Americans now spend half of their adult lives outside of marriage, and fewer than half of all households consist of married couples. These are major shifts that have been brewing for decades, yet people’s attitudes about being alone have changed remarkably little during those years.
Aloneness is still associated with a variety of negative emotions. At the start of the Mastering the Art of Aloneness workshop, I ask participants what they think of when they hear the word “aloneness.” I hear the same responses over and over. “Lonely.” “Unwanted.” “Afraid.” It’s no surprise that people think of aloneness as a negative state to avoid rather than ... Read more.
