[prettycoolguy]

I'm here to try to better understand one aspect of my personality, a kind of need to thoroughly explore and experience every possibility, which translates itself into the following ways for example:

- When I read a book I'm really interested in, I tend to read every line of it, including not very relevant pages such as Acknowledgments.

- I try to travel as much as possible, because I feel an urge to have seen as much of the World as possible.

- I can hardly spend more than a year or two with the same partner, even when things go well, because I have to experience more interactions with as many people as possible.

You could describe all that as a kind of intense version of fomo (fear of missing out).

Typically, when I experience a funny moment, I enjoy it, but I'm also thinking "Wow, imagine how many such magical things happen every day and I'm missing them".

Other than that, I consider myself quite balanced, at least probably above average, not particularly depressed, I never felt the need to consult a professional, etc.

It's just that this urge to thoroughly go through every country, life experience, relationships, etc causes some challenges such as realizing I'll never be able to explore or experience it all and I may keep quitting jobs and partners, etc.

There's not much suffering caused by that, but I'd certainly be more relaxed if I understood where that comes from and partly free myself from it.

Thanks for your thoughts.

[Skeezyks]

Hello prettycoolguy: I don't know as I have much to offer you with regard to your need to thoroughly explore and experience every possibility. But I noticed this is your first post here on PC. So... welcome to Psych Central.

I certainly commend you for wanting to try to understand where your desire to explore & experience everything comes from. I know in my own life I've often wished I could somehow understand where some things came from. But, over time, I've had to simply accept that I'll just never know. It all just is what it is... or was what it was as the case may be. Hopefully your quest will be more fruitful though & coming here to PC will be a step toward that goal.