“In the supreme importance that we place on intimate relationships, have we overlooked the deep, sustaining power of solitude in human life?” That question was posed by the psychiatrist Anthony Storr in 1988 in one of the most important books on solitude, Solitude: A Return to Self. His answer was yes.

Storr observed that “the capacity to form attachments…is considered evidence of emotional maturity.” Contemporary scholars would probably revise that a bit, noting that the capacity to form secure attachments is what matters, and they would focus on well-being rather than emotional maturity. Either way, what Storr has to say about that is significant: We shouldn’t just be looking at secure attachments as evidence of emotional maturity; we should also recognize the value of the capacity to be alone.

Even people who have secure and satisfying relationships with other people may not have a completely meaningful and fulfilling life if they do........

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