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Ever felt so lonely that you just wanted to crawl back into your mother’s arms? Like everything is a mess, and not even the best comfort food can make you happy?
Well, it’s not the food you need. Here are some loneliness quotes for you to ponder on.
Feeling lonely is perfectly normal. It’s an emotion everybody feels at any given time. No man can ever claim that he never felt lonely.
Loneliness is a state of mind that makes you feel empty and unwanted. People who are often lonely are those who crave for human interactions.
However, the Canadian Mental Health Association says that you don’t necessarily have to be alone in order to feel lonely. Most of the time, lonely people are those who belong in groups, but they feel like they don’t fit in.
Some people, although they are surrounded by a lot of people, usually don’t receive the support they need. Hence, their state of mind creates this idea of isolation – that they are alone and unwanted.
An analysis of this gives us the conclusion that we all need real social support in order to overcome loneliness. We need to choose the right people for us to become happier with our surroundings.
But let me tell you this, here’s how you overcome loneliness: start with yourself. As mentioned earlier, loneliness is rooted within you and your state of mind. How would you expect other people to care for you if you don’t care about yourself?
To reconnect with the world, you need to admit that you are lonely and then accept the fact that you are. There’s no need to hide what you are feeling. Otherwise, you’ll end up withdrawing yourself from the world even more.
Once you choose to acknowledge your feelings, it would be easier for you to open up. Share your story and don’t be afraid of what other people might think. If they can’t accept who you are, then they are not worth having in your circle as the “real” social support you need.
This post is a combination of quotes and some tips you need to overcome loneliness. We have gathered 105 loneliness quotes to show you that it’s okay to feel lonely at times. Particularly if you also learn to love yourself.
We all feel lonely sometimes. Other people may just handle it better, and that’s what you need to learn how to do. Accept yourself.
Our first set is a compilation of deep quotes about feeling lonely. There are misconceptions about loneliness – that it’s not good and it will bring your world down.
We beg to disagree. Loneliness, if you accept and acknowledge it, can be your weapon to get back on your feet and conquer positivity. Think of it this way: any negative feeling can turn into positive ones if you don’t let it consume you.
Table of Contents
Quotes About Being Lonely
1. “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.”– Kim Culbertson
2. “Remember: the time you feel lonely is the time you most need to be by yourself. Life’s cruelest irony.”– Douglas Coupland
3. “There are worse things than feeling alone. Things like being with someone and still feeling alone.”– M.W Poetry
4. “There’s nothing abnormal about loneliness.” – Paula Stokes
5. “Loneliness is proof that your innate search for connection is intact.” – Martha Beck
6. “There's a special quality to the loneliness of dusk, a melancholy more brooding even than the night's.”– Ed Gorman
7. “Loneliness is such an omnipotent and painful threat to many persons that they have little conception of the positive values of solitude and even, at times, are frightened at the prospect of being alone.”– Rollo May
8. “We live in such a lonely world because most days we wake up and decide to marry no one but ourselves.”– Christopher Poindexter
9. “I'll never forget how the depression and loneliness felt good and bad at the same time. Still does.”– Henry Rollins
10. “If you learn to really sit with loneliness and embrace it for the gift that it is…an opportunity to get to know you, to learn how strong you really are, to depend on no one but you for your happiness… you will realize that a little loneliness goes a long way in creating a richer, deeper, more vibrant and colorful you.”– Mandy Hale
11. “Be a loner. That gives you time to wonder, to search for the truth. Have holy curiosity. Make your life worth living.”– Albert Einstein
12. “Loneliness might be taking you towards an otherwise unreachable experience of reality.” – Olivia Laing
13. “Loneliness does not come from having no people around you, but from being unable to communicate the things that seem important to you.”
