Re: Is loneliness preferred or forced upon people? You're smart as a whip, hell a Belmont whip. Try changing the title to Loneliness, then hit them with your protocol. And I think most people force it more or less on themselves. Anti-depressants are a multi- billion dollar industry. Preferring just means you want to keep to yourself, and that's actually better. the more people you open up too, the more bullets you give them to pop in your skull.
But then you strip out the meaning of being an intelligent creature which was meant to be a social one.
The higher intelligent creatures are the least social, the numb nuts run off at the mouth (thus we know where I fit in)- You don't have to be bereft of intelligence to be social. And actually, we were only meant to be social to reproduce, and we all know what shape that has left us in. I.E.-Overcrowding. All those years studying, and trying to get a scholarship, I eventually got by playing football. Loneliness is a state of being- A place we all fall to, for some it's a defensive mechanism, for others an offensive one. Would you sacrifice your intelligence to have a multitude around you, or fall in line and dictate your own chessboard in the game of life?
But the so called pieces of your "chessboard" would all be your own. nothing more nothing less. I think it would be better to be around people who are beside your "pieces." Even if it is only one person. And i have to disagree all of the higher intelligent beings are extremely social, ie.; Elephants, Dolphins, Whales, Chimps, etc.
Humans bro. Just humans. Animals have instinct, to survive. That cancels out petty dribble emotion, they mate, have whatever they do, and then die(or end up being poked by some kid at a freak show) Human beings can live alone for as long as they choose. Being defined, isn't through someone's elses eyes, it's if you can clearly see your own reflection behind the tears in your very own eyes. Loneliness has seasons as much as matter takes up space.
Animals mourn the dead as much as humans. If a female wolf's mate dies it will not find another. It will mourn its mate untill its own death. Also when a few of my dogs puppies died she refused to eat for about 2 days. Animals have emotion if only be it primal.
I will say you're right to a certain extent. Animals have been known to do some amazing stuff, travel long distance to find missing or lost family members, save others from certain doom. Many things of that nature. I don't doubt they do hurt, but unlike humans, they.... Hold thought. Now that I think about it, I've been seeing a trend on animals being prescribed anti-depressants. Perhaps there is more logic to your argument than I had previously thought. Touche-
I don't know about been lonely but I choose to be alone 95% of the time. I work alone, train alone, play games alone all by choice. I don't feel lonely. I do live with my GF though but shes at work all day.
Forced loneliness sucks and makes you feel bad. Preferred loneliness is stupid, who likes sitting around feeling lonely? I think the word you're looking for is "solitude".
