It's amazing how much difference a single word can make. Is it solitude, or is it loneliness? One word suggests peace, tranquility, relaxation, and an unquestionably positive state of being, while the other has far more negative connotations. Yet both describe the exact same physical situation. So which is it?

I would argue that being alone is more often solitude than anything else. No one wants constant companionship while they are eating, working, or even going to the bathroom. Now that may sound extreme, but never allowing a person to be alone – even for a trip to the toilet – is a common tactic used by cults to manipulate and control their members. In fact, the recruitment rhetoric from many cults warning of the dangers of "modern day loneliness", directly echo the fearmongering I see in the rash of "the rise of lonely men" articles in the media. In both cases, I question the motives behind such a deliberate – and incorrect – perception of someone else's feelings.

In the end, my advice to everyone is to enjoy your solitude. Relax in a peaceful and stress-free environment whenever and wherever it is made available to you in our modern, crowded, and frantic urban rat-race. And don't let anyone manipulate you into a level of social interaction for which you aren't comfortable. Their reasons for doing so are never in your best interest.