The Politics of Loneliness

Jay Griffiths explores how authoritarianism is built on alienation

Lonely hurts. It hurts at the edges. The edges of the day, if you wake and fall asleep with no one: unwanted. The edges of the home, if you leave without a goodbye and return to no welcome: unmet. The edges of the body if you have no one to hug: unneeded. The edges of the heart bruised by isolation: unloved. 

Alone, alone, alone. You don’t matter.

Loneliness is not solitude, that chosen state: serene, sweet, and medicinal, good for creativity, thinking, and self-righting. Loneliness is harmful. Loneliness can kill. Long-term loneliness can increase the risk of a stroke by up to 56%.