I have to disagree with you Mel. 'Alone' isn't a feeling; it's simply the condition of being by yourself with no other people (or animals) around you. It doesn't mean, necessarily, that you are 'lonely', which is a feeling. This may seem like a quibble, since people do casually say "I feel alone", but technically that's incorrect.
I do agree that someone being alone doesn't mean that same someone is a miserable, lonely wretch, lol. It's human nature to crave human interaction and validation from others (to say nothing of physical needs) but it is certainly feasible to live a life uncoupled, so to speak.
Technically, yes and I do agree. But part of me remembers feeling alone (in a family group) but not feeling lonely. As a nerdy little introvert kid, I felt alone a lot but I never felt lonely because I had my books. I knew these characters were fictional but combine good books with a good imagination and you got a free vacation at the drop of a hat. I know there are others out there who have expressed the same feeling(s). It's weird because abstract ideas like lonely can mean as many things as the number of people you ask. I wish I could explain it better but I can't :/
I DID feel lonely at school because aside from certain times of the day, you had to concentrate and focus on the class and tasks involved and it wasn't possible to simply pick up a book of your choice and escape. I hated that.
All this is really quibble as you suggest because I really do understand what you're saying; I'm not trying to discredit your ideas or shoot them down.