Recently, someone told me they wished they were able to go off on their own. To travel somewhere alone, venture out into nature by themselves, and disappear for a while. To me, this has always felt natural. In fact, I can’t really imagine not doing it.
There is a difference between loneliness and solitude, and it’s one I’ve always been able to distinguish clearly. I don’t feel lonely when I’m alone; on the contrary, I feel more in tune with myself. And in that lies a kind of freedom that many people, over the years, have told me they wish they could experience as well.
Lately, I have been growing increasingly tired of people telling me that I shouldn’t spend so much time on my own. When people push me to stay busy or social when I feel called to retreat and reflect, I sometimes wonder whether they are responding more to their own unease with solitude than to any genuine concern for my well-being.
Unfortunately, a strong need for solitude doesn’t always sit well within friendships, and that’s a truth I’ve had to face many times throughout my life. This becomes especially visible when I am trying to make new friends or be accepted within groups.
Continue reading the essay here: In Defence of Solitude
