What does lonely mean to you?

Question

To me its a state of mind i.e even in a room full of people you have something you want to say or a thought you want to share but no-one you feel you can share it with.

When did you feel the lonliest?

Wow, I'm not lonely now, but I have been

Answer 1

Lonely is standing in a room full of empty chairs, whereupon just two minutes earlier they were full....
New underarm deoderant required......

Answer 2

Lonely can mean many things to many people, you've summed it up qutie well, it can also be that feeling that you are alone in the world, and nobody loves or could ever love you. We humans a social creatures, and as such we generally need to be around others, when this interaction is removed then we feel lost and left out. Also as you pointed out we can feel this way even in a room full of people, and that has a lot to do with a lack of self-confidence, we feel left out if the subject being discussed doesn't interest us, or we don't want to appear stupid by saying something inappropriate. Another time we feel lonely is if we are suffering from depression (as I am at the moment), it seems no one can understand how you feel, and because of this you dissapear into yourself.

Answer 3

Lonely to me is being in a crowded room but feeling left out. Have you ever sat back and watched people deep in conversation. And realise how unattached you are from the world around you. That's when i feel the most lonely. If I'm on my own at home i don't feel lonely as i enjoy my own company. That might not make much sense to you but that's what i think lonely means to me.

Answer 4

I can agree with that. Isolation is another form of lonliness. There was a time at my old job where our annual Thanksgiving dinner for employees at lunch all joined together to eat, my friends whom I used to work with moved on within the company and had different schedules leaving me to eat alone. It seemed very lonely at first, but I got on with it =)

Answer 5

When I became a mum I suddenly realised most of my social life revolved around my work colleagues. Unfortunately hardly any of them bothered with me when I went on maternity leave. I never said a thing about it but never went back to work either. It should have been a happy time but I never felt so lonely in my life.

Answer 6

Your description feels very accurate to me. I've felt horribly lonely sometimes even when surrounded by friends or family.

In contrast I often go climbing or walking on my own and a lonely thought never crosses my mind and I actually enjoy it.

Answer 7

To me lonely means that you could be in a room full of people and still you don't feel like yourself.

Answer 8

Lonliness is more acute when with people than when by ones self.
I don't get lonely now, but as a young child I was very shy, and I hated playtimes, walking around the playground pretending to anyone who might be looking at us children, that I was just walking towards my friends. The fact is at that time I had no friends.
I think some children told their parents about me, and one of their parents told them to make friends with me. Two children asked me if I wanted to play with them, it was then easier to pretend I had friends.
In time I was to accept them as friends.

Answer 9

to me lonely means when you feel that you are on your own with something in a negative way. Like say you're really upset about something but you feel like there's no one you can talk to...that would be a lonely moment,

Answer 10

lonely and alone are 2 different things , i can feel lonely even being with 100 people in one room .... lonely is emotion , its something from inside , u feel alone inside u , in ur heart !

i hope that none of us will feel this for too long !