Not everyone is afraid of being alone; in fact, reports sociologist Eric Klinenberg in a sterling essay (with charts!) in the juggernaut known as The New York Times, about 40% of households in prosperous cities such as San Francisco and Boston are inhabited by "singletons," and up to 50% in D.C. and NYC.
The decision to live alone is common in diverse cultures whenever it is economically feasible…Now the most privileged people on earth use their resources to separate from one another, to buy privacy and personal space.
Further, Klinenberg reports, living alone doesn't mean loneliness or isolation — in fact, he says that single people often turn out to be more sociable that the marred.
Still, it's a concept that takes some getting used to. Yes magazine posts a sweet video guide:
Kit Stolz 