14. “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
15. “Some nights are made for torture, or reflection, or the savoring of loneliness.”– Poppy Z. Brite
16. “There is something immaculate about loneliness which only lonely people can understand.”– Munia Khan
17. “Coming home from very lonely places, all of us go a little mad: whether from great personal success, or just an all-night drive, we are the sole survivors of a world no one else has ever seen.”– John Le Carre
18. “Loneliness isn't about being by yourself. That's fine, right and good, desirable in many ways. Loneliness is about finding a landing-place, or not, and knowing that, whatever you do, you can go back there. The opposite of loneliness isn't company, it is return. A place to return.”– Jeanette Winterson
19. “The loneliest moment in someone’s life is when they are watching their whole world fall apart and all they can do is stare blankly.”– F. Scott Fitzgerald
20. “Loneliness is the human condition. No one is ever going to fill that space. The best you can do is know yourself; know what you want.” – Janet Fitch
21. “Loneliness is and always has been the central and inevitable experience of every man.”– Thomas Wolfe
22.”I was lonely. I felt it deeply and permanently, that this state of being on my own might never disappear. But I welcomed the loneliness, which had everything to do with being anonymous. It’s never loneliness that nibbles away at a person’s insides, but not having room inside themselves to be comfortably alone.”– Rachel Sontag
23. “All great and precious things are lonely.”– John Steinbeck
24. “For fear you will be alone, you do so many things that aren’t you at all.” —Richard Brautigan
You need to embrace loneliness so you can open yourself to the possibility of having lifetime happiness. This doesn’t mean, however, that you need to dwell on it. Just learn to accept that you are lonely, so you can give yourself a chance to look for ways on how to become happy.
As our quotes above have suggested, being lonely sometimes gives us the enlightenment we need to realize our worth. If you understand your feelings, you would know how to act. Keep on practicing the art of awareness, and you shall find yourself being happy about the results in the end.
Next, we go to the concept of being alone. Some people say that being alone is different from being lonely. We agree.
While loneliness is a state of mind, being alone is a state of physical being. There are people who’d rather choose to be alone than be in the company of others who they know do not even care the slightest bit about them.
But just like loneliness, being alone is okay and normal. You don’t have to force yourself to belong in a group if that will only make you feel uncomfortable. You need to know learn how to change your feelings of loneliness.
Quotes About Being Alone
25. “It would do the world good if every man would compel himself occasionally to be absolutely alone. Most of the world’s progress has come out of such loneliness.”– Bruce Barton
26. “Pretending to be happy when you’re alone is an example of how strong you are as a person. Take care of your thoughts when you’re alone. And take care of your words when you’re with people. We are all so much together but we are all dying of loneliness.”– Albert Schweitzer
27. “By all means use sometimes to be alone. Salute thyself; see what thy soul doth wear.” – George Herbert
28. “What a lovely surprise to finally discover how unlonely being alone can be.” – Ellen Burstyn
29.”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 J. LeShan
30. “It takes nothing to join the crowd. It takes everything to stand alone.” – Hans F. Hansen
31. “If you smile when you are alone, then you really mean it.”– Andy Rooney
32. “I’m learning a lot about myself being alone, and doing what I’m doing.” – Chantal Kreviazuk
33. “I think it’s very healthy to spend time alone. You need to know how to be alone and not be defined by another person.”– Oscar Wilde
34. “In the solitude of your dreams grows the flame that will bring the light to this world.”– Unknown
35. “I used to think that the worst thing in life was to end up all alone. It’s not. The worst thing in life is ending up with people who make you feel alone.”– Robin Williams
36. “I think it’s good for a person to spend time alone. It gives them an opportunity to discover who they are and to figure out why they are always alone.”– Amy Sedaris
37. “The strongest man in the world is he who stands most alone.”– Henrik Ibsen
38. “The only time we waste is the time we spend thinking we are alone.”– Mitch Albom
39. “Sometimes, you need to be alone. Not to be lonely, but to enjoy your free time being yourself.”
