On Feeling Lonely

As humans, we sometimes feel lonely. We are stuck at home and can't meet friends and family. Or we get that feeling that we are isolated inside our head and can never share our thoughts and feelings as they are. This can make us sad, frustrated or angry.

We have to distinguish between being alone and feeling lonely. Being alone means we are not physically near another person (or animal). Loneliness is the negative feeling you have when your social connections are not as frequent and intense as you want them to be.

We need to remember that although we feel lonely, we are not alone in feeling lonely. This is part of the shared human condition. We all have our own minds and experience the same feelings. At any moment, there are dozens or hundreds of millions of people experiencing the same feeling as we do.

“We’re born alone, we live alone, we die alone. Only through our love and friendship can we create the illusion for the moment that we’re not alone.” – Orson Welles

Everyone feels lonely sometimes. Every mind is isolated in its head. It is by being mindful, sharing love, and showing compassion that we connect with others.

Knowing this can make all the difference.

This is an excerpt from Feeling Lonely – Nerdful Mind #20, a weekly newsletter about mindfulness for developers.