How do you deal with Loneliness?

I witness a grown man cried today, which i haven't seen in awhile. His life partner just passed away 2 weeks ago due to lung cancer.  "We always do things together, and he won't be here with me anymore!" as he was telling his story, he tried to seek comfort and solace from the people who sat next to him, but I'm not sure if he knew them or not.

American's culture is know for independent, most of us can't wait to be independence and move out of our parent's house once we turned 18. As for me, i was cling onto my family until i was 23! Maybe it's because I'm Asian? or maybe it's because my preference to be depend on the people i knows, the thought of being alone in the world is horrid to me!

That's why i was never really a loner, i can't stand being alone, when i 1st moved out of my parent's house, i was immediately living with a friend. I am always amaze by people who can just be by themselves, how do they do it?

are there such a thing as true loner?

one of the friend i knew in the past, he said he love traveling alone, in Europe, Asia, and USA. He told me, oh it's so much fun to be by yourself in a strange city. Yet every time he was planning to go on a trip somewhere, he was always invited and begged me to come along!?! That's what i don't get, 'Why does people claimed to be a loner, and yet they needed other people companionship?'  I also talked to one of my other friend today, she been alone, living alone since she was 18, she said she like it a lot, but at the same time, she felt very lonely. Sometime she wishes that someone would just do stuff with her, but @ the same time, she's unwilling to let someone in her personal space because she's just got so used to being alone. Most of her friends who knew her for a long time, usually reacted the same way, they left her alone most of the time since they know that she like to be by herself. 

i hate doing things alone, i always try to do everything, if possible, with a friend or 2.  i didn't even travelled by myself for the 1st time until last year. I hated it!!!  and i make sure that all my friends knew about it too! What's the joy of exploring a different place? a city? all by yourself and have no one to share your experiences with? are you that selfish and conceded that you only want to enjoy something good all to yourself only? and if something bad happened to you, that's when you need your friends??? that's when you wish you have friends to help you out? 

I do respect that some people like to be alone, that's when they get their thoughts together, but i hate it when someone acting all "tough" with the attitude like " I don't need you, i can do it by myself" and yet they always wanted me to make myself available at their disposal when it's convenience for them. 

That's not a sign of a good friendship. 

That's not how one's should deal with being lonely.