Into the woods: how one man survived alone in the wilderness for 27 years

[Warpy]

10. Yes, and they're hermits in different ways for different reasons

there was a post Vietnam rise in hermits living out in the woods, we called them "trip wire vets" for the trip wires they'd set up, not to cause harm but to make noise and alert them to unwanted company so they could hide.

In Japan, there isn't that much wilderness left so hermits tend to be urban. They quit their jobs and just stop talking to friends and family, not answering knocks at the door and even taking it to the extreme of starving to death rather than shopping for food. The term is "hikikomori" and there are a lot of articles and videos about them. Outreach usually doesn't work, the last thing they want is company.

It's not paranoia that stops people from contacting others for help or for food or whatever, it's getting to the point where dealing with other people becomes exquisitely painful. I can relate to that, but it's an intermittent thing for me. Sometimes I can stand company and sometimes I can't.