40. “It takes a strong person to remain single in a world that is accustomed to settling with anything just to say they have something.”– Anonymous
41. “We are all born alone and die alone. The loneliness is definitely part of the journey of life.”– Jenova Chen
42. “On being alone: I think it’s a good thing to do; you get to know yourself, and I think that’s the most important thing in the whole world.” – Robert Paul Smith
43. “Sometimes it's better to be alone no one can hurt you that way.”– Tinku Razoria
44. “You can’t be strong all the time. Sometimes you just need to be alone and let your tears out.”– Unknown
45. “We’re born alone, we live alone, we die alone. Only through our love and friendship can we create the illusion for the moment that we’re not alone.”– Orson Welles
46. “Being alone never felt right. Sometimes it felt good, but it never felt right.”– Charles Bukowski
47. “The best part of being alone is that you really don’t have to answer to anybody. You do what you want.” – Justin Timberlake
It’s never easy to be alone. You need to have the courage to face life’s challenges by yourself. But when you do succeed, nothing can compare to the fulfillment such brings.
But remember: it won’t hurt to ask help when you need it. Even if others say that the only help you need is yours, that doesn’t mean that you can’t ask support from the people who really care about you.
The quotes above remind us that we sometimes need to be alone to achieve peace of mind. Sometimes, we need to deviate from our social life so we can rest and then recharge.
But let’s admit it. There are people who like being alone too much. They feel like they’re better when they’re not with other people – they succumb to what we call solitude.
Now, this is a higher level of actually being alone. Solitude, as distinguished from loneliness, is also a state of mind with a similar concept, but in a different form.
Psychology Today explains solitude as the “state of being alone without being lonely.” It is somehow similar to seclusion or isolation but at the option of the person being in solitude.
There is nothing wrong with choosing a life of solitude. After all, many people have already succeeded and lived happily in the comfort of their own company. If it’s what you need to keep yourself productive and creative, then be it.
Our next set of quotes is all about loneliness and solitude – how they differ and how they can combine to make you a better and happier person.
Quotes on Loneliness and Solitude
48. “The mind is sharper and keener in seclusion and uninterrupted solitude. Originality thrives in seclusion free of outside influences beating upon us to cripple the creative mind. Be alone—that is the secret of invention: be alone, that is when ideas are born.” – Nikola Tesla
49. “Solitude, whether endured or embraced, is a necessary gateway to original thought.”– Jane Hirschfield
50. “Make the time to be alone. Your best ideas live within solitude.” – Robin Sharma
51. “Talent is nurtured in solitude… A creation of importance can only be produced when its author isolates himself, it is a child of solitude.”– Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe
52. “Solitude is the beginning of all freedom.”– William Orville Douglas
53. “Whoever is delighted in solitude is either a wild beast or a god.”– Aristotle
54. “Cultivate solitude and quiet and a few sincere friends, rather than mob merriment, noise and thousands of nodding acquaintances.”– William Powell
55. “No man should go through life without once experiencing healthy, even bored solitude in the wilderness, finding himself depending solely on himself and thereby learning his true and hidden strength.” – Jack Kerouac
56. “A happy life must be to a great extent a quiet life, for it is only in an atmosphere of quiet that true joy can live.”– Bertrand Russell
57. “Loneliness expresses the pain of being alone and solitude expresses the glory of being alone.”– Pau Tillich
58. “To make the right choices in life, you have to get in touch with your soul. To do this, you need to experience solitude, which most people are afraid of because in the silence you hear the truth and know the solutions.”– Deepak Chopra
59. “Solitude is strength; to depend on the presence of the crowd is weakness. The man who needs a mob to nerve him is much more alone than he imagines.”– Paul Brunton
60. “We live in a very tense society. We are pulled apart… and we all need to learn how to pull ourselves together…. I think that at least part of the answer lies in solitude.”– Helen Hayes
61. “Solitude is creativity's best friend, and solitude is refreshment for our souls.”– Naomi Judd
62. “I will fill myself with the desert and the sky. I will be stone and stars, unchanging and strong and safe. The desert is complete; it is spare and alone, but perfect in its solitude. I will be the desert.”– Kiersten White
63. “Solitude is not the same as loneliness. Solitude is a solitary boat floating in a sea of possible companions.”– Robert Fulghum
64. “Not everyone knows how to be alone with others, how to share solitude. We have to help each other to understand how to be in our solitude, so that we can relate to each other without grabbing on to each other. We can be interdependent but not dependent. Loneliness is rejected despondency. Solitude is shared interdependence.” – David Spangler
65. “Great men are like eagles, and build their nest on some lofty solitude.”– Arthur Schopenhauer
66. “Conversation enriches the understanding, but solitude is the school of genius.”– Edward Gibbon
67. “Loneliness can be conquered only by those who can bear solitude.” – Paul Tillich
68. “In solitude, the mind gains strength and learns to lean upon itself.”– Laurence Sterne
69. “Solitude is independence.” – Herman Hesse
70. “Knowing how to be solitary is central to the art of loving. When we can be alone, we can be with others without using them as a means of escape.”– Anonymous
71. “Solitude is not the absence of company, but the moment when our soul is free to speak to us and help us decide what to do with our life.” – Paulo Coelho
Live the life you want without hesitations. If you need to free your mind from all kinds of distractions, and the only way to do that is by living a life in solitude, then, by all means, do what makes you happy.
