Alone time

Speaking as practically the Platonic Ideal of the Introvert, I appreciated this tidbit: 25 famous women on being alone.

I most identify with this quote from Susan Cain:

“People sometimes seem surprised when I say this, because I’m a pretty friendly person. This is one of the greatest misconceptions about introversion. We are not anti-social; we’re differently social. I can’t live without my family and close friends, but I also crave solitude.”

On the other hand, as far as I’m concerned, this bit from Chelsea Handler is perhaps a bit over the top:

“It’s not just O.K. to be single for both men and women — it’s wonderful to be single, and society needs to embrace singlehood in all its splendiferous, solitary glory.”

Listen, there is no need to exalt solitude or singlehood. Speaking as a woman who’s always been single, it’s not glorious. It’s just another perfectly fine, perfectly acceptable way of living your life. It has some benefits and some costs, like every other way of living your life. I never fretted over not being married or not having children, but I would never suggest to anyone that it’s better to be single. Or non-single. Both are fine. Can we just appreciate the fact that modern society offers us so many options these days and not try to prove that whatever we’ve chosen is somehow superior?

Anyway, lots of thought-provoking full quotes at the link.

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