In 1439 the printing press was invented, making books common. Before that, there were scrolls and codices, but from what I understand, aside from religious texts books weren’t common.
Nowadays people who prefer to be alone have tons of modern hobbies like gaming, photography, crochet, biking, podcasts, the internet in general. So I just wanted to ask; if you prefer solitude, what hobby would you enjoy if you could live in any time before books were common? (with the assumption you had a comfortable life.)
The options I thought of were: collecting something, working out, writing, wood working, gardening, hiking, some instruments, and I’m sure there’s many more.
If you don’t like “being around people” then you are the problem. Throughout history people entertained themselves with each other. They told stories, talked, laughed, danced, played sport, etc.
The concept of “being alone” is relatively modern. You should really work on your misanthropy.