Althouse: "A few years ago, I had the rather rudimentary realization that my aversion to being cold was causing me to shrink my life to fit within the walls of my apartment during winter."

October 25, 2026

"A few years ago, I had the rather rudimentary realization that my aversion to being cold was causing me to shrink my life to fit within the walls of my apartment during winter."

"I’d decline invitations, measuring the worthiness of an activity by its proximity to a thermostat. When I realized being cold is not an emergency — it’s just discomfort, and discomfort can be tolerated — I got a better winter coat and stopped dreading February so much.

I'm reading "Outside Chance/We’ve plunged fully into fall, complete with cozy scarves and puffy vests. Why not venture into the woods?" — by Melissa Kirsch, who draws a distinction between being "outdoorsy" and "outsidey."

13 comments:

Shouting Thomas said...: The author is 52. She’s in the early stages of old age. That’s probably the explanation. It will only get more severe, this negative response to cold, as she gets older. It’s called “aging.” By the time I was 60, I was wearing tights under my blue jeans and sweatpants to bed.; 10/25/26, 6:19 AM
rcommal said...: https://www.electiondataguy.com/
Some women, as part of the perimenopause, menopause, and post menopause, do get more sensitive to temperature--the body just doesn't regulate temperature the way it used to, for some people. This precedes the aging issue, which will likely exacerbate the issue. I used to be pretty impervious to cold, even by youthful standards, but that started changing as I approached 50, and it certainly has accelerated in my 60s (I'm moving toward 66 now).

I personally couldn't sleep in tights--can't stand being constrained like that while sleeping (even socks bother me, for the most part, in terms of nighttime use). So I'm a bit envious, Shouting Thomas. Luckily, I prefer sleeping on the cooler side, so it's just a matter of fine-tuning bedding.; 10/25/26, 6:48 AM
rcommal said...: Sorry, I don't know how on earth that link got there! Nothing to do with this post, thread, or my comment. Earlier, I was trying to open a link from another commenter on another thread (unsuccessfully). How it got picked up here I truly have no earthly idea.

Please ignore!; 10/25/26, 6:51 AM
Curious George said...: "By the time I was 60, I was wearing tights under my blue jeans and sweatpants to bed."

Tights? You're not old, you're a dandy. Get Carhartt flannel lined jeans. More manly.; 10/25/26, 7:16 AM
Eric the Fruit Bat said...: For way too long I hated just standing there waiting in the freezing cold until I said fuck it and got an N-3B and realized how much I'd been an asshole.; 10/25/26, 7:37 AM
JAORE said...: My wife has always been cold natured. Age has certainly NOT helped that. And her arthritis is worsened in cold weather. We have electric throws, hand warmers, heated vests and jackets charged and ready. And we ALWAYS keep a sweater in our vehicles for an added layer for her.
A friend once dubbed me a woolly lizard because I could tolerate both heat and cold extremely well. At 74 I find cold a bit more of a burden. But only a bit. I know how lucky I am.
Heated seats and dual zone temperature settings in a car are a blessing.; 10/25/26, 9:47 AM
john mosby said...: Fall is a Ball on WBCN! CC, JSM; 10/25/26, 10:22 AM
Howard said...: Swam a half mile in a 56°F Center Mass Pond this morning in a 3/2 tri suit. Could have done a full mile, but didn't feel like pushing it. 45°F in a thin wetsuit is about my lower limit. Hopefully will be able to do a Pond swim on Thanksgiving.

Age has nothing to do with it. I've got Friends older than me that swim into December without a wetsuit. It's about channeling the discomfort through the parasympathetic nervous system rather than the sympathetic nervous system. IOW, take a chill pill and maintain an even strain. It's all in your head.; 10/25/26, 11:33 AM
Aggie said...: The converse happens in Texas, in summer. We have pretty amiable weather, temperature-wise, for about 9 months out of the year. But Jul-Aug-Sep, you just want to hibernate in the A/C. But the big difference is, you can get out in the morning and get your rat killing done while the temperatures are workable, 70s and 80s, and then retire home for siesta in the heat of the day. I've done it both ways, for years, and actually really enjoy both climate types. Heat is easier.

Living in the equatorial tropics is dull dull dull, if you've grown up with something more extreme. No seasons except for dry and rainy. It's overcast and cloudy for most of the dry season, sunny for the rainy season. And there are no majestic sunsets. It's twilight and then dark, in about 10 minutes.; 10/25/26, 12:20 PM
Josephbleau said...: “ by Melissa Kirsch, who draws a distinction between being "outdoorsy" and "outsidey."”

Well dammit, there goes my proposed PhD Thesis concept for English Lit. Thanks man.; 10/25/26, 2:08 PM
Craig Howard said...: I live near Buffalo. I was once one of those guys who wear shorts in February. Now (50 years later), I’m always freezing. I work with two younger guys who don’t notice the cold — but they do notice heat. We’ve been through the office thermostat wars and it’s been ugly.

We finally reached an uncomfortable truce at 65°. I just wear my winter coat and turn up the thermostat when they leave.; 10/25/26, 5:43 PM
wildswan said...: I wear a light-weight spring coat in summer; light winter coat in fall; heavy parka in winter. Don't check thermometers, just put it on. You can always take it off but I rarely need to. I sympathize with Miss Indoorsey, I who camped as child but now? Still, honestly, just look at your surroundings, see what's being worn and advance the seasonal gear by one notch. You'll never understand why God put you in a cold climate but you can go out into the cold without fear and trembling and a sickness of reluctance unto turning around and going back in.; 10/25/26, 11:57 PM
Michael McNeil said...: I'm from Great Falls, Montana, where just about every winter it gets down to around -40°F and even below, sometimes for days at a time. (The record for the state is -70°, not all that far from Great Falls.) I have absolutely no qualms about wearing longjohns whenever (fall, winter, spring) it gets even just chilly—even now when I live in far northern Calif., where the lower limit I've seen is perhaps +15°.

On the other hand, I learned that perceived cold is merely a sensation, quite tolerable especially if one is properly dressed for the weather.; 10/26/26, 4:09 AM