Society tells us we should socialize to the fullest, and that those who are surrounded by people are the most successful and the happiest. These days, we're almost always connected, whether in person or through our phone screens and online social networks. But there's something to be said for solitude(独处), "Being alone doesn't necessarily mean being lonely." In fact, spending time by yourself is an essential element of self-care.
Around the globe, different cultures have wide-ranging perspectives on what it means to spend time alone. If you live or have spent time in the United States, you're probably aware that Americans tend to reject solitude. For many younger people, weekends are packed with social activities, ranging from brunch with friends to dinner parties to game nights to drinking at bars and everything in between.
The United States isn't the only place where you'll find a heavy emphasis on social time. Across the Atlantic, the United Kingdom is known for being an extremely extroverted(外向型的) country. A survey of Brits found that more than half had never done and would be unwilling to do activities like going to theme parks or seeing live music alone. Most Brits spend almost twice as much of their leisure time socialising with others as they do being alone.
The home can be a place of rest, relaxation and recharge — that is, if you live by yourself or have the space to be alone in your home. The country in which people are least likely to live alone is India, at about 4 percent of the population. China is also quite fond of multiple-person households, with only about 10 percent of people living by themselves. In more collectivist(集体主义的) cultures like these, many aspects of life are related to community. Thus, spending time alone isn't as ingrained(根深蒂固的) as a social convention in places like these, and the good of the group takes priority over the needs of one person.
