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Loneliness is a complex, confusing, and diverse sensation. Chances are, we’ll never be able to express it fully. But we can try. In fact, we should try because most people still have misconceptions about loneliness. We’ve all experienced this painful feeling but often struggle to put it into words. What’s worse, loneliness has become stigmatized […]
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It’s hard to say when the history of loneliness exactly begins. But one thing is clear: Loneliness is a deeply inherent human feeling. It developed as a survival instinct — like hunger — to signal us the importance of companionship. And because our brain software hasn’t really changed for millennia, this feeling of loneliness is still the same as […]
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The language we use to talk about loneliness (if we ever talk about it) is like scrambled eggs. We put all the vocabulary in a humungous frying pan, give it a sturdy whisk, and add ingredients according to our fantasy and imagination. For instance, a friend recently told me, “I like being lonely.” But what […]
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One of the most frustrating things about loneliness? It’s complex. Everyone experiences different kinds of loneliness in different stages of their lives. Loneliness is not a lightbulb we can turn on and off; it’s a vast spectrum of brightness, colors, and temperatures. But that doesn’t mean we’re powerless. Quite the opposite: With just a few […]
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The first time I remember feeling lonely — really lonely — was when I moved out from home. I was 18 and felt like the whole world was at my feet. My grand vision was to become an engineer, earn lots of money, and travel the world. And while two of these things happened (not the money), I was […]