Passage one

There is a saying that goes something along the lines of ‘You must love yourself first before you can love someone else.’ Similarly, I personally believe that you must be comfortable and happy in your own company before you can truly be yourself in the company of others. There is a massive difference between being lonely and being alone. Loneliness is a horrible feeling. However, you don’t have to actually be alone to feel that way. Many times, I’ve felt lonely when surrounded by a big group of people. In contrast, being alone can actually be a blessing, particularly, when you’ve actively chosen it. In my experience, being bored and alone is dangerous and can easily lead to the feeling of loneliness. The trick is to be active. Get outside, stretch your legs, do something cultural, buy yourself something tasty to eat or something pretty to wear. You don’t have to take anyone else into consideration and can do whatever you please. Spending time alone also allows you to more efficiently take care of problems. And then, when it’s time to be social and meet up with your friends, you will be fully there, because you won’t have too much other stuff floating around in your mind. Having been alone for a bit, you will also appreciate your friends’ company more and chances are your time spent together will be more worthwhile.

Question 16: What does the speaker say about being alone?

Question 17: What does the speaker say how to reduce one’s feeling of loneliness?

Question 18: What is an advantage of spending one’s time alone?