After all, choosing to be in a solitary state doesn’t mean you can’t go back to being with other people. As we have already suggested earlier, choose the right set of people to be your support – those who will understand that sometimes you need to be alone, but if you want to come back, they will gladly welcome you with open arms.
Of course, we cannot end this post without giving you some quotes and tips on how to get over loneliness.
Our last set is a compilation of positive quotes from famous people who have had problems in the past regarding their state of being lonely. Like you, they once felt their world crumbling down, too, and they had no idea how to deal with it.
But with the help of other people and their own understanding of their loneliness, they were able to get back on their feet, continued struggling, and eventually ended up being happy.
Quotes to Overcome Loneliness
72. “The best remedy for those who are afraid, lonely or unhappy is to go outside, somewhere where they can be quiet, alone with the heavens, nature and God. Because only then does one feel that all is as it should be.” – Anne Frank
73. “Loneliness adds beauty to life. It puts a special burn on sunsets and makes night air smell better.” – Henry Rollins
74.”No one saves us but ourselves. No one can and no one may. We ourselves must walk the path.” – Gautama Buddha
75. “I tell you loneliness is the thing to master. Courage and fear love death are only parts of it and can easily be ruled afterwards. If I make myself master my own loneliness there will be peace or safety: and perhaps these are the same.” – Martha Gellhorn
76.”You have to go ahead, even if no one goes with you.”– Lailah Gifty Akita
77. “When I get lonely these days, I think: So Be lonely, Liz. Learn your way around loneliness. Make a map of it. Sit with it, for once in your life. Welcome to the human experience. But never again use another person’s body or emotions as a scratching post for your own unfulfilled yearnings.” – Elizabeth Gilbert
78. “If one is lucky, a solitary fantasy can totally transform one million realities.” – Maya Angelou
79. “Don’t fear solitude: If you are never alone, you cannot know yourself. But don’t get too attached to it – it may become an addiction.” – Paulo Coelho
80. “You are never alone. You are eternally connected with everyone.” – Amit Ray
81. ”Loneliness is the human condition. Cultivate it. The way it tunnels into you allows your soul room to grow. Never expect to outgrow loneliness. Never hope to find people who will understand you, someone to fill that space. An intelligent, sensitive person is the exception, the very great exception. If you expect to find people who will understand you, you will grow murderous with disappointment. The best you’ll ever do is to understand yourself, know what it is that you want, and not let the cattle stand in your way.” – Janet Fitch
82. “Find company within yourself and you’ll never spend a day alone. Find love within yourself and you’ll never have a lonely day.” – Connor Chalfant
83. “Learn to be alone and to like it. There is nothing more freeing and empowering than learning to like your own company.” – Unknown
84. “Pray that your loneliness may spur into finding something to live for, great enough to die for.” – Dag Hammarskjold
85. “We have to dare to be ourselves, however frightening or strange that self may prove to be.” – May Sarton
86. “The best remedy for those who are afraid, lonely or unhappy is to go outside, somewhere where they can be quiet, alone with the heavens, nature and God. Because only then does one feel that all is as it should be.” – Anne Frank
87. “The greatest thing in the world is to know how to belong to oneself.” – Michel de Montaigne
88. “Stand up for what you believe in even if you are standing alone.” – Sophie Scholl
