Why We Feel Lonely and Different

Have you ever caught yourself comparing the behind-the-scenes areas of your life, that only you truly know, to what you see or hear on the surface from other people? The reality is that you are only catching a glimpse into the lives of those around you from the parts that they want everyone to see.

Social media is especially flooded with people sharing the best parts of themselves, and if you are to accept this filtered view as truth then it can undoubtedly leave you feeling lonely and different. According to The School of Life this psychological asymmetry stems from the inability to realistically envision other people sharing similar desires, jealousy, hate, cravings, shame, and sorrows to your own.

“It appears in dark moments that no one could possibly both know and like us. The solutions to psychological asymmetry lie in two places. Art and love.” - The School of Life

Art and love both provide intimate views into the inner lives of others by helping to show the shared troubles, thoughts, and hopes that you may feel alone in experiencing otherwise.

In times of loneliness try to remember that everyone is far more alike your inner self than they are to the personas they project to the world.