Solitude vs Lonleliness...whats the difference??

Solitude and Loneliness are the focus of my second blog.



I though as a starting point, for some basic background on the topics, I would see what Wikepedia has to say:



Solitude of a person means seclusion or isolation, i.e. lack of contact with other people. It may stem from deliberate choice, contagious disease, disfiguring features or repulsive personal habits, or circumstances of employment or situation.



Short-term solitude is often valued as a time when one may work, think or rest without being disturbed. It may be desired for privacy.



Loneliness is an emotional state in which a person experiences a powerful feeling of emptiness and isolation. Loneliness is more than just the feeling of wanting company or wanting to do something with another person. Loneliness is a feeling of being cut off, disconnected and alienated from other people. The lonely person may find it difficult or even impossible to have any form of meaningful human contact. Lonely people often experience a subjective sense of inner emptiness or hollowness, with feelings of separation or isolation from the world.


Solitude differs from that of loneliness. Where loneliness is a seperation from showing a lack of connectedness with others and a sense of deperation as one looks within their soul. Solitude can bring a warm sense of peace and serenity to your inner self. Solitude comes with self-confidence. It allows one to apply their faith and love in a higher being to appreciation of their own human qualities. The core of solitude is in the qualities of humility and compassion. Where lonliness is a seperation from others, solitude is an inner connection with God. Lonliness is never chosen where as solitude is a choice. An example can be seen in monks. They regard long-term solitude as a means of spiritual enlightenment.


A distinction can be made between physical and mental seclusion. People may seek physical seclusion to remove distractions and make it easier to concentrate, reflect, or meditate. However, it's not the end in itself and once a certain capacity to resist distractions is achieved, people become less sensitive to distractions and more capable of maintaining mindfulness and staying inwardly absorbed and concentrated. Such people, unless on a mission of helping others, don't seek any interaction with the external physical world. Their mindfulness is their world, at least ostensibly.


Symptoms from externally imposed isolation often include anxiety, sensory illusions, or even distortions of time and perception. Young humans tend to adapt better to isolation than older humans do.



It can be seen clearly from these extracts from Wikepedia that there is a considerable difference between solitude and lonliness, centering around how the indivdual appraises being alone or isolated.

Im sure we all have people in our lives who love to spend time alone and feel a great deal of solitude and others who hate to be alone and feel a great desire for more contact with others and for that contact to be more meaningful.