[Idiom] live to oneself

[Saki6]

Does "live to oneself" mean "live in loneliness"?

Here is an example of "live to oneself":
Silas Lapham might be described as a "man who lived to himself without the knowledge of social good and evil."
http://goo.gl/DmsMnl

 

[andrewberlin]

No. It means he lives with little contact with other people, but that doesn't mean that he is lonely, which is a negative emotion. He may be quite happy living alone.

 

[Saki6]

Is "live to oneself" British English?

 

[Rover_KE]

No. I'd never heard of it before. The writer seems to have coined the phrase for the purpose of his article, and rightly goes on to explain what he means.

 

[Matthew Wai]

Is "live to oneself" British English?

I think 'keep to oneself' is.

 

[andrewberlin]

If you google "lived to himself", you'll find quite a few examples. It definitely sounds a little old fashioned or literary.