Loneliness.

Feeling alone.

No matter whether you are alone or not.

Together with colleagues in five different countries, I have talked to 44 people about their experiences of loneliness. These 44 people have not been selected because they were lonely, but because they are human beings. And human beings tend to feel lonely sometimes.

Other than that, they come from quite different places:

Some are from safe, nourishing families, some from challenging families, some have lost their families;

some are living with their parents, some are living with their almost grown-up children;

some are in partnerships, some are single;

some are men, some are women;

some are into men, some are into women;

some consider themselves religious, some consider themselves spiritual, some consider themselves agnostic, some consider themselves atheist;

some are politically more liberal, some are politically more conservative;

some are living in villages, some are living in towns, some are living in cities;

some have large friendship circles, some have a selection of loved ones, some have themselves;

some have never encountered severe loneliness, some have rarely encountered not feeling lonely;

some are from India, some from Egypt, some from Israel, some from Bulgaria, some from Austria, some have moved.

All are between 24 and 44 years old and courageous enough to talk about loneliness.

Through the videos on this website, I want to share with you what they taught me in hours and hours of conversations.

Because your loneliness may be easier to bear if you know that you are not alone with it.

Because you might feel relieved to hear that loneliness often has nothing to do with how many relationships you have, how often you hang out with others, or how good your relationships are.

Because you might understand that your partner’s loneliness has nothing to do with you.

Because you might get a better idea of what all this talk about loneliness is about.

Because you might get some inspiration regarding how you could deal with your loneliness, or how you can more easily live with it.

but what is loneliness exactly?