As George Washington, the first president of the United States, once said, " It is better to be alone than in bad company ." He of all people would know. He was constantly surrounded by them, from his days as general of the Continental Army during the American Revolution to his tenure as the nation's first commander in chief. Washington was touted as being a great judge of character. You can only imagine the tough personalities he had to deal with in public life. Though he was unanimously elected to two terms as president of the fledgling nation, he had no shortage of critics who were quick to pounce on policies  -- like the infamous Jay Treaty -- that they vehemently objected to. Washington had days where he probably felt the urge to tell his detractors to go fly a kite. Indeed, as the quote above suggests, he preferred his own company to that of certain people. For whatever reason, many people have been led to believe that enjoying their own company -- being a...

There's a saying that says, "It's better to be alone than in bad company," and I agree wholeheartedly. How many times have you gone out with a group of people, only to feel completely isolated from everyone else? It could be that you don't know anyone that well, or simply don't share the same interests. I tend to feel as such when I'm: The only non-drinker in the group The only person who doesn't have kids The only person within my age group The only male in the group Unfortunately, people tend to act differently when they're around certain people, and I have documented this in earlier posts. For example, let's say there's a person in the group whom you'd genuinely like to meet. You notice that he is all by his lonesome, staring off into space, and you decide to chat him up. All goes well, and you've found yourself a new friend. Now, imagine that instead of being all alone, he had been carousing and cavorting with h...