“Solitude might have many different flavors for different people,” says Nguyen. Unlike loneliness, solitude doesn’t have to be negative or positive.Įxperiences of solitude often depend on the circumstances and can vary across cultures and demographics. A 2020 study of 172 undergraduate students found that increased feelings of anti-mattering were linked to higher levels of loneliness. Loneliness can be made worse by feelings of “anti-mattering,” defined as when you feel invisible or insignificant to other people. Importantly, you can experience loneliness even when you’re not alone.Ī 2019 study revealed that even though young adults had a larger social network than late middle-aged adults, they reported feeling lonely and isolated for twice as many days.Ī 2020 study of adolescents in Holland also showed that loneliness is often linked to self-esteem and can be influenced by your perception of how much you mean to the people around you. Loneliness is a unique condition that happens when an individual sees themself as socially isolated.Īs Nguyen explains, feelings of loneliness occur when there’s a difference between a person’s expectation of what their social life should be like compared with the reality of what it’s really like. In contrast, loneliness is a subjective emotion that’s always negative. She defines solitude simply as the experience of being alone. Nguyen specializes in the study of solitude and social well-being. What’s the difference between loneliness and solitude?Īccording to Thuy-vy Nguyen, assistant professor of quantitative social psychology at the University of Durham, there’s a clear line between loneliness and solitude. If you find yourself resisting solitude, there are ways to learn to embrace it and reap the benefits of quality time alone. That said, she’s not worried about getting lonely.įor Neuschäfer, being alone means peace and satisfaction rather than negative thoughts and feelings. Now she’s preparing for a sailing race that will see her alone at sea for almost 300 days with very little contact with the outside world.
In her day job transporting boats, Neuschäfer routinely sails solo across the ocean, sometimes for more than 30 days at a time. Is there a difference between loneliness and solitude?Ībsolutely, says Kirsten Neuschäfer, a long-distance solo sailing expert. Share on Pinterest Illustration by Maya Chastain
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