‘ ‘Forget sex or politics, Forget sex or politics, loneliness is the subject loneliness is the subject that clears out a room.’that clears out a room.’

Douglas CouplandDouglas Coupland

‘‘The most terrible poverty The most terrible poverty is loneliness, and the is loneliness, and the feeling of being unloved.’feeling of being unloved.’

Mother Teresa of CalcuttaMother Teresa of Calcutta

Annie DillardAnnie Dillard

‘‘Language has created Language has created the word loneliness to the word loneliness to

express the pain of express the pain of being alone.’being alone.’

Paul TillichPaul Tillich

‘‘Loneliness is about the Loneliness is about the scariest thing out scariest thing out

there.’there.’

Joss WhedonJoss Whedon

‘‘You write a story about You write a story about loneliness. And you grab loneliness. And you grab

them all because them all because everybody’s an expert on everybody’s an expert on

that one.’that one.’

Theodore Sturgeon Theodore Sturgeon

‘‘When we truly realize When we truly realize that we are all alone is that we are all alone is when we need others when we need others

the most’the most’

Ronald AnthonyRonald Anthony

‘‘The dread of loneliness The dread of loneliness is greater than the fear is greater than the fear of bondage – so we get of bondage – so we get

married!!.’married!!.’

Cyril ConnollyCyril Connolly

‘‘There is no loneliness There is no loneliness like that of a failed like that of a failed

marriage.’marriage.’

Alexander TherouxAlexander Theroux

‘‘What should young What should young people do with their lives people do with their lives today. The most daring today. The most daring thing is to create stable thing is to create stable

communities in which the communities in which the terrible disease of terrible disease of

loneliness can be cured.’loneliness can be cured.’

Kurt VonnegutKurt Vonnegut

‘‘Remember we’re all in Remember we’re all in this alone.’this alone.’

Lily TomlinLily Tomlin

‘‘There is a difference There is a difference between solitude and between solitude and

loneliness.’loneliness.’

Maggie SmithMaggie Smith

‘‘The principal contributor The principal contributor to loneliness in this to loneliness in this

country is television. country is television. What happens is the What happens is the family ‘gets together’ family ‘gets together’

alone.’alone.’

Ashley MontaguAshley Montagu

‘‘Loneliness is the first Loneliness is the first thing which God’s eye thing which God’s eye

named, not good.’named, not good.’

John MiltonJohn Milton

‘‘If you are afraid of If you are afraid of being lonely, don’t try to being lonely, don’t try to

be right.’be right.’

Jules RenardJules Renard

‘‘The eternal quest of a The eternal quest of a human being is to human being is to

shatter his loneliness.’shatter his loneliness.’

Norman CousinsNorman Cousins

‘‘We have all known the We have all known the long loneliness. And we long loneliness. And we

have found that the have found that the answer is community.’answer is community.’

Dorothy DayDorothy Day

‘‘Man’s loneliness is but Man’s loneliness is but his fear of life.’his fear of life.’

Eugene O’NeillEugene O’Neill

‘‘Fame doesn’t end Fame doesn’t end loneliness.’loneliness.’

Claire DanesClaire Danes

‘‘When I decided to be a When I decided to be a singer, my mother singer, my mother

warned me I’d be alone warned me I’d be alone a lot. Basically we all a lot. Basically we all are. Loneliness comes are. Loneliness comes

with life.’with life.’

Whitney HoustonWhitney Houston

‘‘The end comes when we The end comes when we no longer talk with no longer talk with

ourselves. It is the end ourselves. It is the end of genuine thinking and of genuine thinking and

the beginning of the final the beginning of the final loneliness.’loneliness.’

Edward GibbonEdward Gibbon