Why Some People Prefer to be Alone According to Science
Staying alone is depressing and boring! This is one of the most common statements I have heard in social groups.
That one friend of yours who always comes up with excuses when you all decide to go to a party is probably doing so to get some time for himself/herself. But why? Why on earth does anyone want that?
For that, let us dive deep into the psyche of these hippies.
They Are Smarter Than You
This is not what I am saying. According to a paper published in the British Journal of Psychology, Norman Li and Satoshi Kanazawa explain why highly intelligent people experience lower life satisfaction when they socialise more frequently with their friends.
They do so mainly because it is difficult for them to find people who can resonate with their higher level of intelligence.
The conversations surrounding Kardashian sisters or some gossip about the classmate isn’t quite intellectual or interesting for them.
The second study related to this is backed by The “Savanna Theory of Happiness”.
We are all social animals, and we have evolved from different tribes. Humans’ survival was very well dependent on how social and amiable we were among them. But gradually, our societies evolved, and we are no more dependent directly related to these factors.
This study states that those loners evolved better than the majority of people out there. With changing times, they do not see the need to be close together anymore and to seek happiness, they require their own company. You can find more about these studies here.
Most entrepreneurs or scientists, therefore consider themselves as loners.
But don’t worry if you aren’t one. These studies don’t imply that all the people who live in groups are stupid or all the loners are intelligent. But they provide an interesting outlook towards these peoples’ psyche.
They Are Rewarded Differently
According to Colin DeYoung, a psychology professor at the University of Minnesota, loners don’t like too much stimulation. They get easily overwhelmed, and a good escape for them can be some espresso with a good novel.
The last time you didn’t quite get why don’t they come out as often can be explained through this observation. They just don’t interpret the same experience in a way as most people out there do.
They like to chill alone in their own world with a minimal amount of friends or sometimes without them, as well. For them, their solo trip on mountains is more soothing than with a group. Their dopamine receptors (Reward Zone) don’t require too much of stimulation. They can get happy with or through little things. They might get easily overwhelmed in over-stimulating environments.
They Need Help!
Even if it seems like they want to be alone, there may be some deep-rooted issues which they need help with.
To figure that out, see if they tend to look happy alone or they seem moodier. See if they always were like this, or are they acting like this recently. Something bad might have happened to them that they may not feel like sharing because of a lack of courage or trust.
In that case, what any person requires is a friend; someone who wants to listen to them and won’t laugh or judge them. So if you can be that person, then that would be great.
We all need little acts of kindness from time to time. So don’t let your prejudiced thoughts come in the way.
And if it is you, who considers himself/herself a loner and needs help, then you too are supposed to give some signal to the world or people around you. You need to tell them that you aren’t a loner by choice, but because of lack of options.
Don’t restrict yourself if you can’t resonate with anyone in your school or your workplace. Internet is a great place to begin with. Join communities or forums because there are tons of them.
If you are someone who has a hard time spending time alone, then psychiatrists encourage spending some time of your day alone. It possesses its own set of advantages, and you get to experience your inmost desires that you rarely observe.
