Where Explorers rank in our loneliness survey
The two ways loneliness tends to sneak up on Explorer personalities
The short window where good company turns into friendship – and how not to miss it
A first move you could make today to feel less alone
In our “Loneliness” survey, Explorers stood out on one question in particular: more than any other personality Role, they said loneliness hits hardest when they’re missing friends rather than significant others – 59%.
For Explorers, friendship is where life happens – the road trip, the pickup game, the project in the garage, the group that always ends up at the same table.
Today, we’re looking at what loneliness really looks like for Explorer personality types – and what you can do right now if you want to feel less alone.
Explorers share the Observant and Prospecting personality traits. They tend to be spontaneous, hands-on, adaptable, and firmly rooted in the present moment.
As an Explorer, you probably connect with people by doing things together. Some of your best conversations may happen side by side – on the trail, over an engine, or during a game – rather than sitting across from each other with the sole purpose of talking. That kind of easy companionship is a true form of closeness. Not everyone can comfortably spend hours and hours with someone without forcing the conversation.
The difficulty is that these friendships can become closely tied to the activity or setting that brought you together. Sometimes everyone stays so focused on what you are doing that there is little room for the relationship to deepen. Other times, life removes the shared context altogether – a schedule changes, an injury gets in the way, or the group gradually scatters – and the friendship begins to fade along with it.
Psst…Wondering where to meet new people? Our article “Intentional Dating for Explorer Personalities” offers even more practical ideas for making new connections. Although it focuses on dating, the suggestions can also help you meet potential friends.
According to our “Loneliness” survey of more than 29,000 respondents, 58% of Explorers say they feel lonely often or very often. That is the second-highest percentage of all four Roles, behind only Diplomats, and perhaps higher than you would expect from a Role known for being social and spontaneous. Only 51% say they feel in control of their loneliness.
For Explorers, that loneliness often takes one of two forms. Sometimes the people are there, but the closeness is not. Your calendar may be full of activity partners – people who are great company during a game, trip, or night out but who rarely become the people you confide in.
Other times, the shared activity disappears. A schedule changes, an injury gets in the way, or the season shifts. Without the setting that brought everyone together, the friendships may fade too, leaving you unsure where new connections are supposed to come from.
That can make the loneliness difficult to recognize. Your life may look active and social, even to you. But a busy weekend is not the same as a close friendship, and having plenty of one does not guarantee the other.
Want to keep reading? The rest of this article breaks things down by personality type – what you truly crave when loneliness hits, whether you’re an ISTP, ISFP, ESTP, or ESFP. It also covers how to find your people, the Explorer way.
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