The Importance of Learning How to be Alone

Being alone is not something that comes naturally to us. Right from the start we’re next to our parents or guardians on a nearly constant basis, only to be thrown into schools with continuous exposure to our peers and professors. When school ends it’s usually time to work, often again, you guessed it, surrounded by our peers. Our working lives tend to lead us into retirement age, and along the way many of us get married and have children, with barely so much as a few moments to ourselves in the process. It’s no wonder, then, that many of us simply don’t know how to be alone.

There is a distinction to be made here, as there’s a considerable difference between being alone, and being lonely, although often times they’re considered one and the same. Loneliness afflicts many, and while it can certainly stem from being alone, another common manifestation of loneliness is the inability to connect to those around us, leading to such expressions as “alone in a crowd.” Being alone doesn’t necessarily have to be a lonely experience. Being comfortable while alone is an indication of being comfortable with and knowing yourself, and knowing yourself will serve as the basis for every single relationship in your life. Lao Tzu put it best: “He who knows others is wise; he who knows himself is enlightened.”

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