Being alone and feeling lonely are two different things, and the below quotes explain the depths of true loneliness and despair.

I’ve been in a house full of people at times and I have been alone for days, even weeks on other occasions. What I have found is that loneliness doesn’t come from lack of human company. Loneliness originates from a deep disconnect and prolonged absence of healthy stimuli.

This feeling is sometimes hard to express, making loneliness even worse. Quotes about being lonely are often the best way to explain this debilitating feeling.

Quotes that describe the darkness of feeling lonely 

It’s so hard to explain the true meaning of loneliness. It’s not really a lack of company. Yes, lack of human companionship does seem to go hand and hand with loneliness, but it’s really not the true reason. And to explain what loneliness feels like is even harder.

Here are 7 quotes about feeling lonely that might help you understand.

“Solitude is pleasant. Loneliness is not.”

-Anna Neagle

As I said before, being alone is not loneliness. In fact, solitude can help us learn who we are. We have time, separated from other human beings, to figure out what color we like, what music appeals to us and we can even perfect our standards and boundaries.

I learned more when I got the opportunity to have intermittent weeks alone in joint custody of my children. I enjoyed the time with my children, but the time alone helped me develop myself and learn the beauty of spending time alone.

Loneliness, on the other hand, can be present in a room full of people. You can be in a relationship and still feel like you are the only one there. Loneliness does the opposite of help you build character. It tends to break down your self-image and force you to seek identity in others.

“Music was invented to confirm human loneliness.”

-Lawrence Durrell

Music isn’t just an art or a lovely form of entertainment. Music proves that loneliness most certainly exists. With songs, the lyrics speak of the true form of loneliness. Not that all music is depressing, mind you, but it does have a knack for explaining things much better sometimes than we can do through speech.

You might say that music was made to show us the truth of loneliness. Think about this when listening to the lyrics of a popular song.

“If I am such a legend, why am I so lonely?”

-Judy Garland

If you’ve ever seen the movie, The Wizard of Oz, then you’re familiar with the actress, Judy Garland. Well, the real life of this actress is tragic and especially lonely. From an early age, she was battered and broken by fame, drugs, alcohol and other trauma.

Her quote is simple, but it speaks volumes about how Garland must have felt. Althgouh she was loved and admired by millions, she was desperately lonely. Her life can be seen as a true testament to loneliness.

“Loneliness doesn’t come from having no people around you, but from being unable to communicate the things that seem important to you.”

-Carl Jung

Loneliness does not come from having no people around you, but from being unable to communicate the things that seem important to you.

One of the greatest misconceptions about loneliness is the idea that it comes from being alone. I spoke on that already, so that point doesn’t need elaboration. I will, however, expand on the second portion of the quote. It’s the inability to show someone something that’s in your heart because there is some sort of blockage. This is one of the true meanings of loneliness.

Some people, no matter how much they want to, just cannot understand you. It’s tragic. Sometimes, on the other hand, it’s just too difficult a task for you to explain these things to them, and it’s no one’s fault.

“I used to think that the worst things in life were to end up alone. It’s not. The worst thing in life is to end up with the people who make you feel alone.”

-Robin Williams

I used to think that the worst things in life were to end up alone

Robin Williams was a beautiful and talented actor. Unfortunately, we lost him a few years ago to suicide. What Williams says is true. It’s not about being alone. It’s about being around people who just don’t make you feel comfortable, loved, understood, appreciated and respected.

Loneliness comes from many negative feelings, all of which resemble a great loss and neglect.

 “We seek pitifully to convey to others the treasures of our heart, but they have not the power to accept them, and so we go lonely, side by side but not together, unable to know our fellows and unknown by them.”

-Somerset Maugham

Although we say we do not care about what others think, we lie. We go through life trying to tell and show other people how we feel desperately craving companionship and connection.

Many times, other people fail to understand us, and we also fail them as well. We are all so close in our journeys through life, but we are so far apart in the same instant.

“Pray that your loneliness may spur you into finding something to live for, great enough to die for.”

-Dag Hammarskjold

Now, for those who are already battling a bit of loneliness, this quote is for you! I hope that your loneliness helps you find yourself, basically.

In time, your loneliness will open your eyes and pass revelations over your ears. You will dig deep into the reason for life and bring forth a new zest for living. Here, after loneliness is transforming into substance, you will find something great.

Final words

While there are many people who push the “be positive” agenda, and that’s fine, there are also that many more who’ll tell you it’s okay to touch base with loneliness. Your goal is not to be lonely, but to work through this loneliness until you find your purpose.

Quotes about feeling lonely help you see the truth of your darkness and can help you heal as well. I hope these quotes touched you and I would love to hear your thoughts!

References:

  1. https://www.forbes.com
  2. https://www.brainyquote.com

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This Post Has 5 Comments

  1. Shannon

    I can understand this very well as I am a lonely person. I can be in a room with 100 people but if no one can relate or I can’t communicate, it’s like I’m not really there.Its a very lonely feeling. You just feel like you want someone to hug you and say they care and it will be okay.

    1. Sherrie

      Yes, and I have experienced this so many times. I think it’s one reason why I am so picky about face to face friends. I choose my social engagements carefully, not placing myself in too many uncomfortable situations. On the other hand, I attempt, in rare instances, to stretch my comfort and allow growth to help me heal. Loneliness is lack of connection, but sometimes we are able to examine this connection a bit more and let our closest acquaintances pull us a little into uncharted territories.

  2. Don

    A heavy topic here, Sherrie, you have covered it well. I’ve noticed two things about loneliness which seem to be truisms at least to me. One is depression accompanies loneliness or vice-versa, however one wishes to look at it. The second is that everybody needs somebody, but it needs to be the right person at the right time, whether it be temporary or over the long haul. This has been expressed in song so often, such as in November Rain and Somebody To Love. Whether a person has a need to have people around all the time or at the other end of needing much alone time, the best answer to most loneliness, as I see it, is that one person.

    1. Sherrie

      Don,

      That one person is so hard to find until you find them. You quell the loneliness and then other problems arise. Sometimes loneliness is hard to heal. No matter how hard you try to have this understanding from others, there are things that only you understand for yourself. This – this lack of connection at that vital time is what true loneliness is to me. Many pass through life and leave imprints on us, and they are important. Then you meet that one that you truly desire to keep and this is rare.

  3. Zaheer Ahmad

    Great Content! You helped me a lot. Thanks keep it up.

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