Your loneliness is glorious despite defeat

Loneliness begins with confusion and ends in growth. The author reflects on how, for a long time, they used writing to fill long stretches of boredom, mixing false sadness, false satisfaction, and genuine uncertainty. They pay close attention to details, which others may call sensitivity, but they know themselves to be thoughtful and kind. When they say they like something, they mean it. When they avoid answering, it is because they truly do not know how to respond. At times, they pretend to be calm or smile cheerfully, yet always feel out of step with the world around them. Through persistence, learning to obey, and quiet observation, they come to understand that we are not meant to be participants in other people’s lives, but builders of our own. This book records thirty-three kinds of loneliness, hoping to remind readers of their own quiet growth. Above all, it wishes for readers to fear being alone less than others do, and to look back on themselves with compassion in the future.