What is the longest amount of time you've ever spent alone?

[Haole Girl]

I was thinking about this today...

Many years ago I spent a few weeks alone so some roommates and I could keep the old Victorian house we wanted (for the next school year). One of us had to live in it between the Summer and Fall quarters. The thing I find interesting, looking back, is how I didn't seem very lonely then. There is no way in hell I could do it now. Funny, isn't it, how people change?

What is the longest amount of time you have spent truly alone?

[Midlodemocrat]

1. About 15 minutes.

[Haole Girl]

3. hehehehe!

It just feels like it right now for you. :hug:

[Midlodemocrat]

16. No, I'm series. The only time they leave me alone

is when I'm teaching via the web. And, that's only because I lock the door and put up a sign not to disturb me under penalty of death.

[Deja Q]

2. 28 years, 3 weeks, 2 days, 18 hours, and a small quantity of minutes.

3 months later, until now and still counting, I am still alone.

It's all good.

[Haole Girl]

4. Do you really enjoy being alone?

Just curious.

[Deja Q]

6. I must do.

Or, perhaps, I've grown to accept the reality of the situation.

You probably would not understand the fear I feel when walking past people in a corridor. In some cases, this includes people I have known for years and really like, but by and large it's about most people in general.

I also don't believe in irrational motivators or desires. A.k.a. "dreaming". Perhaps I used to and felt betrayed. Once too many times. I do not know.

After a point, when does a person put his guard down? To take a risk in trust?

It's ironic, or perhaps I am far more complex and convoluted a person that even I would give myself credit for -- I still take people at face value. And I still get burned.

Just let me prove I'm worthy of a job, I'll do it, and I'll go home for the evening. For my complex nature, I don't think there's anybody any more simplistic than I.

I apologize for any narcissism in my response.

[Haole Girl]

9. That was an interesting response

Thank you. I'm sorry you've been so hurt by people.

[lost-in-nj]

7. ....

:hug:



lost

[NightWatcher]

5. two and a half years, solitary confinement in IL state pen

nah, just a couple of weeks camping by myself

[Haole Girl]

11. You had me for a second or two!

I often wonder how people handle solitary confinement.

[billyoc]

29. Many of us go completely insane.

[Ptah]

34. It's not pretty

[JitterbugPerfume]

8. my husband died 12 yr ago in June

I have been alone since then I have my kids and grand kids and lots of friends but I live alone.

I like being alone .

Most of my life was raising children , taking care of a sick husband and working. I am doing fine with my books and my cats.


I guess I might be getting a bit eccentric but I don't give a damn

[Haole Girl]

12. It's good, I think, you feel comfortable with yourself

As long as you are not closing yourself off from any opportunities or chances at living life more fully. Thanks for your response.

[lost-in-nj]

10. I was alone

for 2 years

not by choice.....


:hi:

lost

[Haole Girl]

13. Hope you are doing ok these days

When we don't expect to be alone, and find ourselves in that situation, it seems especially difficult. Don't know why I'm feeling so philosophical today. Maybe it's the cold medicine I took. :crazy:

[Skittles]

14. I spend most of my time alone

and I don't seem to have any concept of loneliness - not at all

[Haole Girl]

15. That is fantastic

Some day I hope to feel that way again.

[enigmatic]

70. Me too

I'm married now (to a semi-loner), but when I was singled I treasured my solitude; I'm lucky now in that my wife understands this and we enjoy our solitude together, if that makes sense.

[Gormy Cuss]

17. Spent alone-five days. Lived alone- about 15 years.

The five days was when I was living alone and had a bad case of the flu. Didn't see or talk to another human in all that time. As for living alone, I grew up with a cast of thousands and when I finally had a place with no roommate I found that I liked it just fine. I've always had a large social network so living alone wasn't being alone. Being alone with no contact with family or friends would be hard for me.

[Haole Girl]

19. You're right...

being alone & having no contact with family or friends are two different things.

[bigwillq]

18. A few days.

I liked the peace and quiet.

[Haole Girl]

20. It is nice for a change

Hi bigwillq :hi:

[bigwillq]

21. Hello!

:) :hi:

How's it been going?

