"No matter how painful it might feel inside, that is my raw reality. I cannot say I am 100 percent happy about it. At times, it feels lonely, but it is better to have a conversation with yourself than with someone who is not equally present emotionally or mentally, or who is just present like background noise."
"Psychologically, it's not just the number of social contacts that matters; the strength and emotional quality of those connections are what support mental health. My entire life, I was surrounded by many people, and I kept them the way you keep the TV on, even when you're not watching it."
"When she said, 'You have no one,' I thought that it would have hurt two years ago. Back then, I would have felt exposed and perhaps ashamed. But now I cannot even fully name the feeling. It is something between shock and a surrender, like, wow, it is true, but let it be, so what? It feels right."
Meaningful relationships require emotional quality and mutual presence, not merely quantity of social contacts. Maintaining connections out of habit or obligation—like background noise—diminishes mental health more than purposeful solitude does. Authentic emotional living means allowing internal states to guide behavior rather than seeking approval through superficial relationships. Loneliness becomes purposeful when it fosters self-clarity and protects mental wellbeing. The shift from shame about isolation to acceptance represents emotional maturation, recognizing that genuine self-conversation surpasses interactions lacking reciprocal emotional investment. Quality connections matter far more than maintaining relationships through obligation or social convention.
#emotional-authenticity #relationship-quality #solitude-and-mental-health #emotional-self-regulation
Read at Psychology Today
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