Definitions of Solitude in Everyday Life

• Published in: Personality & social psychology bulletin Vol. 49; no. 12; pp. 1663 - 1678
• Main Authors: Weinstein, Netta, Hansen, Heather, Nguyen, Thuy-vy
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Los Angeles, CA SAGE Publications 01-12-2023; SAGE PUBLICATIONS, INC
• Subjects: Classification; Everyday life; Solitude; Technology; alone; quiet; balance; leisure; solitude
• ISSN: 0146-1672; 1552-7433
• DOI: 10.1177/01461672221115941

What does it mean to be in solitude? Researchers building this nascent field are learning much about the potential affordances of solitude, but lack an agreed-upon definition or set of definitions. Arriving at that meaning is crucial to forming a solid foundation for studies that use both naturalistic and laboratory designs to explore outcomes of solitude. This study identified themes from semi-structured interviews with adults aged 19 to 80 from diverse backgrounds. We concluded that solitude is a state in which the dominant relationship is with the self. If not physically alone, people in solitude are mentally distanced from others and away from active technology-mediated interactions. Complete solitude involves both physical separation and inner focus, but solitude is best defined through a taxonomy that recognizes physical separation and internal focus as independent, sufficient characteristics. An internal focus benefits from (but is not defined by) balancing solitude with social time, quiet, and choice.