Quotes

45 Introvert Quotes For People Who Need Time Alone

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45 Introvert Quotes For People Who Need Time Alone

Quite frankly, I have never in my life met someone who has never felt lonely at times.

That said, it's important to acknowledge that being lonely and being alone are not the same thing. To be alone is to physically be outside of the company of others. To be lonely is to feel alone even in the company of one’s self.

Unfortunately, the lack of understanding of this distinction leads many people to mistakenly believe that introverts are inherently lonely people.

As the introvert quotes below demonstrate, this belief that introverts are all sad, unfortunate souls is simply untrue.

Being introverted vs. extroverted has nothing to do with how lonely you are or aren't, but rather with how your personality directs and receives energy.

It's not that introverts are always lonely, but rather that they need time alone in order to recharge.

So if you are an introvert, enjoy your much needed moments of solitude guilt-free. It is not selfish to spend time alone.

We all need to spend quality time with ourselves so we can be the best version of ourselves. Being alone can be transformative because it allows you to reflect on your life and truly become one with your feelings. It’s in those moments of solitude you become more self-aware. Solitude frees you to be true to yourself because there is no need to conform to societal norms when you are alone.

Spending time alone should be encouraged for anyone who falls anywhere on the spectrum of introversion and extroversion because doing so teaches us how to combat loneliness. Since loneliness is often an uncontrollable factor in life, we need to learn how to embrace it.

There is hope and freedom in knowing that you can be happy alone. Take a look at these relatable quotes anyone who enjoys taking time for themselves can love.

Top 45 Introvert Quotes for People Who Need Time Alone:

1. "I am stronger than Depression and I am braver than Loneliness and nothing will ever exhaust me.” ― Elizabeth Gilbert

2. “People inspire you or they drain you - pick them wisely.” ― Hans F. Hansen

3. “There's zero correlation between being the best talker and having the best ideas.” ― Susan Cain, "Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking"

4. “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

5. “Loneliness is the human condition. Cultivate it. The way it tunnels into you allows your soul room to grow.” ― Janet Fitch

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6. "Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes." — Carl Jung

7. “In order to be open to creativity, one must have the capacity for constructive use of solitude. One must overcome the fear of being alone.” ― Rollo May

8. “I am now quite cured of seeking pleasure in society, be it country or town. A sensible man ought to find sufficient company in himself.” ― Emily Bronte, "Wuthering Heights"

9. "The man who follows the crowd will usually get no further than the crowd. The man who walks alone is likely to find himself in places no one has ever been before." — Alan Ashley-Pitt (often mistakenly attributed to Albert Einstein)

10. "It’s easy to stand in the crowd but it takes courage to stand alone." ― Mahatma Gandhi

11. "At the innermost core of all loneliness is a deep and powerful yearning for union with one’s lost self. "― Brendan Francis

12. “Because once alone, it is impossible to believe that one could ever have been otherwise. Loneliness is an absolute discovery.” ― Marilynne Robinson

13. “There is a certain strength in being alone.” ― Heather Duffy Stone

14. “Loneliness is something I’ve never been bothered with because I’ve always had this terrible itch for solitude.” ― Charles Bukowski

15. “To be left alone is the most precious thing one can ask of the modern world.” ― Anthony Burgess

16. "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

17. "Loneliness adds beauty to life. It puts a special burn on sunsets and makes night air smell better." ― Henry Rollins

18. "People drain me, even the closest of friends, and I find loneliness to be the best state in the union to live in." ― Margaret Cho

19. "Loneliness expresses the pain of being alone and solitude expresses the glory of being alone." ― Paul Tillich

20. "There are people who like to be alone without feeling lonely at all." ― Toba Beta

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21. “Solitude is a chosen separation for refining your soul. Isolation is what you crave when you neglect the first.” ― Wayne Cordeiro

22. "Loneliness is the unloneliest feeling in the world, as everyone has experienced it." ― Jarod Kintz

23. "Time spent undistracted and alone, in self-examination, journaling, meditation, resolves the unresolved and takes us from mentally fat to fit. " ― Naval Ravikant

24. "Nothing can bring you peace but yourself." ― Ralph Waldo Emerson

25. “Sometimes, you just need a break. In a beautiful place. Alone. To figure everything out.” ― Unknown

26. "If you look to others for fulfillment, you will never truly be fulfilled." ― Lao Tzu

27. “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

28. "As soon as I realized happiness was internal and that I was the only one responsible for it, I stopped feeling lonely." ― Maxime Lagacé

29. "Inside myself is a place where I live all alone, and that’s where I renew my springs that never dry up." ― Pearl Buck

30. "A lonely day is God’s way of saying that he wants to spend some quality time with you." ― Criss Jami

31. "I restore myself when I’m alone." ― Marilyn Monroe

32. "Alone time is the best time. But it never seems that way when it’s happening, just after the fact." ― Naval Ravikant

33. “The hardest walk is walking alone, but it’s also the walk that makes you the strongest.” ― Unknown

34. "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." ― Phillis Hobe

35. "Loneliness, when accepted, is a gift that will lead us to find a purpose in life." ― Paulo Coelho

36. "It’s ok to feel lonely sometimes. We are human and to feel is to live. Loneliness is a feeling just like any other; happiness, joy, etc. If we don’t feel lonely sometimes, how would we feel when we are happy and joyous? " ― The Happy Philosopher

37. "If a man cannot understand the beauty of life, it is probably because life never understood the beauty in him." ― Criss Jami

38. "Loneliness is a sign you are in desperate need of yourself." ― Rupi Kaur

39. "Be a loner. That gives you time to wonder, to search for the truth. Have holy curiosity. Make your life worth living." ― Albert Einstein

40. “To find peace, sometimes you have to be willing to lose the connection with the people, places, and things that create all the noise in your life.” ― Unknown

41. "I also believe that introversion is my greatest strength. I have such a strong inner life that I’m never bored and only occasionally lonely. No matter what mayhem is happening around me, I know I can always turn inward.” ― Susan Cain

42. “Loneliness is the poverty of self; solitude is richness of self.” ― May Sarton

43. "A man is never completely alone in this world. At the worst, he has the company of a boy, a youth, and by and by a grown man — the one he used to be. " ― Cesare Pavese

44. “We can't underestimate the value of silence. We need to create ourselves, need to spend time alone. If you don't, you risk not knowing yourself and not realizing your dreams.” — Jewel

45. “Our culture made a virtue of living only as extroverts. We discouraged the inner journey, the quest for a center. So we lost our center and have to find it again.” ― Anaïs Nin

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Tamara Sanon is a writer who covers pop culture, astrology, and relationship topics.