As I've pointed out in other posts, being alone and being lonely are two completely different things. When people wish to be alone, they usually do so deliberately, whereas being lonely tends to be an undesirable consequence of a particular event, like breaking up with your boyfriend, moving to a new city, etc. People can desire to be alone for a host of reasons: To clear their heads To gather their thoughts To recharge after a long day at work To read or pursue other solitary tasks in a quiet environment They're not in the mood to be around people, especially after someone has done something to disappoint them And many more... Unfortunately, sometimes society makes people who crave alone time out to be weirdos. They're constantly given labels like "antisocial" and "stuck-up." Oftentimes, these descriptors have no basis in reality. Many people -- especially the highly extroverted, who thrive on social interaction -- fail to understand tha...

Many people use the words "alone" and "lonely" as if they mean the same thing, when in reality they don't. I wanted to address the key differences between both in what I hope will be a very illuminating post. The primary difference between these words is as follows: Being alone is done by choice, while loneliness is not sought by the individual. How many times have we said or heard someone say "I'd like to be alone." There are times when even the most extroverted among us seek solitude, whether it's to clear our heads, gather our thoughts following an unexpected breakup, or just relish some peace and quiet. On the other hand, feeling lonely is not something people typically aim for. Loneliness has a negative connotation to it because it reflects a yearning for someone else's company -- an unpleasant state we'd rather not be in. As I have mentioned in earlier entries, a person could actually feel lonelier in a group than by himse...

When someone says he likes being alone, do you immediately take that to mean he enjoys being lonely? If so, you're conflating two terms that don't mean the same thing. Let me give you an example. Many people say that they can feel lonely even when they're around people. I've experienced this myself quite a few times. For instance, I've gone to work functions where I'm the only person who doesn't seem to have a "buddy" with which to converse for a few hours. People break off into their little cliques, leaving me with little to do but surf the web on my phone. The same can happen while on an outing with a couple of friends. They might begin discussing something to which you can't relate -- say, duck hunting -- and, before you know it, you're left out in the cold. This often occurs when everyone but you has something in common. For example, I tend to feel lonely at work because I'm the youngest employee in my department. The most s...