|
At first i was not going to respond to this inquiry. Loneliness is a feeling that involves feeling connected to other people, other loved ones. If neglect occurs at some point in a person's life...friends at school, church,home, the loss of this connection is felt. If you were to pass away would it matter to you if no one in the world cared? Older people suffer loneliness when the have less of a purpose or function in life and when many of their friends and family which helped give their life meaning have passed away before them.
Loneliness is not really about being alone so much as feeling disconnected from the world.
Solitary confinement is different. Many people get scared when faced with their own thoughts. Silence can force an internal look at one-self. Too often people criticize what they see in themselves negatively. This negative criticism sometimes is learned from the media, family and friends talking about others, and provoked by chemical imbalances. In general people were designed to be social creatures. It is important to have a community, or family, or group where the individual has a purpose, a function, within that group. This gives them meaning. So when alone it is okay...may even be preferred as a result of the meaning found from being part of the group, or community.
It occurred to me after reading all the posts that you were genuinely interested, not really poking fun of those who experienced loneliness. You both, Opaq... and Ygec..., might ask Doc John to explain what is loneliness.
|