OF THE
TIMES
In a dark room, late at night, a little light can be found... Much to my fiancé's dismay, it's my little reading light illuminating my latest "can't-put-it-down" literary obsession. Life can be pretty trying at times between challenges, obstacles, and not enough hours in the day. Complaining is easy, but in most cases you're just preaching to the choir."Oh for a book and a shady nook..." - John Wilson.
The pain of modern life: Loneliness and isolation
Loneliness, particularly in developed countries, has been growing year on year. The suffocating condition of loneliness is the consequence of feeling isolated, disconnected, and adrift, not of being alone. It is related to loss - of a loved one, of a childhood, of an undefined relationship with oneself. It is extremely painful, erodes trust, and can cause lonely people to "feel others around them are threats rather than sources of cooperation and compassion."
Materialistic values characterise the present, all pervasive socio-economic model; governments of all political persuasions are the docile servants of the system, the partners of the corporations who run it. Together they form the contemporary elite. A contented, united and happy populace is the last thing they want. Social unity and human compassion are the enemies of the elite and an unjust system, which promotes values of greed and indifference.
If humanity is to progress towards a new and peaceful way of living, such values, which creating the conditions in which loneliness is almost inevitable, need to give way to other more positive ideals. Cooperation instead of competition, for example, will cultivate tolerance and understanding where suspicion and selfishness prevail, allowing communities to come together, strengthening unity - a primary need of our troubled times.
Comment: Further reading.