Great topic!

I feel loneliness is simply a part of the "human condition."
Although some of us are more or less social/introverted than others, I feel, generally speaking, we are more "pack animals" than not.

We all certainly need one another on different levels.

I grew up in a very crowded house. We often had 2-4 siblings in a bedroom. For many years, we had one bathroom. A total of 7-10 or us in a small ranch house. There was no "alone" time anywhere in the house or yard. However, I felt very lonely because I did not feel I shared interests with others in the household.

Finding one very compatible friend can feel like we've struck gold or won the lotto, just because we can share commonalities, we feel "connected."
While we can feel very alone in a ballroom full of 300 ppl.

I often crave space/time alone.

At the same time, I enjoy people very much.

I miss a friend terribly. We were so close. We are currently on opposite coasts of the U.S. We still try to stay in touch. It is easier to do so with the technology available. I have other friends, compatible friends; we just are not as close as my friend and I have been. There are no pretenses, or attempts to pretend we are someone we are not with one another. Our friendship is both brutally honest and truly beautiful, all at once. Our friendship runs very deep. Our connection and love for one another is probably as close as it gets to "unconditional" Love.

My husband and I are very close, best friends. We share everything together. No pretenses. I am thankful for this. There was a time when we were not so close, when we were both feeling threatened by becoming so close, I think?
We overcame that and just "let it all hang out," the good, the questionable, etc. We also have a very "unconditional Love" type of a foundation now.

I think, for me, it's about feeling truly "connected" with one or a few, as opposed to feeling like I have lots of friends. I can feel very lonely in a large group, for sure. Yet, I can enjoy companionship, esp when we feel a deeper sense of connection, which often takes time and an investment in the relationship, for sure.

I had written about this topic on a different forum last year. Lots of varied responses had followed. One of the forum moderators had responded, saying she never feels lonely, ever. Hmmm... interesting response from someone who spends a lot of her time and energy reaching out to strangers? In all honesty, we are all reaching out on some level simply by participating in forums. Aren't we? We are wanting to participate/interact with other people, aren't we?

Thanks for the topic. It's an important one. I am sure I will continue to think about this and may have some further insights into myself and my sense of loneliness.


WC