Solitude vs. Loneliness

Loneliness comes about when you are isolated from people. That’s a simple definition but it gets a bit more complicated. The first time you headed off to summer camp you probably didn’t know anybody and the first thing you experienced was a form of loneliness called homesickness. When you’re deprived of having social interaction with familiar figures and you’re forced to be around those aren’t comfortable with you start to become lonely.
Mark Twain’s statement: “The worst loneliness is not to be comfortable with one’s self,” puts a twist on loneliness that not many people like to admit. When you don’t like the person you’re with 24/7 (yourself), you begin to grow lonely. People will try to drown this sense out by constantly surrounding themselves with others or distracting their minds when they are alone. It can be downright frightening for them to be alone with no music, TV, or email and instant messaging. It’s important to be able to live with oneself. It’s important that a person be able to be alone for reasonable periods of time without being lonely. Personally, I enjoy moments of solitude when I can think and ponder, and I think that creativity is reduced when people cannot be by themselves.