"Manhattan is the capital of people living by themselves. But are New Yorkers lonelier? Far from it, say a new breed of loneliness researchers, who argue that urban alienation is largely a myth."
New York Magazine, Alone Together: Is Urban Lonliness a Myth? (2008)
Thoughts from Jenny:
I think loneliness takes different forms — and it doesn’t necessarily go away (or come from) the environment. One can be lonely in a suburb, only to have it follow them to the big city. One can be lonely in a relationship that they seek to escape the loneliness of being single. That’s the tricky thing about loneliness — it’s a shape-shifter.
There’s a book by Emily White, Lonely: A Memoir, that addresses this topic — namely how surprisingly taboo this discussion is in our society. According to the self-help tomes, one should be ebulliently ”Alone but not lonely!” at all times — but sometimes that’s just not the case. I’m learning to accept what shows up, and send love and light to myself, others, and/or the source of any pain. Also: yes, I realize the irony of writing this alone in my apartment on a Friday night :)