89. “Yet it is in this loneliness that the deepest activities begin. It is here that you discover act without motion, labor that is profound repose, vision in obscurity, and, beyond all desire, a fulfillment whose limits extend to infinity.”– Thomas Merton
90. “When you are evolving to your higher self, the road seems lonely. But you’re simply shedding energies that no longer match the frequency of your destiny.” – Unknown
91. ”Never search your happiness in others, it will make you feel alone. Search it in yourself, you will feel happy even when you are left alone.” – Unknown
92.”We need quiet time to examine our lives openly and honestly – spending quiet time alone gives your mind an opportunity to renew itself and create order.”– Susan L. Taylor
93. “Keep in mind that to avoid loneliness, many people need both a social circle and an intimate attachment. Having just one of two may still leave you feeling lonely.” – Gretchen Rubin
94. “It is better to be alone than in bad company.” – George Washington
95. “Surrender to the grief, despair, fear, loneliness, or whatever form the suffering takes. Witness it without labeling it mentally. Embrace it. Then see how the miracle of surrender transmutes deep suffering into deep peace.” – Eckhart Tolle
96. “Sometimes you need to sit lonely on the floor in a quiet room in order to hear your own voice and not let it drown in the noise of others.” – Charlotte Eriksson
97. “The pain of loneliness seems to be part of the mortal experience. But the Lord in His mercy has made it so that we need never deal with the challenges of mortality alone.” – Sheri L. Dew
98. “No one is ever alone and silence does not equate defeat.” – Joan Ambu
99. ”We need solitude, because when we’re alone, we’re free from obligations, we don’t need to put on a show, and we can hear our own thoughts.” – Tamim Ansary
100. “Sometimes you need to take a break from everyone and spend time alone to experience, appreciate, and love yourself.” – Robert Tew
101. “Music was my refuge. I could crawl into the space between the notes and curl my back to loneliness.” – Maya Angelou
102. “Sometimes you need to be alone. Not to be lonely, but to enjoy your free time being yourself.” – Anonymous
103. “There is nothing outside of yourself. Look within. Everything you want is there.”—Rumi
104. “A season of loneliness and isolation is when the caterpillar gets its wings. Remember that next time you feel alone.” – Mandy Hale
105. “Sometimes you have to stand alone just to make sure you still can.” – Anonymous
Final Thoughts on Loneliness and How to Overcome It
Loneliness comes from within, that’s true. But remember as well that it’s the same thing for happiness. Thus, we can only be happy if we start to accept loneliness and the other negative emotions we are feeling.
Our hearts are made to be broken, to feel pain, to feel doubts. But they are also made to be adamantine – resilient, strong, and unyielding. We need to experience pain so we will know how to fight. By analogy, we need to feel lonely in order to become happy.
Have you been lonely or alone lately? We’d love to hear your story! Feel free to share your experiences in the comment section below.
If you can relate to a particular quote above or if you like any of the images in this post, we’d appreciate it if you share them through your favorite social media platform.
Life is either fair or unfair – it’s only a matter of perspective. But since you cannot do anything about it, just do what you can to deal with it. Choose to be happier.
And if you want more inspirational quotes, be sure to check out these blog posts:
- 51 Do What Makes You Happy Quotes
- How to Deal with Loneliness: A 10-Step Process
- 50 Affirmations to Overcome Feelings of Loneliness
- 91 Quotes About Perseverance Through Hard Times
- 21 Best Movies about Dealing with Loneliness and Isolation
Finally, if you want to use these quotes to make a lasting change to your life, then check out and recite these 57 affirmations for success.
