Why Is Dining Alone So Difficult?

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The assumption that people need to be coupled or grouped goes beyond restaurants, said Bella DePaulo, a social psychologist in Summerland, Calif., and the author of the 2023 book “Single at Heart: The Power, Freedom and Heart-Filling Joy of Single Life.”

Scientists have long examined the negative impacts of solitude, but studies on how it can be a peaceful, self-esteem-building experience are rarer, she said. The 2025 World Happiness Report, published last week by the University of Oxford’s Wellbeing Research Centre, suggests that solitary activities, including solo meals, can lead to depression and shorter life expectancies. Dr. DePaulo also pointed to a recent, highly circulated article in The Atlantic, “The Anti-Social Century,” which links practices like solo dining to reclusion and loneliness.

Dr. DePaulo finds that conclusion dubious. “People who are lonely are going to stay home,” she said. “They are not going to go out to a restaurant. People who go out on their own are confident.”

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