Why We Will Always Feel Lonely
The unexpected benefits of embracing eternal loneliness.
I’m already lonely, and I’ll always be lonely. The day will never arrive when I’ll stop feeling lonely for good; I’ll never find a person who truly gets me; I’ll never understand my own mind, let alone the minds of others; I’ll never be safeguarded from grief and loss; I’ll never enter a relationship devoid problems.
None of this is going to happen, alas. Loneliness is eternal. Not that loneliness is inevitable — fleeting moments of harmony and connection have entered my life, and I know they’ll return. Ultimately, though, loneliness will always loom above my skull, like a bank of dark clouds, ready to burst into lightning.
But you know what? That’s fantastic news.
Last winter, I watched a rerun of The Big Lebowski with a group of friends and strangers. When the film was over, we huddled up outside and puffed into our fists to endure the cold.
“What’d you guys think?” one person asked.
“Great movie,” someone replied. Another person said, “Yes, I loved it! Hilarious, too. That scene where he goes, That’s just your opinion, man — ”
The rest of the group chimed in with laughter and more Jeff Bridges impersonations.
