> I’m not trying to be mean, but there is a chance this guy has some deep anxiety and self-esteem issues which means he doesn’t even think to look outside of his comfort zone.

As a person with some anxiety and (what I have diagnosed in myself as underlying) self-esteem issues, this is something that I have been thinking about.

People around me tend to think that "oh, throwawayhermit is just a bit of hermit and likes to be on their own", which is partially true and my introvertedness needs time on its own. But on the other hand, a big part of my closing off from others is anxiety and self-esteem issues, which I presume are not that easy to spot at first when a person "seems confident and well off".

So, that has got me thinking, how many of the people closing themselves off from others are doing it because they are happy that way and how many are hiding from issues/fears (regardless whether they realize it themselves or not)?

> Routine is a way of not stressing yourself out with newness and the possibility you might not cope, and fail.

I feel that there is a place for routines. They can give you space to focus on something that actually matters, teach you mental discipline and give you some kind inner peace from not constantly searching for new and shiny things.

There's no evidence of anxiety or self-esteem issues in the article at all though, so what are you basing this on? It specifically says he's happy, which people with those problems generally aren't. As an extremely cynical person, I have to say I think you're being way too cynical.

If he is happy and content, why would he want to leave his comfort zone? Why does that denote some mental flaw? You could just as easily say that those who feel the need to challenge themselves outside of their comfort zone suffer from some deep-seeded inadequacy that they are trying to fulfill.