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Old thread, but I found this discussion because I was wondering if I was the only one struggling with "being a loner" and I figured I'd add my thoughts here.
I'm an American. I'm the type of person who can be the "life of the party" and be very loud, funny, outgoing etc but ONLY when I am in the company of very trusted friends, who are few and far between. I have only a few people in my life I consider friends, and it took years and years of getting to know them. Maybe I am weird, but I am just not the type of person to have casual acquaintances, and I'm very shy and quiet around people I don't know.
I'm currently traveling in Indonesia, and I'd add it to the list of countries where it's "difficult to be a loner" because people are SO FRIENDLY and nice here. I realize this is a good thing to most people, and it's a good thing in general. The Indonesian people really are lovely. But the negative is for someone like me, I feel like the biggest *******. I feel like I hurt people's feelings because I am not able to be open or make "small talk" very much. I've had quite a few local men assume that I am looking for a boyfriend because I'm traveling alone. No matter how I try, I can't get them to understand that I like being alone! It's really nothing against them, but it's so difficult to relax at a beach or do just about anything because men won't stop hitting on me (and I'm not even very "hot" physically speaking either).
Someone mentioned Brazilians and I noticed with a group of Brazilians I met that they too were over the top friendly and talkative and this was another time I felt like I was being rude and it made me feel bad. I literally had to go lie down and take a nap after interacting with these Brazilians because it was so exhausting! I just can't talk to people that much so quickly. It's overwhelming.
(If you're wondering, yes I've learned that the backpacking lifestyle is not for me. I was unfortunately lured by the beautiful Instagram pictures and didn't think about all the social complications)
Back in the USA (California) I feel it's easy to be a loner. Maybe people think I'm weird there too, but it seems less noticeable. I've traveled all over the USA by myself before and never felt weird about it. I think in general, people in the USA mind their own business.
I don't know if eating out alone correlates with general social level.
Actually it sort of does relate! The fact people ask me that stuff in the first place means they don't see people eat alone that often... A more introverted, less outwardly-extroverted society would be less inclined to ask such things as it would be relatively normal for people to do that!
Canada for sure. You want to be alone and not see people....lots of places to do that. I used to go hiking with a friend, and we wouldn't see anyone for a week. Paradise, even though I wasn't alone, I could of been is my point
Probably easiest to be ignored in high density population area with wall to wall people. Having lot money help to buy privacy. You need less of a social support system if you are flush with cash.
There arent that many true wilderness areas anymore, that would be other way. Find place without other humans to interact with. The remaining few wilderness areas tend to be pretty inhospitable one way or another. Thats why they arent settled.
Australia is a very social country (beaches, picnics, family BBQs, clubbing, sports venues, etc). Definitely not a 'individualist' country. There are even bad connotations about loners in here, and in school especially where you'd be made fun of for being alone (I was mocked for being a loner in school myself).
I don't know why the OP listed Australia as a 'loner' country just for the fact that it's an isolated country. I mean, being an isolated country doesn't mean that the people therein will be cut off from each other. Lmao. We may be cut off from the world, but we still have each other.
Any country. Supposedly, some blood types are more prone to being loners, and are PERFECTLY HAPPY with it.
Although, having a balance of both is great.
You can spend time in a location where people are constantly socializing 24/7 and feel like a loner if you don't blend in. However, the hustle and bustle of city life does make it exciting, so naturally, one would not want to be a loner as much.
It depends in the culture, I suppose? The more emotionally expressive cultures seem to have less depression, as opposed to those that are more bounded to social hierarchy.
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