"Solitude, though it may be
silent as light, is like light,
the mightiest of agencies; for
solitude is essential to man.
All men come into this world
alone and leave it alone."
-Thomas De Quincey

"Language has created the word loneliness
to express the pain of being alone,
and the word solitude to express
the glory of being alone."
-Paul Tillich

"Everyone has a talent.
What is rare is the courage
to nurture it in solitude
and to follow the talent to
the dark places where it leads."
-Erica Jong

"I live in that solitude which is
painful in youth, but delicious
in the years of maturity."
-Albert Einstein

"Solitude is fine, but
you need someone to tell you
that solitude is fine."
-Honoré de Balzac

"It is the worst solitude
to have no true friendships."
-Francis Bacon

"To fix the mind on God is very
difficult, in the beginning, unless
one practises meditation in solitude.
When a tree is young it should
be fenced all around; otherwise it
may be destroyed by cattle."
-Ramakrishna