They prefer one or two close friends, even though they may know many people and have many acquaintances. Despite this preference, introverts are often criticized for not attempting to make more friends, and are often viewed as lacking social skills.
Introverts tend to enjoy the company of certain people or have a small group of friends, while most loners tend to avoid people completely. Loners seek solitude and prefer introspection to socializing.
In general, based on 2021 survey data, the average person in America has between 3 and 5 close friends. According to this survey: almost half (49%) report having 3 or fewer close friends. over one-third (36%) report having between 4 and 9 close friends.
A loner is a person who does not seek out, or may actively avoid, interaction with other people. There are many potential reasons for their solitude. Intentional reasons include introversion, mysticism, spirituality, religion, or personal considerations. Unintentional reasons involve being highly sensitive or shy.
Loners are attractive because of their confidence. Their personality brings out the best in others. And can get through any challenges life brings.
They work more productively when there's nobody but them. They prefer to tackle projects solo so they can get it done fast. This isn't to say that if you need people around you all the time, you're not intelligent. This is just to say that most loners are highly intelligent.
Sociologist Gerald Mollenhorst investigated how the context in which we meet people influences our social network. One of his conclusions: you lose about half of your close network members every seven years. You are stuck with your family but you can choose your friends.
In the United States, for example, the share of people saying they have no close friends at all went up from 3 per cent in 1990 to 12 per cent in 2021, according to surveys by Gallup and the Survey Center on American Life.
Spending too much time alone increases the risk of suicide for young and old alike. Lonely individuals report higher levels of perceived stress even when exposed to the same stressors as non-lonely people, and even when they are relaxing.
A narcissist has no friends
A narcissist usually grows up as a loner. He/she has no friends and even if they do, most of them are superficial, merely acquaintances. Our friendships teach us a lot about building and maintaining relationships.
Previous studies have examined the heritability of loneliness in twins, children, and adults. After analyzing the results of these studies, the researchers estimated that 37 to 55 percent of loneliness is influenced by genetics.
Not everyone has a huge circle of friends. Some people simply find it harder to connect with others. They could be dealing with social anxieties or shyness. But not having any friends or close relationships can be a red flag in a guy or girl.
Jessica Harrison, a licensed professional counselor and owner of Courageous Counseling and Consulting, says a lack of long-term friendships is a major red flag. "It shows that they have not been committed to growing in relationships, which takes time and effort on both friends' part," says Harrison.
"Lacking encouragement from family or friends, those who are lonely may slide into unhealthy habits," Valtorta says. "In addition, loneliness has been found to raise levels of stress, impede sleep and, in turn, harm the body. Loneliness can also augment depression or anxiety."
According to “The Friendship Report,” a global study commissioned by Snapchat in 2019, the average age at which we meet our best friends is 21—a stage when we're not only bonding over formative new experiences such as first love and first heartbreak, but also growing more discerning about whom we befriend.
The Pareto principle (also known as the 80/20 rule) advocates the same. It states that for many outcomes, roughly 80% of consequences come from 20% of causes. So, 80% of your deep friendship relations will come from 20% of your friends. 80% of your productivity will come from 20% of your tasks.
Friends respect the person and not the position or the title. Friends keep their words – do what you said you will do. Friends do not talk bad about friends – defend your friends in their absence. Friends should always be honest.
They have negative outlooks on society and prefer not to associate or assimilate with others. These can be a beginning sign of an antisocial personality disorder. These individuals are forced into isolation because they are or feel like they have been rejected by society.
You're an introvert.
It gets better. As an adult, you now leverage your strength for processing, contemplating and thinking things over, which is a trait of highly intelligent people. In fact, more than 75 percent of people with an IQ above 160 are introverted.
On average, introverts and extroverts are the same in terms of intelligence. But statistics show that around 70% of gifted people are introverts. People are considered “gifted” when they exhibit above-average intelligence or a superior talent for something, such as music, art or math.