Do you need "Alone Time"?

I have always been a bit of a loner. I need some time to myself every day (and I don't mean the time in the bathroom). This has been seen by some of my friends and relatives as "weird" and even unhealthy. But modern research is showing that loners are a healthy part of the population who bring much of the detail-oriented skills and creativity to the world. Something perhaps less expected is that loners are not socially insensitive, but actually are oversensitized.

Previous MRI studies have shown that during social situations, specific areas in the brains of loners experience especially lively blood flow, indicating a sort of overstimulation, which explains why they find parties so wearying. But Guyer's results suggest that introverts may be more attuned to all sorts of positive experiences as well. This added sensitivity, she speculates, could mean that people who are reserved have an ability to respond quickly to situations—such as coming to your aid in a moment of need—or show unusual empathy to a friend, due to their strong emotional antennae.

This may explain why I prefer a few close friends to a large pool of friends I barely know. This is to be contrasted with other friends of mine who love to have a wide pool of friends whether or not they have emotional intimacy with any of them. Neither is wrong or unhealthy. Both are useful for society.