There’s solace in solitude. Find it in this collection of loneliness quotes, handpicked to help you turn moments of isolation into opportunities for personal growth and connection.
Being alone is what you make of it.
In the silence of solitude, loneliness can be both a daunting presence and a sacred space for reflection. It's a state of being that touches everyone at some point in their lives, yet its impact varies greatly from person to person.
But loneliness isn’t just physical; it’s emotional, too. You can feel lonely even when you’re surrounded by a crowd.
Because loneliness is not merely the absence of company but a profound longing for connection and understanding. It’s the need to feel seen by your family, friends, and significant other.
Through the lens of these poignant loneliness quotes, we explore the complexities of feeling alone, uncovering the hidden strengths and resilience it cultivates within us.
1. “Loneliness and the feeling of being unwanted is the most terrible poverty.”
Mother Teresa
2. “You're allowed to choose your solitude and peace, every single time you want to.”
3. “Living alone, though it may not be the state you ultimately desire for yourself, affords an unparalleled opportunity to know yourself, to be yourself, and to develop yourself as a unique and interesting individual.”
4. “Loneliness is and always has been the central and inevitable experience of every man.”
Thomas Wolfe
5. “Loneliness is cured by contact with yourself.”
6. “Sometimes you have to stand alone. Just to make sure you still can.”
7. “Loving yourself is self-preservation. You realize that you must keep yourself intact, regardless of the war that's going on outside.”
8. “Loneliness is the poverty of self; solitude is the richness of self.”
May Sarton
9. “When we cannot bear to be alone, it means we do not properly value the only companion we will have from birth to death — ourselves.”
Eda LeShan
10. “Maybe that's what writers do-Maybe they exaggerate pain just so that you feel okay about what you're feeling.”
11. “No great creative work can ever be done without the help of solitude. There is a reason why the greatest creators of all time, and the profoundest of thinkers have all been introverts.”
12. “Find people and experiences that bring you joy. Keep your heart light while it's still healing.”
13. “Consciousness is a born hermit.”
George Santayana
14. “I made my way here alone for a long while. It took some time to find my place. It took more time to become somebody worth protecting.”
Melissa Albert
15. “Remember who you are in solitude, all of the great things about that person carry into your social situations, and anyone would be lucky to get to know that person.”
16. “Alone isn't the same as lonely.”
17. “Loneliness hangs over our culture today like a thick smog.”
Johann Hari
18. “You need to look after yourself too. If you need to rest, rest. If you need time alone, recharge yourself.”
19. “It's normal to miss someone who is missing from you.”
20. “Truth is, I'm generally happiest when it's just me. It's okay to be madly in love with yourself.”
21. “The ultimate power in life is to be completely self-reliant, completely yourself.”
Robert Greene
22. “Lonely is not being alone, it's the feeling that no one cares.”
23. “That feeling of disconnection, loneliness, is eventually what leads to suffering.”
Naval Ravikant
24. “You can't always spend time alone. This creates an isolation that most can't bounce back from.”
25. “Stay single until someone actually complements your life in a way that it makes it better to not be single. If not, it's not worth it.”
26. “Be content with what you have; rejoice in the way things are. When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you.”
27. “Being brave enough to be alone frees you up to invite people into your life because you want them and not because you need them.”
28. “How is it that we have over 6 billion people in the world and half of them feel alone?”
29. “Never search for your happiness in others, it will make you feel alone. Search for it in yourself, you will feel happy even when you are left alone.”
30. “Happiness belongs to the self sufficient.”
Aristotle
31. “Where will you find the virtuous man? Alone.”
32. “Frustration stems from focusing on what we don't have. The antidote is appreciating what's already here.”
Leo Babauta
33. “The reality is a lot of that loneliness just comes from being disconnected from growing up with your tribal environment.”
Naval Ravikant
34. “The best of community does give one a deep sense of belonging and well-being; and in that sense community takes away loneliness.”
Henri Nouwen
35. “If you can't see that you're worthy, you are more likely to be with someone else who can't see it.”
36. “When you learn how to be alone you'll discover the difference between alone and lonely.”
37. “Being solitary isn't a disease that needs a cure.”
Natasha Pulley
38. “Let me tell you this: if you meet a loner, no matter what they tell you, it's not because they enjoy solitude. It's because they have tried to blend into the world before, and people continue to disappoint them.”
Jodi Picoult
39. “Everything we need is within us.”
40. “Out of nowhere, the loneliness hits you, and you are trying to figure out how to return to sender.”
41. “There are some places in life where you can only go alone. Embrace the beauty of your solo journey.”
42. “Don't settle. It's better to face a little loneliness now than a lifetime of loneliness with the wrong person.”
43. “Nothing can dim the light that shines from within.”
Maya Angelou
44. “Sometimes you need to be alone. Not to be lonely, but to enjoy your free time being yourself.”
45. “I'm all alone but I'm not lonely.”
Haruki Murakami
46. “Living alone in a relationship meant for two is the loneliest place to live.”
47. “What you are to do without me I cannot imagine.”
George Bernard Shaw
48. “Being alone and actually sitting with our own thoughts can lead to such growth and realizations that are rare in our everyday busy lives.”
Kourtney Kardashian
49. “There is also kind of just the abject loneliness that all of us can feel that comes from being disconnected from our roots, and our roots are very tribal.”
Naval Ravikant
50. “And if you couldn't be loved, the next best thing was to be let alone.”
51. “People think being alone makes you lonely, but I don't think that's true. Being surrounded by the wrong people is the loneliest thing in the world.”
52. “If we think about each other's feelings, then we're never alone.”
53. “Standing alone doesn't mean I am alone. It means I'm strong enough to handle things all by myself.”
54. “We're used to constantly judging things. The act of judging something separates you from that thing.”
Naval Ravikant
55. “Absence makes the heart grow fonder, but it sure makes the rest of you lonely.”
Charles M. Schulz
56. “Be a loner. That gives you time to wonder, to search for the truth. Have holy curiosity. Make your life worth living.”
Albert Einstein
Embrace the power of solitude and self-reflection with Motivation app, where you can receive daily reminders with empowering loneliness quotes.
Download the app here and let the wisdom of these quotes guide you towards a deeper understanding of yourself and the world around you.