It’s come to my attention that there is an ignored and under-appreciated art form on campus: the art of being alone.

I know it sounds ridiculous, but with the rarity of alone time people have, it might as well be an artistic ability.

To be alone these days, you have to fight and force yourself to do it. It seems that everyone wants to be constantly doing something with someone (take that in whatever context you desire).

Not many people know how to be alone without associating it with the feeling of being lonely.

According to a The New York Times article called The High Price of Loneliness, being alone is not the same as being lonely. According to the article, “loneliness is about the way people experience relationships subjectively, not the number of relationships they have.”

Some take pride in how many “friends” they have. Some of those people find themselves incredibly unhappy. The funny thing about being lonely is that you can be lonely even though there’s hundreds of people around you (does the phrase “lonely in a crowded room” come to anyone else’s mind?).

Being lonely is being disconnected from your peers. Having more friends does not mean you’re not going to feel lonely.

That’s why I am perfectly fine with the title of loner.

I won’t force myself to be around strangers who annoy me.

I have people I love. I have people who are very close to me, and they form a fantastic support system. I can hang out with them and be completely happy. I can slowly develop deep, meaningful relationships with people I care about.

I am in no rush, though. Those who are close to me understand that I mean no offense to them. There are times that I just need some space.

My alone time is when I get my homework done, maybe read a book or two—when I am able to think without the intrusion of someone else’s opinion jabbing into the middle of my thought. It’s when I can actually relax and not have to worry about keeping the people in my company amused.

It’s my choice to be away from people. I don’t hate the world or the people in it; there are just times when I need a break from everyone for my own reasons.

There is nothing wrong with this.

According to Ben Martin, a doctor of psychology, in a Psych Central article, “Being alone can have its advantages. The creative person craves time alone. Any professional who takes a sabbatical and spends some time alone returns refreshed mentally and spiritually.”

Take some time away from people. It won’t hurt too bad, I promise.