Are you one of those who prefer to be alone? Find out how your thought processes can influence feeling isolated in a crowd

Have you ever wondered why some people seem to enjoy being alone while others find it depressing? Well, conventional wisdom says that choice is the key, but science has discovered something even more interesting. Recent research suggests that lonely people may process the world around them differently, even if they regularly socialize with others. In other words, being lonely can be a mindset! Do you want to know more about how lonely people’s brains can be different and how this can affect their social connection?

Recently, a study from the University of Southern California and the University of California, Los Angeles found that lonely people think differently than non-lonely people, even if they have lots of friends! The researchers used MRIs to compare the brain activity of lonely and non-lonely college students while they watched engaging videos and found that the brain activity of the lonely students was very different from that of the non-lonely students.

What does this mean? Well, researchers suggest that lonely people process the world in idiosyncratic ways, which can contribute to feeling disconnected from others and ultimately increase loneliness. However, more research is still needed to determine the underlying cause of these results.

So what can we do about it? Learning more about how lonely people think and how promoting shared understanding could help reduce loneliness. So don’t be afraid to connect with the people around you, even if you are someone who enjoys being alone from time to time. Social connection is important to our mental health and well-being!