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Here's something to consider. Being lonely by myself hurts. Being lonely in a group of people hurts more. Learning about algebraic topology doesn't hurt. I

• eunoia 12y ago
  I really like this explanation. I can see a lot of truth in it from my own childhood.
• researcher88 12y ago
  If I feel lonely and isolated, I am less inclined to be creative. If I am healthy and socially active, I feel more motivated to work harder and create. I have wasted so much while being alone and while being very social. It's a vicious thing but all I can do is improve my habits and seek out balance.
• kijin 12y ago
  Also, "lonely" is different from "alone". Being lonely is being alone and being unhappy about it. If you're alone but you're perfectly happy about it, you're not lonely, you're just alone. Since the world is dominated by extraverts who feel lonely whenever they are alone, it is not surprising that these two terms are often used interchangeably. But to a raging introvert like Newton, they can have completely different meanings.