The amount of people dwelling alone in the U.S. is on a rise—it has increased from about 5 percent in 1920s to 27 percent in 2013 and without a doubt it will continue to grow. Yet being alone continues to be stigmatized, even though the numbers show an increase in single dwellers. With technology it seems that we can be alone while still being social. By connecting us with our friends, video chatting, texting and calling often blur the fact that we really are alone. While that seems to be acceptable, activities such as eating at a restaurant, traveling or sitting alone are undesirable and odd.
People often confuse loneliness with being alone, but the truth is that loneliness is sadness that comes from not having any company—an emotional state, while being alone is simply not having any company which does not automatically label someone as sad.
Loneliness is the need to fill a void that cries out for someone to make you feel content and secure. Doing something alone just means that you enjoy the peace that comes along with solitude.
So why is being alone okay?
- With no one to tell you what to do, being alone allows you to make choices without having to follow someone else’s agenda. You can think freely and make your own schedule. No longer having to follow someone else’s expectations, you can just bask in being 100% yourself.
- When you’re alone, you learn about yourself. By freeing yourself from the annoyances that others might bestow upon you (such as a negative attitude or bad habits), you discover the things that you do not look for in a person or relationship. Time alone gives perspective.
- Alone time is a detox to the constant interactions we have throughout the day—with coworkers, friends and family. You can clear your head and recharge.
Being alone is not a burden that weighs you down but rather is something that allows you to grow. It is something to embrace in a world where every action and moment are documented. Being alone is a natural state of existing that should not be stigmatized. So what if you are eating alone at a restaurant or shopping alone at the mall? It does not make you an lonely loser, it just shows that you are someone who enjoys the company of oneself—blissful and liberating, as well as free of drama and trouble.
