The loneliness cliff in Thoughts and philosophical stuff I think.

14/12/22

Today I though about a metaphor for describing loneliness, or the process of becoming lonely. I will just start talking and only experience my point of view, since the objective is seeing and comparing this with my future points of view.

In this context, I describe loneliness not as a state, but as a condition on life. A lonely person is condemned to live alone and sad, and can either embrace that reality and accept such fate or fight against it (by looking for social interaction).

When you are a lonely person, you almost don’t exist for anyone but yourself, and if that is that way, you existence makes no sense if you personally don’t give it one. We as people are just the combination of our different selves. There are as many “Me” as people that know me, since I’m a different person from each one’s point of view. The real me, if it exists, is just the combination of all those people.

When you are lonely and no one really knows you, there are no other “You” but the real you, the image you have of yourself. That’s why loneliness makes a life insignificant unless the actual lonely person has a purpose for living.

The metaphor goes like this:

People stand on the ground, near the edge of a cliff. Some people are also closer to the edge than others. Everyone is on the ground, and if you happen to fall off the cliff, you lose contact with everyone and become lonely. When someone faces a desequilibrium and is about to fall down the cliff or is already beginning to fall, 2 main options are presented:

1. Accept that you are going to fall from the cliff, and enjoy that fall and the feelings it arises. This would mean accepting loneliness and giving yourself a purpose for life. A lonely life, but with a personal purpose, is still positive.

2. Fight for staying on the top, grabbing someone or something. This would mean holding onto relationships or people to stay connected to society. In this case, another 2 things can basically happen:

2.1. You do not fall. You stay were you were. This would mean you had a temporary fall or depression but you got over it.

2.2. You still fall, but you suffer through the fall since you are living the angst of not having been able to stay on top of the cliff. This would mean being taken out of social groups, losing friends or family… Etc

After saying all of this, I ask a question.

If you are almost on the edge of falling,
¿do you choose to accept your fate and fall (a sad ending, but not the worst case possible) or do you cling into anything with all your effort, taking the risk of suffering a horrible fall (you may have a good ending or a horrible one)?

I am currently on that decision state, I am clinging onto things, but not with much strength, I have already accepted I might end up falling, but until that moment we’re in completely in the air arrives, I will try to at least watch the people on top of the cliff and maybe even be part of this people.