Why Some People Love Solitude — Scientists' Answer
A study revealed that the love of solitude depends not on introversion but on dispositional autonomy — the ability to make decisions and live by one's own values. People with high autonomy better understand their emotions and depend less on others' opinions. For highly sensitive individuals, solitude helps them recover from overload. The authors distinguish between loneliness and voluntary solitude.
New research, reported by Upworthy, shows that the love of solitude is linked not to introversion but to so-called dispositional autonomy — a person's ability to make decisions independently and live according to their own values rather than others' expectations. The study included two separate surveys among university students, and the results did not confirm the common belief that introverts are more likely to seek solitude. People with high autonomy tend to understand their own emotions better, depend less on others' opinions, and more often follow personal convictions. Special attention is given to highly sensitive individuals: solitude helps them recover from emotional and sensory overload, as they react more strongly to noise, bright light, and large amounts of information. The authors emphasize the difference between loneliness, which can negatively affect psychological state, and voluntary solitude, which helps reduce stress and better understand oneself. The article does not provide specific study data, such as sample size or methodology.