The paradox of ‘together alone’

[darkenmydoorstep]

I've always found it a weird paradox that most people feel alone so that means humans are actually united in our loneliness, aren't we?

Seems so sad we can't access each other's brain, just join up in one mass cerebral hug.

 

[sserafim]

That's why we're on SS

 

[Namarupa]

One cold winter's day, a number of porcupines huddled together quite closely in order through their mutual warmth to prevent themselves from being frozen. But they soon felt the effect of their quills on one another, which made them again move apart. Now when the need for warmth once more brought them together, the drawback of the quills was repeated so that they were tossed between two evils, until they had discovered the proper distance from which they could best tolerate one another. Thus the need for society which springs from the emptiness and monotony of men's lives, drives them together; but their many unpleasant and repulsive qualities and insufferable drawbacks once more drive them apart. The mean distance which they finally discover, and which enables them to endure being together, is politeness and good manners. Whoever does not keep to this, is told in England to 'keep his distance'. By virtue thereof, it is true that the need for mutual warmth will be only imperfectly satisfied, but on the other hand, the prick of the quills will not be felt. Yet whoever has a great deal of internal warmth of his own will prefer to keep away from society in order to avoid giving or receiving trouble or annoyance.

Your post reminded me of this short parable by Schopenhauer.

 

[Alexei_Kirillov]

@Namarupa love your profile pic btw

 

[4am]

if most people are alone, why don't they just become friends with other alone people, duh

 

[darkenmydoorstep]

T

That's why we're on SS

Totally

Your post reminded me of this short parable by Schopenhauer.

I like that, thanks

 

[Namarupa]

@Namarupa love your profile pic btw

Are you also a Beat Takeshi fan?

 

[darkenmydoorstep]

if most people are alone, why don't they become friends with other alone people, duh

Because they feel the loneliness they're feeling is exclusive to them and in some ways it is because we are all different, aren't we? So feel it in a slightly different way.

 

[Alexei_Kirillov]

Are you also a Beat Takeshi fan?

Unfortunately not, I just like the image :p