Do You Have Amazing Qualities of Professionals Who Like to Be Alone?

Here's Why You Love Solitude

Solitude is being alone and content. You choose solitude.

Loneliness is being alone and not liking it.

Why do we use loneliness and solitude interchangeably? They are not.

Leonardo da Vinci and Albert Einstein preferred to work alone. They went beyond accepting their love for solitude; they harnessed it. Solitude became their superpower.

Do you have these same superpowers?

Here are some signs you have harnessed the strengths of solitude.

You love to ponder thoughts, question beliefs, and laugh at your own jokes, with no need for an audience. “I crack myself up,” is something I’ve heard from many gifted professionals. You have a great sense of humor and explore your own complexities. You have written journals for many years and have a level of self-acceptance that anchors your personal growth.

You are an excellent listener and many have told you so. Because you are so good at listening to your own thoughts and sifting out noise to what’s important, you hear what people say, plus the nuance of what they are not saying. Unlike most people, you listen with the intent to understand instead of waiting for your chance to speak.

You value quality relationships over quantity. Even if you create an account on Twitter, Facebook, or other social platforms, you don’t look at them or care about likes and followers. You don’t mess around with surface-level friendships. You are a great best friend and you have just a few relationships that add meaning and substance to your life.

You may have gone into communications professions because you are a keen observer. People who savor their solitude are great at picking up details most others overlook. The heightened sensitivity and focused attention of the gifted present the world to you in ultra-high-definition while everyone else seems happy with dial-up.

Solitude is an opportunity for introspection, imagination, and contemplation with yourself. This kind of solitude allows us to be more creative.

Only when you cut off distractions and shut down social media or other noise, do you create space to meditate on life and discover great things.

If being alone is a scary and dangerous place, that’s probably loneliness. You can feel loneliness in a crowd or in a relationship that stops tuning in to you. The danger with loneliness is that it feeds dark thoughts and sucks you into depression.

This is why some gifted professionals have coaches, therapists, or other practitioners experienced in getting outside of your head to see if you are happy and productive in your solitude or seeking some justification for withdrawing from relationships and company. If and when the time comes to seek help, we search for professionals who have brain health training and credentials, plus experience with giftedness. They help us determine just how far we thrive and accelerate by being alone.

Footnote: I’m a journalist and gifted professional but not a therapist. If you feel sad, depressed, or think loneliness is not working, then you probably need professional help. Start with this article and find someone who “gets you”—What Should Gifted (Rainforest-Minded) Adults Expect From Therapists, Consultants, and Coaches?