There is a blurred distinction between loneliness and solitude. Loneliness can be a terrible thing, but solitude is what we're on the earth for. Ultimately, we are born alone and we are alone in our inner consciences in our life and we need to be comfortable with that. The craving for stimulation and the flight from solitude is an escape from what should be a healthy, adjusted life.

Loneliness is conquered only by those who understand the benefits of solitude, the most important of which is quiet reflection. The examined life, the active soul: these alone are of lasting importance in a world of transience and triviality.