Monday 16 January 2012

Lone...

... and two of its derivatives:

There have been times in my life when I have been, or at least perceived as being, a loner. There have also been times in my life when I have been unequivocally lonely. And there have been times in my life when I’ve been neither.

As a result, I’ve been able to observe reactions to both the loner and the lonely person from all angles, and what I’ve noticed is this:

People generally shun both, the former because they anticipate rejection, and the latter because they fear that they will be clung to and smothered with excessive attention. And the lesson to be taken is that if you’re not a genuine loner, be sure not to be perceived as such, otherwise you’re very likely to know what loneliness feels like before too long.

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