Define loneliness

[Wiscoman]

Not to get all clinical about it, but I think loneliness is probably a survival mechanism. Humans are social animals -- some more social than others. In a daily survival situation, we'd be like a pack, cooperating in a way that ensured the maximum number of people surviving. If we find ourselves alone for a long period of time, it may be that the lack of interaction with others kicks into loneliness, driving us to seek out other people and giving us a better chance of surviving.

[awakening2]

I will say loneliness is characteristic of ‘alone’, a league and class of its own which has nothing similar. All existing beings and objects are of substance, so they should not be referred to as alone? For me, therefore, it has been wrongly associated with humans, as they are never alone (surrounded by thoughts, memories, or physical beings and objects). In other words, all living and non living beings and things are not alone and therefore cannot experience lonliness. The question remains unanswered…to answer look at the definition of 'alone', which is “Of or by itself; without any thing more or any one else. Close example using existing limited dictionary vocabulary can be – Nothingness or Vacuum, just as sound can have many shades…so it will never be alone, silence will always be! The only reason which may be attributed to using it for humans is metaphorically not realistically – to ‘stress’ the person is by her/himself…

[thir]

Not to get all clinical about it, but I think loneliness is probably a survival mechanism. Humans are social animals -- some more social than others. In a daily survival situation, we'd be like a pack, cooperating in a way that ensured the maximum number of people surviving. If we find ourselves alone for a long period of time, it may be that the lack of interaction with others kicks into loneliness, driving us to seek out other people and giving us a better chance of surviving.

I think you are spot on here. We are designed to be in groups, and the lack of that will have its effect on most people.