I used to be a hermit in W2 too - that is, until lots and lots of people started spawning on me and the area got super-populated...
Basically, it's the best way to get acquainted with HnH (without getting on peoples' nerves, that is). Also, I found it rewarding to find out much on my own. Punching a bugged deer for half an hour without even hitting it, ah, the good old times...
Being a hermit ended for me when the need for iron started to get in the way of character development (eating wursts, forging armors FTW!). Ofcourse the possibility of building a brickwall was a nice addition (TODAY I know, it should've been priority #1). Then our village and alliance grew, one of us found silver, I started a jewelcrafting alt, and the rest is history...
...well, then there's that part of everyone but me leaving the game. That won't happen in my current village, though, I'm quite sure of that
All in all, being in a community often is more fun than sitting alone in the woods, harvesting the same crops over and over again. But for beginners, I recommend they stick to Mordor wilderness and try their best to survive on their own without any infrastructure. The gaming experience is worth it.
P.S. Go explore your area for mudflat/waterside clay nodes. Making a q10 kiln is nothing short of masochism.