Loneliness vs Solitude

Two conditions that look the same but differ entirely

Loneliness
  • Unwanted isolation
  • Something that happens to you
  • Pain of being alone
  • Restlessness and discomfort
  • Seeking escape
  • Time feels endless
  • Mind generates worry
vs
Solitude
  • Chosen aloneness
  • Something you learn to do
  • Practice of being alone
  • Internal structure and calm
  • Embracing presence
  • Time becomes spacious
  • Mind settles and integrates

"The person alone in a room is alone in a room, whether lonely or practicing genuine solitude. But the inner orientation differs entirely."