Loner

[MrsNutkin]

Is the term “loner” negative? I’ve always thought so. What do you think? I guess it depends on the context

[long road]

Generally I feel it has a negative connotation the kind of thing others use to gossip about others or put them down.
I guess if someone said it about themselves then it's different a bit like people declaring themselves as being an introvert. Then it's not a bad thing it more stating you prefer your own company.

[Cacoethes]

Idk. You hear it lots in terms of serial killers e.g 'they had always been a loner'
But in general, some people just prefer to be alone and that's fine!

[nonperson]

Calling someone a loner is usually meant very differently to saying someone likes their own company.

I don't like being alone sometimes but I also don't like being around people a lot, but that doesn't mean I'm a sad pathetic loner or a serial killer!

I don't think the use of the word depends on context - I think it's generally meant in a negative way.

I like being alone but I'm not a "loner".

[long road]

I agree loner is definitely mor eaccusatory / negative.

I just thought some people might try and reclaim the word sort of thing. But now ai have thought about it I have only heard people using it in a self deprecating way. And with the clarifier a bit of a loner

[MrsNutkin]

A psychiatrist used this term to describe me. I told them I didn’t like it because of the negative connotations and they said they’d never heard of it being used to describe serial killers.

I prefer to say I like my own company.

[nonperson]

I think using it to describe serial killers is an extreme example tbh and not the connotation that most people would think of first.

[Auror.]

Not going to lie, the serial killer reference is very much the one I thought of first. Anyways yes, agree that it has a negative connotation.

I think most folks would use the term introvert if they did not mean to imply something negative. At least that is what is typically used where I live in the US.