Fun With Existential Loneliness

This week’s Soul Forge Podcast deals with, you guessed it, existential loneliness. What is that? Good question! It is the fundamental basis of human life, or human existence. But, we are having fun with this deep, dark topic. We are not dwelling on the morose. This is a fun episode about something not so fun. Loneliness is something we all experience and can relate to. In this episode, we are going to cover the types of loneliness, and tell personal stories relating to each type. Existentialism is the philosophical study that begins with the human subject—not merely the thinking subject, but the acting, feeling, living human individual. Loneliness is a complex and usually unpleasant emotional response to isolation. Loneliness typically includes anxious feelings about a lack of connection or communication with other beings, both in the present and extending into the future. As such, loneliness can be felt even when surrounded by other people. The causes of loneliness are varied and include social, mental, emotional, and physical factors. Existential Loneliness is a new concept in existential philosophy and psychology. This sense of emptiness and void is really a problem within each person, not a lack of meaningful relationships. However, existential loneliness is deeper than either (1) the absence of a specific person we love or (2) the lack of any meaningful connections with others. Because existential loneliness is so easy to confuse with problems of love or problems of having no relationships, we might spend a few years of our lives struggling with existential loneliness using methods that are appropriate only for interpersonal loneliness. To be happy, we need intimate bonds; we need to be able to confide, we need to feel like we belong, we need to be able to get and give support. In fact, strong relationships are key — perhaps the key — to a happy life. Of course, being alone and being lonely aren’t the same. Loneliness feels draining, distracting, and upsetting; desired solitude feels peaceful, creative, restorative. 7 Types of Loneliness 1. New-situation loneliness 2. I’m-different loneliness 3. No-sweetheart loneliness 4. No-animal loneliness 5. No-time-for-me loneliness 6. Untrustworthy-friends loneliness 7. Quiet-presence loneliness Read more at https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/the-happiness-project/201702/7-types-loneliness-and-why-it-matters#_=_ This week’s podcast promo: We Podcast And We Know Things