It can sound paradoxical, but loneliness has become incredibly prevalent in our world of constant connection. Why are we feeling as lonely and depressed as never before? Maybe these quotes about loneliness will help us understand why.
Most people mistakenly associate loneliness with being alone, having no company to spend your time with, or feeling bored and unamused. However, loneliness is far deeper than that. In fact, there are a few different types of loneliness, and each affects us in its own, unique way.
I believe that emotional loneliness is much more common and painful than the physical one. Emotional loneliness is when you feel alone and misunderstood despite the fact that you might be surrounded by other people. It stems from a lack of deep and genuine communication, not from being physically alone or having few social connections.
The below quotes about loneliness will give you a better understanding of this universal feeling and could even help you find the real reason you might be feeling lonely right now.
Our relations with other people mainly consist of discussing and judging our neighbors’ character and behavior. For me, this has led to a voluntary withdrawal from virtually all so-called intercourse. Owing to this, I have become somewhat lonely in my old age.
-Ingmar Bergman, “Wild Strawberries”
You come home, make some tea, sit down in your armchair, and all around you is silence. Everyone decides for themselves whether that’s loneliness or freedom.
-Unknown
It’s beautiful to be alone. To be alone does not mean to be lonely. It means the mind is not influenced and contaminated by society.
-Jiddu Krishnamurti
I wish I could show you, when you are lonely or in darkness, the astonishing light of your own being.
-Hafiz of Shiraz
People think being alone makes you lonely, but I don’t think that’s true. Being surrounded by the wrong people is the loneliest thing in the world.
-Kim Culbertson
He said, “Don’t you feel lonely living in your own little world?” She whispered, “Don’t you feel powerless living in other people’s worlds?”
-Unknown
Real loneliness is not necessarily limited to when you are alone.
-Charles Bukowski
Never let loneliness drive you into the arms of someone you know you don’t belong with.
-Unknown
Loneliness does not come from having no people around you, but from being unable to communicate the things that seem important to you.
-Carl Gustav Jung
It is strange to be known so universally and yet to be so lonely.
-Albert Einstein
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
Let me tell you this: if you meet a loner, no matter what they tell you, it’s not because they enjoy solitude. It’s because they have tried to blend into the world before, and people continue to disappoint them.
-Jodi Picoult
Deep in my heart, I know I am a loner. I have tried to blend in with the world and be sociable, but the more people I meet, the more disappointed I am. So, I’ve learned to enjoy myself, my family, and a few good friends.
-Steven Aitchison
As you can see from the above quotes about loneliness, this feeling is subjective and carries a different meaning for different people. One person could feel lonely when staying in on a Friday night while someone else could be experiencing emotional isolation in the midst of a loud party.
At the same time, loneliness has nothing to do with the number of social connections or things like fame, approval, and recognition. Even famous people like Albert Einstein and Robin Williams have felt deeply and painfully lonely. So those who seek everyone’s approval and attention are looking in the wrong place.
This is because, in the end, all that matters is what individuals we surround ourselves with. When we find ourselves with the wrong people, no amount of time spent in their company can end the loneliness we feel. In this case, being around others is an attempt to escape from ourselves and the uncomfortable truths we are aware of but wish to ignore.
The key to ending your loneliness is to make friends with yourself first and put the right people in your life. Only when you feel whole within yourself can you enjoy your own company. This is when you will stop attracting the wrong people because of your fear of being alone and will focus on building a genuine connection with like-minded individuals.
Did you find the above quotes about loneliness relatable? Did they resonate with your understanding of what loneliness is? Please share your thoughts on the topic with us.
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Loneliness is NOT having family, either my brother's, sister's or my own kids reach out and ask "how are you doing"...are you OK?? Do you need anything?? Work was all I had, from mid March until places, churches, businesses began opening up...at times I felt like I was all alone in this small town..except for a few folks I met, on my walks.
Hi Venessa,
just wondering did you find feeling like the only person in town scary?
I go on walks, the more isolated the better but I have to be careful being on my own can be a bit dodgy.
Also don't know what it says about me but i like walking around town in the dark - the creepier the better, I'm a bit strange!
Hope your well x
Thanks for that, the quotes were very helpful!
I have experienced loneliness big time over the last 3/4 years and have really enjoyed getting to know myself again.
Hi Venessa,
just wondering did you find feeling like the only person in town scary?
I go on walks and for me the less people around the better but I have to be careful being on my own roaming in isolated places can be a dodgy.
Don't know what it says about me but i like walking around town in the dark - the creepier the better, I must a bit strange, also I like cemetery's!
Guess im your classic loner 😉
Hope your well x
"A dreamer is one who can only find his way..." - Oscar Wilde quotes from BrainyQuote.com "A dreamer is one who can only find his way by moonlight, and his punishment is that he sees the dawn before the rest of the world."