The Unexpected Freedom Of Being Alone

Woe is the person who is all alone. Aloneness is viewed as anti-social or pitiful.

Why isn't anyone texting me? Am I forgotten? Doesn't anyone care?

Society lives in constant fear of being alone. People busy themselves with meaningless distractions, seeking external validation for their right to be valued and loved. The number of likes, comments, shares on social media, or emails received becomes the superficial metric of a person's value.

This outward focus means your inner world is neglected. Your needs, feelings, beliefs and desires are overshadowed by the opinions of others.

Being alone gives you freedom from social pressures and space for introspection. When alone, you put aside the vices that distract you from listening to yourself. You begin to listen to your deepest needs, unacknowledged feelings and hidden desires. Being alone helps you to cultivate a deeper relationship with yourself. Most importantly, you learn to love yourself.

Many of us seek community solely to escape the fear of being alone. Knowing how to be solitary is central to the art of loving. When we can be alone, we can be with others without using them as a means of escape. Bell Hooks

Inspired by Bell Hooks' All About Love: New Visions