Research suggests some potential benefits to being a loner
I have the usual reasons for preferring solitude over socializing, but there's also a sort of meta-reason that causes me to want to socialize even less:<p>When I am asked about what I've been up to, and I'm honest in that I spend a lot of my time in a balance between intellectual pursuits and mundane chores, I am treated as if I am crazy or deficient.  People who don't require my level of solitude see it as a sign that I'm broken, and they never grasp that I prefer it because it helps me stay healthy and creative.<p>I recently took a two week vacation from work; I had been working non-stop for over a year and needed some time to not code or work on anything.  I drove out to Arches National Park, spent some time in nature, came back, and simply relaxed at home.  Read some books, played video games, etc.<p>According to everyone, I should have gone out to see the latest movies, taken a cruise, traveled to cities, experienced night life, seen family and friends, and filled all my days with "activities".  My life is supposed to be exciting, by their standard of what exciting is.<p>It's pretty insulting, especially because they don't even attempt to see it my way.  I perfectly understand why others don't want the kind of solitude that I desire, and I don't deride them of it.  To be a genuine person only to be met with implications that I'm not living my life correctly makes me think "Why am I bothering with this shit?"  So I socialize even less.<p>To me, socializing for the sake of it is rarely worth the time.  It's good practice for when you want to socialize with people who are worth your time, but the returns are pretty diminishing.  I don't need to continually explain to people why I'm not filling every moment of my life with "activities" and why I care about my craft(coding).  People who value socializing often talk about being a good listener, but they rarely do this themselves.<p>If people were more open in their attitudes, I'd be more likely to want to socialize with them.