There are many people who are quick to pathologise a preference (need) for solitude, shunting it under headings like psychopathy, sociopathy, and narcissism because it flies in the face of the inherently 'social' tribe mentality that is the driving force of human civilisation.
But introversion and extroversion form a spectrum just as autism does. Those who find peace in the vast emptiness of an unstructured day and time with their own thoughts tend to be a fairly elusive contingent.
These are individuals who came through enforced quarantine unscathed, more self aware, and comfortable with themselves than ever before. They are self reliant, self sustaining systems that do not require constant interaction, input, and reinforcement from outside sources. It is a systems that forms early in life and strengthens as one ages.
If one is not comfortable in their own company and accepting of themselves, faults and all, solitude can loom like a giant void of uninterrupted desolation because hobbies and interests can only stave off anxiety and overthinking for so long.
Solitude starts as a personal preference, (and is a major, defining trait of autism), but it becomes a medium of self exploration, introspection, and heightened awareness. It is a more authentic version of one's self, one of the very few times an autistic can completely unmask without having to worry about social judgement.
(Catch .22 in and of itself and is wholly dependent and defined by the nature of the individual.)
The quiet kid who loves to read and hike with their dogs and invents their own dialect of elvish and then proceeds to train their dogs in that dialect, is going to be the polar opposite of a kid who delights in harming animals and plotting imaginary acts of violence against their preceived 'enemies'.
The effect solitude has and the relationship one has with solitude is all about how and when the relationship formed. Was it by necessity (bullying, social gaffes, peer ostracisation, etc.) or was it a conscious choice?
If it was a forced reality, solitude is never going to be a source of tranquility or self reflection without some major concessions and radical self acceptance because the solo state itself is the embodiment of social failure.
If it is a conscious choice rather than enforced isolation, it is a perferred and sought after state wherein one is only accountable to one's self for their time. Some do it for intellectual or spiritual reasons because solitude offers a form of stasis or positive reinforcement.
Basically you don't have to watch every word, step, or action to accommodate the comfort and inclusivity of others.
e.g. Having to stupid proof a complex concept into a Dick and Jane terms so Dilbert can be included in the conversation of psychological archetypes. ( And it is never appropriate to publicly point out that Dilbert has the perspicacity of Roman marine concrete.)
Yes, that example absolutely comes across as snobby and elitist, but it is an everyday occurrence of day to day social interactions.
From a personal standpoint it gets exceedingly hard to continuously trip one's self in order to maintain a pace 'normal' people can reasonably meet.
Like the plodding shopper at the grocery store, one ducks around them as soon as one can politely and feasibly do so.
Social exposure and interaction is requisite to understanding the true power there is in solitude and as with any type of power, it needs to be respected. Reasonable limits are required and not everyone is equipped to handle the responsibilities of the self.
