Solitary man
Well-known member
Most people who have registered on this site are lonely people and those who are experiencing existential pain. For whatever reason, our individual lifestyles have led to feelings of social isolation and a sense of detachment. Many of us suffer from depression, low self-esteem and social anxiety, whilst others may have a personality disorder, some other type of mental health problem or just simply be loners.
Whatever the reason for your loneliness, there is no panacea for loneliness, as we are all different people, and different factors are responsible for our loneliness. Some might say 'just get out there and begin socializing with other people', but unfortunately it is possible to feel lonely in a crowded room.
If like me, you are not a religious person, but have sometimes become despondent and asked yourself the ultimate question i.e. 'What is the meaning of it all?', and failed to come up with a satisfactory answer, you may still be in the existential wilderness and feeling rather lost.
"Man's Search for Meaning" is a 1946 book written by Viktor Frankl. It chronicles his experiences in Auschwitz concentration camp during World War II. Viktor's experiences led him to the conclusion that there was no universal meaning of life, that many people's lives were in fact meaningless, but that we could imbue our lives with 'a sense of meaning' by what we choose to do (or not do) with our lives.
Believers in an afterlife have a sense of purpose in life i.e. to be good Christians/Muslims/Hindus/Jews et al., and to consequently gain entry to the kingdom of heaven. For Atheists and Agnostics, no such light at the end of the tunnel exists, as we either don't believe, or are very reluctant to believe.
I don't want this to be a religious discussion. I simply want you to state what you think the meaning of your (and no-one else's life) is. Why are you here? Are you struggling to find meaning? In light of what I've just said, what do you think you could do to imbue your life with 'a sense' of meaning?
Whatever the reason for your loneliness, there is no panacea for loneliness, as we are all different people, and different factors are responsible for our loneliness. Some might say 'just get out there and begin socializing with other people', but unfortunately it is possible to feel lonely in a crowded room.
If like me, you are not a religious person, but have sometimes become despondent and asked yourself the ultimate question i.e. 'What is the meaning of it all?', and failed to come up with a satisfactory answer, you may still be in the existential wilderness and feeling rather lost.
"Man's Search for Meaning" is a 1946 book written by Viktor Frankl. It chronicles his experiences in Auschwitz concentration camp during World War II. Viktor's experiences led him to the conclusion that there was no universal meaning of life, that many people's lives were in fact meaningless, but that we could imbue our lives with 'a sense of meaning' by what we choose to do (or not do) with our lives.
Believers in an afterlife have a sense of purpose in life i.e. to be good Christians/Muslims/Hindus/Jews et al., and to consequently gain entry to the kingdom of heaven. For Atheists and Agnostics, no such light at the end of the tunnel exists, as we either don't believe, or are very reluctant to believe.
I don't want this to be a religious discussion. I simply want you to state what you think the meaning of your (and no-one else's life) is. Why are you here? Are you struggling to find meaning? In light of what I've just said, what do you think you could do to imbue your life with 'a sense' of meaning?
