A recluse is someone who hides away from attention of the public, a person who lives in seclusion from intercourse with the world; from the Latin recludere, to shut up or sequester. A person may become a recluse for many reasons: a celebrity may seek to escape the attentions of their fans; a misanthrope may be unable to tolerate human society; a survivalist may be practicing self-sufficiency. Also, it can be due to psychological problems - such as apathy, a phobia, or other anxiety disorders. A person may also become a recluse for religious reasons, in which case they are usually referred to as an anchorite or hermit. Latin is the language originally spoken in the region around Rome called Latium. ... A celebrity is a person who is widely recognized in a society. ... For an alternate meaning, see Fan (implement). ... Misanthropy is a general dislike of the human race. ... Binomial name Homo sapiens Linnaeus, 1758 Subspecies Homo sapiens idaltu (extinct) Homo sapiens sapiens Human beings define themselves in biological, social, and spiritual terms. ... A survivalist is a person who anticipates a potential disruption in the continuity of local, regional or worldwide society, and takes steps to survive in the resulting unpredictable situation. ... Autonomy is the condition of something that does not depend on anything else. ... Apathy is the lack of emotion, motivation, or enthusiasm. ... The term phobia, which comes from the Greek word for fear (φόβος, fobos), denotes a number of psychological and physiological conditions that can range from serious disabilities to common fears to minor quirks. ... Anxiety disorder is a blanket term covering several different forms of fear, phobia and nervous condition, that come on suddenly and prevent pursuing normal daily routines including: general anxiety disorder social anxiety, sometimes known as social phobia or social anxiety disorder (SAD) specific phobias agoraphobia claustrophobia panic disorder separation anxiety... A hermit (from the Greek erēmos, signifying desert, uninhabited, hence desert-dweller) is a person who lives to some greater or lesser degree in seclusion from society. ...

Famous examples of people often described as recluses:

• Howard Hughes (movie producer and aircraft entrepreneur) who suffered from obsessive compulsive disorder
• Stanley Kubrick
• Greta Garbo (actress)
• Thomas Pynchon (author)
• JD Salinger (author)
• Emily Dickinson (poet)
• Christopher Lloyd (actor)
• Ted Kaczynski, the Unabomber
• The Collyer brothers

Reclusiveness does not necessarily connote geographical isolation. A recluse may live in a crowded city, but infrequently leave the security of his or her home. However, isolated and sparsely populated states (e.g., Montana, Wyoming, and Alaska) and countries (e.g., New Zealand or Australia) often harbor recluses, who are often seeking complete escape from civilization. Howard Robard Hughes, Jr. ... For other things named OCD, see OCD (disambiguation). ... Stanley Kubrick (July 26, 1928 – March 7, 1999) was an American film director. ... Garbo in the 1920s Greta Garbo (September 18, 1905 – April 15, 1990) was a Swedish actress. ... Thomas Pynchon pictured in his high school yearbook. ... Jerome David Salinger (born January 1, 1919) is an American author best known for The Catcher in the Rye, a classic coming-of-age story that has enjoyed enduring popularity since its publication in 1951. ... A young Emily Dickinson, sometime around 1846-1847, the only known photograph of her. ... Doc Brown (Christopher Lloyd) and Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) from the movie Back to the Future. ... Theodore Kaczynski Theodore John Kaczynski (born May 22, 1942) is a Polish-American terrorist who attempted to fight against what he perceived as the evils of technological progress by engaging in an almost eighteen-year-long campaign of sending mail bombs to various people, killing three and wounding 29. ... Theodore Kaczynski Theodore John Kaczynski (born May 22, 1942) is a Polish-American terrorist who attempted to fight against what he perceived as the evils of technological progress by engaging in an almost eighteen-year-long campaign of sending mail bombs to various people, killing three and wounding 29. ... Langley Collyer (1885-1947) circa 1943 Homer Lusk Collyer (November 1881 - March 21, 1947) and Langley Collyer (October 1885 - March 1947) were two US brothers who became famous because of their reclusive and compulsive hoarding lifestyle. ... State nickname: Treasure State Other U.S. States Capital Helena Largest city Billings Governor Brian Schweitzer Official languages English Area 381,156 km² (4th)  - Land 377,295 km²  - Water 3,862 km² (1%) Population (2000)  - Population 926,865 (44th)  - Density 2. ... State nickname: Equality State Other U.S. States Capital Cheyenne Largest city Cheyenne Governor Dave Freudenthal Official languages English Area 253,554 km² (10th)  - Land 251,706 km²  - Water 1,851 km² (0. ... State nickname: The Last Frontier, The Land of the Midnight Sun Other U.S. States Capital Juneau Largest city Anchorage Governor Frank Murkowski Official languages English Area 1,717,854 km² (1st)  - Land 1,481,347 km²  - Water 236,507 km² (13. ... A civilization or civilisation has a variety of meanings related to human society. ...

In Japan, an estimated 1.2 million people suffer from pyschological problems which cause reclusive behavior. The phenomenon of "Hikikomori" or "social withdrawal" has become a major problem, often blamed on the education system and social pressure to succeed. Hikikomori (ひきこもり or 引き篭り) are reclusive adolescents and young adults that feel overwhelmed by the Japanese society, feel unable to fulfill their expected social roles, and react with social withdrawal. ... Japanese secondary school students in uniform Education has been and is an important issue in Japanese society. ...

References

• Article discussing "Hikikomori" in Japan

This article incorporates text from the public domain 1913 Webster's Dictionary. The public domain comprises the body of all creative works and other knowledge—writing, artwork, music, science, inventions, and others—in which no person or organization has any proprietary interest. ... 1888 advertisement for Websters Dictionary Websters Dictionary is a common title given to English language dictionaries in the United States, deriving its name from American lexicographer Noah Webster. ...