Like Cicero, I am never less alone than when alone. Like Thoreau, I have never found a companion more companionable than solitude. A simple hut, a few good books, a Jeep to tinker with, a wooden boat to build - and plenty of pure, sweet solitude. It's not that I dislike people. But people can also be a pain.
People mean demands, obligations, expectations.
This is bad for society and bad for our health, experts warn. True, loneliness can be deadly. I spent eight days camping in the Maine woods. It was cleansing therapy, for both body and mind. My purpose was to clear some land, and to clear my head.