What's the difference between being lonely and a loner? (article)

from subhead: ...not everyone who is alone is sad about it, so what is the difference between being lonely and being a loner?

snip from article: Loneliness is not about being physically alone, it's about a person's individual experience of isolation and how they evaluate it, says the MHF. A loner gets pleasure and satisfaction from solitude, a lonely person doesn't.

While human beings are sociable animals by nature, personalities vary and at the opposite ends of the spectrum are extroverts and introverts.

"For an extrovert it is all about seeking stimulation from other people but an introvert's replenishment comes from solitude," says psychologist Ros Taylor.

"A loner can be perfectly content with their own company, while being alone will make another person utterly miserable."

snip

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/8703173.stm


Cher