So I think I should clarify something that appears to have been causing some confusion. I write a lot about solitude; its powers of regeneration and refreshment, and the value of being alone. I am one of the foremost proponents of quiet, introspective time spent away from the noise and grime of everyday crowded life. Being alone, however, is a very different thing than being lonely. Going for a walk in the woods or curling up next to a fireplace with a good book are not the same as locking oneself in one's room and sulking or drinking the night's depression away. Alone-ness is blissful. Loneliness sucks.