I'm divorced, live alone, parents gone a long time ago, one sister I've never gotten on with. I have good friends and a daughter I love very much but they all live far away from me so communication is mainly electronic, there's no one I actually see regularly. I don't mind this as long as I'm working. That gets me out of myself, that's my main form of daily social interaction. But I get quite antsy during long holidays. I could easily rectify this and go out and make more friends but I just feel that the negatives outweigh the positives. I guess I'm a 'loner' but it didn't come naturally really, it was just a reaction to bad relationships - with romantic partners and with friends. Maybe there's something in me that's weirdly over-sensitive and intolerant of others' foibles but I got to a stage in my early 40s, about 6 years ago, where I couldn't bear to be around people who were sometimes ' off' with me even if they were fine 95% of the time. Since nearly everyone is moody sometimes that of course excluded most of humanity. Maybe that decision doesn't make logical sense, but it made emotional sense to me. I'd been through a depression and felt I had to protect myself or risk going nuts again.

There have also been some people who have been very friendly to me but I haven't let them get too close for reasons that might seem a bit dubious: their topics of conversation didn't align with mine, they've been nice but not interesting. Maybe I've snobbishly rejected chances at true love or friendship. But then I was married before to a woman whom I ended up feeling I had nothing in common with, and I feel like I can't let something like that happen again.

So in the end I guess I'm a bit misanthropic, or at least distrustful of people, and that was a bit hard to get used to at first, but actually being realistic about others, not expecting much from them, can be liberating. You can appreciate people from a safe distance. I found in my earlier years when I was more open-hearted I always ended up feeling cheated, and I'm glad I don't have to feel that anymore.

I never felt more lonely when I lived in London, surrounded by millions of people. However, I did have great work colleagues whilst I worked in a restaurant and I hung out with a great bunch at Uni - but still felt lonely.

Living on Orkney was the least lonely place I have known, even though it is a remote place. Perhaps it is this remoteness that draws people together - I got to know some wonderful people there.

Loneliness has many levels and for me it is about connection with people. The check-out machines at supermarkets are taking away the possibility of even the smallest human interaction for the loneliest in society. The kind automated words of "Please take your items." do not compensate for a smallest of human interaction.

There is also an aspect of choice involved. If the main collective is talking shite most of the time, for example, endless football or Facebook or food - it is better to be lonely than follow the crowd into banality.

I have a friendly and helpful nature but I'm one of the 4.7m without a close friend and I like it that way. I have been that way since I was a teenager. Andy Warhol said everyone was famous for 15 minutes, well, I think everyone is worth talking to for 15 minutes, but no longer. I'm happy, and I wish surveys such as this one didn't dwell on what they perceive to be the negative aspects of certain results. Many people with lots of friends are unhappy. It's depression or extreme bad circumstances that make you unhappy. People say they have 'lots of friends' but they include work colleagues, and Facebook contacts!

The false nature of peoples opline social lifes probably makes a lot of people feel alone.

My feed is awash with pictures of people partying with a group of about twenty others, all squished into frame and with wide eyed grins like someone has spiked them with MDMA is currently tugging them off.

In reality, after the shutters closes, these groups subside to people attempting stilted conversations over loud music and people wearily checking their phones to see who else has temporarily assembled with a bunch of half-aquaintances(sometimes strangers) to make it seem like their life is one long spring break.

I know from being in some of these photos, that the stark contrast of whats being portrayed in frame to how utterly tedious and insular social experiences are these days, can cause some low moods.