Being Alone vs Being Lonely

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I think people who don't like their own company don't like themselves. At least, that's what I've always thought and felt sorry for those poor individuals.

I love my own company. I like myself. In fact, at the risk of sounding conceited, I love and prefer my own company. It's a two-fold thing. First of all, I don't enjoy the physical company of others and secondly, I REALLY enjoy my own company. I like to do the same things I like to do and I don't have to fit in with anyone else's plans.

The times I've been the most lonely in my life was nearly always when I was surrounded by lots of people.

I was feeling lonely this holiday weekend, though. I was wishing my mom would call me up and invite me to go out and do something fun, like maybe go shopping and out for supper with my grandmother for her birthday. Never happened.

Well, it was more of a stir-crazy cabin-fever boredom than loneliness. I find I have to get out and do stuff sometimes or I can't enjoy or focus on home activities, even if all it is, is short a trip to the store.
But the past few years it's been getting harder for me to go out by myself for some reason. Guess I'm too lazy.

I do want to do something, I just, as much as I hate to admit it, need help. I do feel guilty being a burden on my parents.

Same here. I've been evicted from somewhere (because I acquired a little kitten) and needed financial help from my brother-in-law (he also came in handy for the moving) but I hate having to rely on others. In a perfect world, ... in a perfect world, I'd be the only one in it. I've often fantasized about that!

Imagine having the WHOLE WORLD to yourself!

I'm not sure exactly how long it's been since I've experienced the feeling of loneliness or if I would even recognise it if it happened again?
I consider myself an extreme introvert overall, and there are times I need to retreat and be all by myself. In the past I've been known to head down to the basement for several hours at a time as an escape.
On the other hand, I do enjoy a planned outing to interact with a group of friends for a sporting event or evening of Karaoke like what took place last nite. I know there were times that I might have even resembled an extraverted NT after a few beers. Still, my cravings for social interaction are mostly few and far between and require preparation.
Today however, will be a mixed bag. I'm driving solo up to the mountains for a final summer "hoorah". I'll spend a few hours in a "crowd" setting doing some individual casino gaming, then I'll lock myself away in my hotel room for the rest of the nite and not re-emerge until checkout time.
I do believe though that should I happen to outlive the rest of my household, I could easily become a "recluse" in my later years as long as I had adequate income to maintain my surroundings.

I don't mind being alone for even a few hours a day, but I do suffer from loneliness, too, so couldn't be without someone to talk to ever so often. That's just me.

This is the biggest conundrum in my life.

If my mother and niece are out for a substantial amount of time, I end up doing one of the following: (a) bingeing on any junk that I can find in my kitchen cupboard (b) gazing blankly into space whilst thinking about absolute nothing at all, or (c) pacing frantically around the room awaiting their return.

What makes this vicious cycle of utter futility all the more worse is that I cannot recognise when it is that I am lonely. My mind is often completely blank, and this is despite my previous care-coordinator's convictions that my intellectual IQ is high.

I like being alone. The only time I get lonely when I find someone I like interacting with but can't interact with them. This is a very rare occasion. I feel bad about it because I know people care about me and want to spend time with me, but spending time with other people is not a priority for me. I don't have that desire.

For the most part I like being alone but I never really been alone. I was forced to live with my family till I moved in with my girlfriend a couple years ago. I love being with her but I don't feel the need to be around anyone else much.

No, I do not like being alone but I don't do much better with people either. I dunno, I'll probably just throw myself down a flight of stairs one day.

I was more like you in my teens.
Maybe the NT social/friends/love propaganda has brainwashed me.

I prefer to be alone. I find other people to be irritating distractions. Even when I'm in the presence of others I'm still alone because I effectively ignore them.

Lately i have not seen any friends on spare time, only hanging out with two guys from my school solving/talking about rubiks cubes. I do not feel lonely. I feel happy to be alone. The times when i feel most alone are when i am with my (old) friends who used to make me feel like i was not part of the group.

This and similar posts here (especially by ImAnAspie) pretty much sum up my feelings on the subject: people who don't enjoy their own company are usually right.

My eternal problem, one experienced by most solitaries, is that at those times when I'd like some company it's not easy to arrange because other people are too busy living their own lives.

It's worth noting that those who have busy social lives often complain that they would like more time to spend by themselves - but when they achieve this they feel ill at ease.

I love being alone. The times that I'm alone I'm able to feel relaxed, not alert, and like I can just enjoy myself. Unfortunately for me, still living at home, I'm rarely able to be alone. The time that I am alone though, is easily the most peaceful, enjoyable times I have.

As for getting 'lonely', this rarely happens to me, but would probably happen if I was excluded entirely from something (ie: not invited to something all of my friends were going to).

it doesnt matter whether im alone or lonely. my parents have already taken away all my communications to the outside world. so im already dead.