On loneliness
Loneliness is something I think about quite frequently. I've been quite familiar with it for a while now as I've been living alone in the frozen north for over a year. I'm quite aware that I don't need as much social interaction as other people, but I still require some. I have a tendency to live in my head, so anything that can get me out of that is good for me!
Aaron/Prosad and I were talking on the phone about loneliness and he said that he thinks it is one of the greatest problems in the Western world. He said he talks to all kinds of people, many of whom are very successful, who admit to being very, very lonely.
Loneliness also has little to do with the number of people surrounding you. It has more to do about whether or not you connect to the people who are around you. You can be in a relationship and still feel insanely lonely. People have said that they are lonely even when they are in families and relationships, which again might correlate back to the idea that it's really about the connections we have, rather than the sheer number of people we have around us.
I wonder if people in lesser developed countries, where there are more kinships ties, would admit to having the same problems with loneliness. In the Philippines and Indonesia, people were rarely alone and were always surrounded by family and friends. I think this may have some health benefits, actually.
My own personal take on loneliness? It's impermanent. It is a feeling that comes, that can pass, and that can change with positive action. It's an affliction that can be cured. It's serious and can be debilitating, but it's not always permanent.
Aaron/Prosad and I were talking on the phone about loneliness and he said that he thinks it is one of the greatest problems in the Western world. He said he talks to all kinds of people, many of whom are very successful, who admit to being very, very lonely.
Loneliness also has little to do with the number of people surrounding you. It has more to do about whether or not you connect to the people who are around you. You can be in a relationship and still feel insanely lonely. People have said that they are lonely even when they are in families and relationships, which again might correlate back to the idea that it's really about the connections we have, rather than the sheer number of people we have around us.
I wonder if people in lesser developed countries, where there are more kinships ties, would admit to having the same problems with loneliness. In the Philippines and Indonesia, people were rarely alone and were always surrounded by family and friends. I think this may have some health benefits, actually.
My own personal take on loneliness? It's impermanent. It is a feeling that comes, that can pass, and that can change with positive action. It's an affliction that can be cured. It's serious and can be debilitating, but it's not always permanent.