Note:
Solitude on any kind of long-term basis may well be abnormal (I didn’t say pathological!). Even religious hermits recognize that. But the fact of abnormality can just call into question what we are otherwise calling ‘normal’. Are the world’s usual ways of living really good? Just because they are the norm? Not necessarily. In this case, I would maintain that abnormal is good, and even better.

Quote:
“Of course, being by yourself is often very desirable. … Differences in temperament, upbringing, and other circumstances have a large part to play in this. But most people do not want complete, long-term solitariness. In fact, most people, even those who are naturally shy and introverted, do not normally choose to be alone all the time. Some do so for religious reasons, becoming hermits. Others do so to escape danger, as when a convicted criminal chooses solitary confinement rather than face prison violence. But even those who make such choices are usually conscious that this is abnormal.” (p. 26)

Source: Wright, Tom. Simply Christian. London: SPCK, 2006.