What is loneliness? Do you feel lonely?

Question

"Loneliness does not come from having no people around, but from being unable to communicate the things that seem important to oneself". This is a quote of Carl Jung. I came across it today by chance on Google and it has made me reflect on this idea that we all associate loneliness with the idea that in order to be less lonely we need people around to fill that silence.

I do believe that you can have all the people in the world around you making all the noise but the truth is it won't ever be the solution because in reality we feel alone because we feel unheard, unseen and misunderstood. In a world that is making us retreat more and more into ourselves shouldn't we perhaps reframe this concept and transform it into a strength rather than a weakness?

BobbieBoy666 · Accepted Answer

I'm always lonely.

Feeling lonely despite having friends often stems from a lack of emotional depth rather than a lack of social contact, notes YouTube video. Key reasons include having only superficial connections, feeling misunderstood, or fearing vulnerability. Other factors involve needing deeper intimacy, experiencing life transitions, or mental health issues like depression or anxiety.
Common reasons for feeling lonely while surrounded by friends include:
Lack of Deep Connection (Superficiality): Your friendships may be based on shared activities rather than emotional intimacy.
Feeling Misunderstood or Unvalued: You may feel that your friends do not truly know or appreciate your authentic self.
Need for Vulnerability: Fear of being judged or rejected can cause you to hold back, creating a barrier to true connection
.
Emotional Mismatch: You might be in a different life stage, or your emotional needs are not being met by the group.
Distraction/Lack of Presence: Friends may be physically present but distracted by phones or other concerns.
Unresolved Conflict: Lingering, unspoken issues can create distance in friendships.
Mental Health Struggles: Conditions like depression or anxiety can cause feelings of isolation, regardless of your social circle.

To combat this, consider fostering deeper, one-on-one conversations, being more vulnerable about your needs, or seeking professional help to address underlying feelings of disconnection.

Bricealan · Accepted Answer

@thegreenyogi I am alone many times but never feel lonely. Then again, I do not feel comfortable in a large crowd. I like my own company and space. I like your ideas, and I do feel it is strength and not a weakness.

Good things there in your post to think about. Good ideas

bobalife · Accepted Answer

Thanks for sharing the beautiful quote and message behind it. The social norm of loneliness is defined in a social or romantic context. But I agreed that another form of loneliness is not feeling understood, heard, or seen by those around you. I’m sure we all experienced that in some ways throughout our lives. I think that’s why it’s so important to spread more kindness because everyone is going through someone and it’s for the greater good to have more compassion within our community.
I definitely felt this concept of loneliness multiple times last year… but I’m glad I overcame it and 2026 has been a blessing so far. It’s important to stay connected and build our safe community.

ElenaSeluna · Accepted Answer

Those are very nice words, and yes, some people give me that feeling. So I will avoid those people, even if I am attached to them, because they not only make me feel lonely but also make me feel depressed, unworthy, and.. sad. But fortunately, I will always have those people in my life who make me feel appreciated and valued.

HawkPerception · Answer

Carl Jung is entirely accurate. And when you have a good friend who seems to understand you very well, there's no better feeling. All you really need is just one friend that you can rely on... that you can rant to about anything and vice-versa.

The reason there's a loneliness epidemic is due to everyone being somewhat narcissistic and not trying to understand others while hoping someone is able to listen to and understand them fully. That paired with social media as a false sense of connection is why society's social dynamic is deteriorating rapidly. So many mental health issues because people have no social outlets.

Rangers · Answer

Most people in school accused me of being lonely, I always said "Being lonely isn't being alone, it's being surrounded by people who all like a fake version of you, and have no idea who you really are".

I may have been the loser who ate lunch alone, i was also right. Being alone has no expectations of who you are, just be yourself. To be surrounded by people who'd scold you, the second you drop the act, that's torture.

This is why it's actually not surprising at all that most of the "weird" guys i know are now married to these very same girls who thought if they just play the game, they won't be lonely. If nobody likes who I am, which is not something I believe, so be it.

