to be alone

But the thing is there's a difference between being alone, and feeling lonely. 

Being alone simply means you are by yourself. One can be completely alone, yet perfectly content.

The second is more intense. It is a longing. Whether it's for a friend, or perhaps more, you ache for someone to share yourself with.  One can be in a room full of people, yet feel unutterably lonely. 

Being alone is self-sufficient. As Ben Howard says, "I don't need nobody / to be alone."

Feeling lonely is dependent. You need someone, yet simultaneously you are disconnected from everyone.

I constantly find myself circling these two states.