It is better to be alone than in bad company. — George Washington

It is better to be alone than in bad company.

Author: George Washington

Insight: There's a specific kind of exhaustion that comes from pretending to be engaged when you're actually shrinking. We often say yes to plans we dread just to avoid sitting with ourselves, tolerating friendships that drain us or situations where we have to edit our true thoughts just to keep the peace. Choosing solitude isn't about hating people; it's about protecting your own energy from being slowly diluted by expectations that don't match who you are. Sometimes bad company isn't malicious, it's just misaligned. It's the group chat that fuels anxiety or the workplace culture that rewards burnout. Solitude gives you the space to hear your own intuition again. When you stop filling every silence with noise, you realize that being alone is actually a form of respect for yourself. It's the difference between feeling lonely and feeling grounded.