[pmoriarty]

As a counterpoint to this, see the many excellent articles on The Hermitary.[1]

Also see Anthony Storr's Solitude: A Return to the Self.[2]

Many people have historically chosen solitude for religious or spiritual reasons, to focus on something they wanted to achieve, because they just preferred being alone, or for many other reasons.

Many societies have stigmatized solitude and those who choose it, but on the other hand there have been social movements which have praised and advocated solitude.

[1] - http://www.hermitary.com/articles/

[2] - https://www.amazon.com/Solitude-Return-Self-Anthony-Storr/dp...

[throwanem]

I don't think GP is saying solitude or isolation is necessarily harmful. But for a member of a pack-ape species whose default mode for the individual is some varying degree of gregarity, isolation isn't something to be considered lightly, because it carries significant risk along with potential benefit.

[Swannie]

I'd suggest the key difference is that one is a conscious decision, often taken with prior thought, and often some proactive mental preparation - that could be as simple as reading scripture.

The other is typically unconscious, often exacerbated by anti-social behaviour.