Last week, as I was visiting a nearby church here in our area, I came across a homeless man. He was sitting near the entrance of the rectory. All by himself, he was talking. Mumbling some words barely comprehensible. I felt pity for the man.
He was dressed in ragged clothes and carrying a sack. Inside the sack were his few possessions and some garbage he picked up along the streets. In his hand was a bottle of water. I could see that the bottle was almost empty. The sight of the man touched my heart. I decided to approach him.
I went over to my pocket and reached inside. Some spare change and a 20 peso bill. I decided to give this to him. As I turned the money over to him, I could see in his eyes a gesture of thankfulness though he just stared at me. But no words were spoken between us. As we left the place, questions began to arise in my mind.
Was the man truly alone? was he even lonely? Only he knows the answers hidden deep within himself. Sometimes I even wonder if was he truly lonely. or is it just a state of mind?
Every once in a while, we experience some sort of loneliness within ourselves. As human beings, we are vulnerable to these emotions because it makes us human. It makes us alive.
What is loneliness?
Psychologists define loneliness as "a state of distress or discomfort when one perceives a gap between one's desires for social connections."
But why do we feel lonely?
To answer this question we need to examine ourselves why we are lonely in the first place. What causes our loneliness? Do we need validation from other people about our feelings and emotions so that we can be happy and not be lonely? I highly doubt so.
But every once in a while, something bothers us. Something affects us on a deeper level. The subconscious mind starts to search for answers.
For centuries philosophers have tried to ponder these questions, seeking answers to these fundamental elements of human emotions.
Soren Kierkegaard's thoughts on loneliness were "I am alone, as I have always been; abandoned not by men, that would not pain me, but by the happy spirits of joy who in countless hosts encircled me, who met everywhere with their kind, pointed everywhere to an opportunity.”
St. Augustine says "You have made us for thyself, O Lord and our heart is restless until it rests in thee".
Even our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ has experienced loneliness. "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matt. 27:46; Mark 15:34)
However, solitude and loneliness are not the same. Some men prefer to be alone all the time. They may seem to be lonely because they are alone, but deep inside they are in good company with themselves. Alone, but not lonely.
Now, you may ask, how do we deal with the feelings of loneliness? Can loneliness be avoided? Loneliness my friend, can not be avoided. We just need to deal with it positively. The stoics said it best: We suffer more in imagination than in reality.
Until next time my friends!
The feeling of loneliness for me must be given attention. We have problems and worries sometimes but we must try to have a coping mechanism in order not to turn into a depression that could affect our mental health and so our lives. No man on the island, so if possible we may talk to our friends, or we can share what is in our minds and what we are feeling right now.
exactly mam
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For years, I was alone and spent a lot of time alone. I wasn't lonely. I was content to be alone. Then one day, I grew to be lonely. That's when I began to look for a wife. It took many years to find one, but I finally did.
There were other times in my life when I felt lonely for a short time because I had been with others for a few hours. When the party, event, family reunion, or whatever ended and everyone went home, there was a period of loneliness that came upon me until I could shake it off.
Loneliness is nothing more than a sensation that arises from within. If we know what causes it, we can lessen its effects. With God, I am never lonely.
Amen brother
most times i get lonely and i get depressed but i had to make it stop by always making sure i am with my friends in order to reduce the chances of loneliness
having a close circle of friends surely helps
Lonelyness is really a disease, it a very bad thing for someone to be lovely. It cause someone death very fast. So inorder to safe yourself from lonelyness you need to be talking to people and make some friends to dialog with. Thank you for the post.
welcome!
Loneliness is a bad feeling that can cause depression to illness. To escape loneliness you need a friend to talk to or things to do to make you happy.
james taylor was right in his song youve got a friend
Loneliness is a natural and typical human emotion that everyone goes through at some point in their lives. It's a sense of being separated or isolated from others that might happen even while we're surrounded by people or in social situations.
But I always remind myself that it is normal to feel lonely at times. It serves as a reminder of our fundamental need for connection as well as a chance for personal development and self-reflection. 🥰
perfectly normal as human beings to experience loneliness sometimes
Exactly 💯!
You have a kind heart @thecuriousseuss .You are to be blessed..😇😊