The Power of Lonely - Boston Globe article

A recent article in the Boston Globe, written by Leon Neyfakh, discusses the benefits of alone time.  The topic interests me because I've always liked spending time by myself either reading a book, watching a movie, or spending time outdoors.  But there seems to be this social stigma attached to being alone, that somehow it's not natural, and must be a result of some social disorder.  Certainly having a balance between being social and having alone time is ideal and likely varies for each person.  But it's great to see an article that recognizes the benefits of spending time away from social interaction from time to time. I can really relate to the author's discussion of the enjoyment one can have when seeing a movie alone rather than with others, where "Sitting there in the theater with nobody next to you, you’re not wondering what anyone else thinks of it; you’re not anticipating the discussion that you’ll be having about it on the way home. All your mental energy can be directed at what’s happening on the screen."  And that idea can be applied to anything we do alone.  When we are alone we are not wondering what others think, and can better focus on the world around us.  That can be kind of liberating.