You are not meant to suffer alone

Recall a moment when you felt hopeless or confused. There is a chance you felt alone in that scene.Because you are not built for that kind of emptiness. You are not meant to suffer alone.

Humans evolved over millennia to live in community. Your ancestors lived in tight-knit groups, dependent on each other for survival, and their nervous systems adapted to this life.

Nature has shaped you for collaboration and trust. Loneliness is an evolutionary alarm: “Hey, something’s wrong.” A signal that you probably pissed off the tribe.

Social isolation used to be a death sentence. Imagine how tolerant early humans must have been. “Sure Gary’s an asshole, but he can build fire.” Yes, there is power in solitude. But when you are feeling goopy, you must find your people.

It doesn’t matter who because we are all family. You need attunement with other humans to regulate emotions. You co-create meaning through shared norms and language.

This is why the deepest wounds come from rejection. Because you need other humans to heal and grow and feel OK. With apologies to introverts, there’s a reason that “loner” is slander and “social butterfly” is praise.

Loneliness is a malady. People are the most potent drug there is.

Everyone you met has once felt alone. In sharing our stories, we find one another. We illuminate the void to say, “I am here too.”