[Haole Girl]

22. Oh..

fighting another horrible cold, I'm afraid. I work in a germ infested environment, I guess!

Otherwise, all is well. You?

[bigwillq]

24. I am well.

Busy with work, as always. :) :hi: I hope you feel better.

[Haole Girl]

25. Thanks

I go for long stretches without catching anything, then get sick several times in a row. This is one of the sick stretches, I'm afraid. Don't work too hard! :hi:

[hippywife]

23. Probably no more than a weekend

here and there but I could do it easily. I'm continually disappointed by people in general and could do with a nice long break involving no interaction.

[Haole Girl]

26. I know what you mean there

I've been told my expectations of people are too high. Oh well. Tough! :hi:

[littlebit]

27. I'm alone for up to 6 weeks at a time.

I love it most of the time.

[Haole Girl]

28. That's a long time

I would probably get lonely these days.

[littlebit]

37. It goes by really fast.

I'm usually so busy I don't have much time to think about how much it sucks. A few months ago I sat down and added up how many days I have seen my girlfriend in the last nine years. At the time it was right around 400 days.

[Lil Missy]

30. I lived alone most of my adult life. I enjoyed the privacy.

[Haole Girl]

32. Glad you enjoyed it.

[mokawanis]

31. 6 days in the wilderness

I hiked into the Rockies 15 miles, put up a tent, and stayed there for 6 days. Saw no people and a couple of bears. It was great.

[Haole Girl]

33. Did you come to any revelations about yourself...

or anything else? Just curious

[Jamastiene]

35. It was about 3 months.

I actually moved into the shed in the back yard. I lived in it. My mother found out I was gay and kicked me out. I snuck back to be close to the pets when she left the house. Nobody knew where I was for that three months either. I don't even think I knew. I did the most drugs and drank the heaviest at that key point in my life. I didn't feel lonely except missing my dogs and my cats.

The loneliest I ever feel is in a crowd. When I'm alone, I don't feel lonely because there are not constant reminders around me that everyone else has someone and I don't. When I am alone, I just keep busy and enjoy things with no pressure and no feelings of rejection. I won't reject me. I'm always there for me. I enjoy my company. I'll listen to me. So, being alone doesn't bother me as much as being around crowds and being reminded that other people don't really like me all that much. :shrug:

[Haole Girl]

36. Wow, that makes a lot of sense

I hope your mother and you have made amends now.

[InvisibleTouch]

38. Not long enough!

The older I get, the less I can stand human proximity. However, I practically always have at least some animals around, so when I think about it I've almost never been alone. Just that some types of not-alone are less intrusive than others.

[Haole Girl]

39. Now THIS is what I was wondering

THAT is how most normal human beings are. They seem to enjoy solitude more the older they become. Why I should be the opposite is beyond me. :cry:

[InvisibleTouch]

42. I think you would be hard-pressed to call me...

...a "normal human being." ;)

Though I think it has to do, in part, with having plenty to occupy one's time. I think even if I didn't have the animals for company, I could occupy myself just fine as long as I had books to read and creative projects to work on. It might even be a relief to take a break from the responsibility of daily feeding, cleaning, and breaking up squabbles. Though eventually I'd miss them as individuals and be happy to have that responsibility back.

[Inchworm]

40. Gah!

That is repressed :)

:hi:

[Haole Girl]

41. Huh?

:shrug:

[Inchworm]

44. misclick..see other reply

[Haole Girl]

49. Ok

[Inchworm]

43. Years

surrounded by people.

You didn't know I am insane?

:P

[quakerboy]

45. Define alone

Do you mean entirely absent any other human or associated familiar animal(in the woods, noone but the trees)? or just none that i interacted with(driving around, there are people, but no social interaction)? Or none that I interacted with on any nonsuperficial level(work at home and feel pressured to respond to the checker's "hows it going" during the monthly shopping trip)? Or nothing but internet interactions? Or people, but no significant other or best friend to chat with regularly?

What do you mean alone? The answer could be anywhere from 7 weeks to 19 years

[Haole Girl]

47. Alone to me is not really having a conversation or...

interacting (human contact) with other people. I didn't really include giving money to a grocery store employee, or handing a credit card to someone at a gas station.