I'm not being tortured every second of every day, like people who pretend to be someone they're not to get popularity are. Maybe I'm just delusional and bitter, or maybe I'm damn right.

You be the judge

aaron13547 · Answer

I think loneliness is about connection like you said; if we feel like we are separate from the world we live in then it becomes uncomfortable. When a person is uncomfortable to be around other people it shows, and justifies to them they are separate from us. Its fear and connection is love. Fear and love our opposites. Loneliness is fear of oneness. It is how everything separate into each of us...

So yes I fear being alone. Everyone does. Its easy to be alone when we figure out how to do it... Cooperating with the rest of the world to not feel alone... Thats scary to everyone.

Life is just a journey to know ourself 😉

Chazmatazz269 · Answer

Jung pretty much nailed it.
I do feel lonely, frequently. There is a variety of factors. Some of which i have been able to overcome and others i have not. A significant part of the problem is that i often manage my loneliness in unhealthy ways. This is largely because the only socially acceptable ways for men to deal with loneliness are self destructive.
So we can seek out non-destructive means and be destroyed by our peers and contemporaries, or we can slowly kill ourselves. I chose the latter, as do most men.

TonyMetal___86 · Answer

Tbh miss yogi, i am lonely and i feel lonely, even though i have a lot of friends and thank for having my family around me all the time, but what i mean about being lonely or feeling lonely is when it comes to romance, love a relationship, a wife, i miss them all ☹

7Phoenix7 · Answer

I agree, loneliness is not just having no one around but not having anyone that understands you or truly sees you…

MontBlanc · Answer

Loneliness isn’t just being alone. It’s feeling unseen, even in a room full of people.

I don’t mind solitude , I value it.

Loneliness only shows up when connection lacks depth, and I’ve learned to choose depth over noise.

NathanDavis · Answer

nope, I don't feel lonely...  not since I was a young child, anyway I knew loneliness, yes... and I know how it can be, to be without myself but, those moments are in the past (KnockingOnWoodThough)

Account · Answer

I can acknowledge what it could be for other people, but I am unable to experience it. It is something I cannot feel. I know what being alone is of course, but I can't say that I can experience how it feels like to be lonely.

exitseven · Answer

Loneliness is when you miss having a connection people. You can be surrounded by people and still be lonely

FreyaRed · Answer

I'm lonely like an crocodile laying on ground of a water hole waiting some meal comes too drink. Does a crocodile complain there are no other crocodiles around?

queenofcardio · Answer

I rarely feel loneliness. I tend to surround myself with like-minded people so I'm usually understood.

Nikki1989 · Answer

It would be impossible for me to feel lonely. I have too many good people around me for that to happen.

Shiprex · Answer

Sometimes I feel like it would be nice to have someone around to hang out with,

BadApple69 · Answer

As long as I have myself to talk to I’ll never be lonely.

DryGermanGuy · Answer

„I’m alone, I’m not lonely.“  - Neil McCauley, Heat

Cidknee · Answer

A female boss of mine told me if you can't be happy alone you won't be happy with someone. I don't know but it seems to be a mind thing now but then it was probably just horniness.

Shy-boy53 · Answer

At times I do, at other times I don’t. At times I enjoy my solitude

ABitShattered · Answer

I think all of us carry something deeply heavy and painful and the inability to express it and be understood is what causes loneliness

Anonymous · Answer

loneliness is proof that you are a social animal. you wouldn't be lonely if you don't need other people

FunkyMonkee · Answer

Almost constantly, most of my life!!

douride2 · Answer

I live alone but I am not lonely.

MereAnarchy · Answer

Loneliness is other people.

Agape93 · Answer

All the time

Anonymous · Answer

I almost never feel lonely.

Hopeless30 · Answer

Yes most of the times 😔

WhitneySnow · Answer

Sometimes

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