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There's a difference between solitude and loneliness.

If loneliness is part of our essence, that is, our essential nature, that is only because of the way, in practical terms, we actually exist; that is, the way we move and work and live in the world.

Loneliness is proof that your innate search for connection is intact.

Loneliness expresses the pain of being alone and solitude expresses the glory of being alone.

Who knows what true loneliness is - not the conventional word but the naked terror? To the lonely themselves it wears a mask. The most miserable outcast hugs some memory or some illusion.

Our uniqueness makes us special, makes perception valuable - but it can also make us lonely. This loneliness is different from being 'alone': You can be lonely even surrounded by people. The feeling I'm talking about stems from the sense that we can never fully share the truth of who we are. I experienced this acutely at an early age.

The loneliness you get by the sea is personal and alive. It doesn't subdue you and make you feel abject. It's stimulating loneliness.

Even though loneliness affects so many of us, it has gotten scant research attention compared to related conditions like depression or anxiety.

Solitude is not the same as loneliness. Solitude is a solitary boat floating in a sea of possible companions.