If I meant no human interaction AT ALL, that would be rare. Maybe only a couple of days for me.

19 years, huh? That is a long time.

[quakerboy]

55. Being totally alone

Absolutely no human interaction at all, that would be 6-7 weeks. I had a freezer full of proteins, a lot of rice and powdered potatoes and pasta, canned goods, a Brand new shiny degree, and an utter lack of a job, any means of communication, money, friends in the area, but had the use of my parents cabin in the woods 15 miles outside of the nearest city.

With no really meaningful human interaction, we would be looking at maybe... a few years. Of course, it was like that for 10+ years, with brief interruptions, maybe one good reunion with a caring family member or friend for a few hours to a few days every year, give or take, then back to being alone in my own head. I had books. Later I had the internet.

[Haole Girl]

56. What did you earn your degree in?

You know me... always questions.

[quakerboy]

73. Biology

still trying to figure out what to do with the thing. So far the best i can come up with is to keep it on a shelf, thus filling a space and saving me money because I do not have to buy a book to fill that space.

[wartrace]

46. Do dogs & cats count as companions? n/t

[Haole Girl]

48. Not in this case

Though they often make the best companions of all, don't they? :-)

[BarenakedLady]

50. Probably not very long

24 hours maybe?

Waaaaaay less than that in the past 18 years or so.

I will be having much more time alone in the future. Bittersweet, really.

[Haole Girl]

52. Aww

I'm sorry. I always wish you well & I have a feeling (and you know how psychic I am) you will end up doing interesting things in your future. :hug:

[BarenakedLady]

54. Thank you.

I hope you are right.

:hug:

[Haole Girl]

57. I know it sounded a bit...

like a fortune cookie, but I really feel that. You'll be fine BNL. :hug:

[femmocrat]

51. One year.

Husband was overseas. It sucked.

[Haole Girl]

53. That is a very long time to be without the one you love

:hug:

[jeff30997]

58. Truly totally alone ?

And by that I mean:No TV,Internet Phone and pony Express?

Last month my PC crashed and burned for 10 days and I almost went insane.

I'm some kind of a loner but without other peoples around man!

I just know what I would

do...If there were nobody to miss me.

[Haole Girl]

59. Imagine life before no internet, no cell phones, and no cable TV!

:rofl:

[lightningandsnow]

60. A few hours.

This is what happens when you spend 16 years living in a house with no privacy, and then move to one with some privacy but still have parents that insist you can't be alone in your own house for more than a day.

[Haole Girl]

62. It will happen

And then you will miss your family. Trust me on this. :-)

[Neoma]

61. I wouldn't say I was exactly alone...

But as far as isolation goes, five years more or less.

[Haole Girl]

63. Five years of isolation?

THAT is a long time.

[Neoma]

68. It's a long story.

Mainly starts out with my mom taking me out of public school after I got out of 3rd grade. I ended up becoming self-taught and I eventually did get my GED. What happened between all that? That's the long part...

[Haole Girl]

69. I'm glad you survived it

:hug:

[enigmatic]

64. Parts of 6 years

Loved it, for the most part.

[Haole Girl]

65. Glad you loved it.

[TroglodyteScholar]

66. 1.5 years

Alone can be okay.

[Haole Girl]

67. It can be

Or it can be lonely too.

[TroglodyteScholar]

74. Oh, I was very lonely.

At times it was excruciating. But I had depended on other people so much for my emotional well-being that a bit of loneliness taught me a lot.

[victoryparty]

71. My Clintonian answer: "That depends on what you mean by 'alone'"

[Haole Girl]

72. See post #45

I really need to try to get some sleep now.

[Deep13]

75. 25 years. Ages 0-25.

I may as well have been alone considering who lived with me. I certainly would have been better off.

[schmuls]

76. I spent about five days alone in my bed a couple of years ago

when I was chronically depressed, and only left my bed to go to the bathroom and feed my cats. But now that I am better, I would relish a few days camping without seeing any human. I would miss my cats, though. Actually, I prefer the company of animals, and I know I am not alone.