Aquarians enjoy their alone time to a fault.

It's no secret that Aquarians value their independence, but that isn't due to any misanthropic tendencies. It's simply in their nature to take the road less traveled, which is what makes them one of the real innovators of the Zodiac. As often as you might find them shunning the world to tinker by their lonesome, trust that they crave social interactions just as intensely — though maybe not as often. Aquarians actually love teamwork and collaboration, but they choose their allies slowly and carefully. Aquarians only care for surface-level interactions.

Getting close to a Water Bearer can feel impossible — to put it lightly, they are not huge fans of intimacy. It's true that Aquarians like to know a little bit about a lot of people, but that doesn't mean they can't get deep. It might be hard-won, but once your Aquarian friend finally opens up, it'll be even harder to get them to close back up. Those powers of communication that are so often used for casual mingling can be applied to in-depth discussions just as readily. As we said before, Aquarians just like to take their time. Aquarians will let the current take them anywhere.

As much as they try to go with the flow, sometimes Aquarians can get tripped up by their own open-mindedness. They don't like to exert too much control (especially over a group), but that doesn't mean they don't care about the future. In fact, Water Bearers suffer when they try to appear laid-back and allow their inner-most concerns to simmer just below the surface. That's why they're a very thoughtful (and careful) sign: They take their time making decisions in order to protect themselves from all that angst. So, when you see an Aquarian taking a backseat to whatever project that's before them, it means they've already thought out every possible outcome — and have decided they're okay with any of them. Aquarians love to ride their high horse.

Idealism is strong among members of this sign. Their opinions usually run deep, and if you get them going, they can start to sound a little preachy — okay, maybe a lot preachy. What may come off as a holier-than-thou comment is actually how they show their passion. More often than not, they're probably just trying to get you as excited as they are (and not trying to force you to see things their way). When Aquarians snap into humanitarian mode, they're anything but closed off. Their sermonizing will soon give way to a real conversation, in which they'll listen as much as they'll talk. And honestly, that's what they were probably aiming for in the first place.