpoint when you first noticed this feeling. Was it always there?

2. Consider a Professional Evaluation: A clinical psychologist or psychiatrist can provide a safe, non-judgmental space to explore this. They can help you differentiate between personality structure, neurodivergence, and other factors. This isn't about "fixing" you, but about understanding yourself.

3. Focus on What Does Create a Sense of Meaning: Even if you don't feel connected to people, what do you feel connected to? Ideas? Nature? Art? Animals? Intellectual pursuits? Leaning into these areas can provide a sense of purpose and fulfillment.

4. Explore Connection on Your Own Terms: Perhaps you can find connection in low-demand, interest-based groups (e.g., a hiking club, a book club, a coding forum) where the interaction is structured around a shared activity rather than forced emotional intimacy.

In summary: Your experience is valid and not as uncommon as you might think. The key is that the absence of depression, anxiety, and malice points away from a mood disorder and toward something more fundamental about your innate personality or neurotype. Understanding this can be the first step toward self-acceptance and building a life that feels meaningful for you, even if it looks different from the social lives of others.