Can Being Alone Become Addictive?
What happens when you’re used to being by yourself for too long
“The greatest thing in the world is to know how to belong to oneself” — Michel de Montaigne.
Right now, as we speak, there’s at least one person living on every block of every street who is alone; either because they live alone, are single, or don’t have much close family, friends or acquaintances to spend time with. Notice how I’ve used the word alone and not lonely. What’s the difference, you may ask?
The main difference between the two words is that being alone indicates having accepted and adapted to the act of being alone, while being lonely signifies a feeling of not having accepted or been comfortable with that act.
The majority of people who tend to be alone eventually accept the situation they’re in. Is it a form of surrender or being defeated? No, not quite.
While being alone means that you spend most of the time with yourself, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you are lonely. You can be alone and still enjoy other people’s company, dabble in relationships, focus on what you’re passionate about, and build a life that you’re content with.
On the other hand, someone who is lonely may find that they are surrounded by people most of the time, are in…
