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Quote by Monica Dickens

“It was not until I listened to the desperately lonely people who contact The Samaritans that I began to understand what friendship is, by seeing how terrible and damaging it is to try live without it. The knowledge of knowing of even one, not very close, friend provides some sense of belonging. If you do not belong anywhere it is hard to survive. One of the common elements in suicide is the pain of loss, and the final loss is the conviction that there is no place at all where you safely belong. You are worth nothing, not even to yourself. Especially to yourself. There becomes no point in not killing yourself. People are able to survive for years in a deadly marriage or a dull job, because they do at least belong there. The crippling routine of housework, a production line, a viewless office with anaemic plants - even Mildred's desk and typewriter cover may be what has kept her going all these years. Simone Weil once said that what keeps people committed to a cause is not so much the cause itself, as being part of the way of life among those who serve the cause.”

Book:An open book

Work

An open book

In An Open Book, the reader is taken on a journey through the complexities of human emotions and experiences. The story may delve into personal growth, introspection, and the search for meaning. The book is likely to offer a blend of introspective prose and engaging storytelling, inviting readers to reflect on their own lives and the world around them. more

Author

Monica Dickens

Monica Dickens, a British writer born on May 10, 1915, and died on December 25, 1992. She is known for her unique literary style and profound insights into social reality. more

“It was an unreadable expression begging to be read. In his eyes was unmistakable mirth, even now, worn like one might a daily cloak or shoes out of habit. And yet beneath it all, she thought that she detected a deep and abiding sadness, a palpable forlornness floating to the surface quickly only to be concealed once again.”

Loneliness Eyes Mirth Forlorn

Book:Prince of Chandeliers

Source: Prince of Chandeliers

“Meanwhile, increased unhappiness results from our deteriorating social relationships. Relationships with family, peers, colleagues, neighbors, and community members have proven over and over to be the biggest determining factor in our happiness, once our basic needs are met. Yet because we’re working more than ever before to afford and maintain all this Stuff, we’re spending more time alone and less time with family, with friends, with neighbors. We’re also spending less time on civic engagement and community building. In Bowling Alone, Harvard professor Robert Putnam chronicles the decline in participation in social and civic groups, ranging from bowling leagues to parent-teacher associations to political organizations. We end up with a situation in which we have fewer friends, fewer supportive neighbors, less robust communities, and near total apathy about our role within a democratic political system. As a result, our communities can’t provide the things they used to. One-quarter of Americans now say they have no one in their lives with whom they can discuss personal trouble; that number has doubled since 1985, when far fewer people reported being socially isolated. Alongside emotional support, logistical support has dried up too: if you need child care, help moving, a ride to the airport, food delivered to your door when you’re sick, someone to bring in the mail or walk the dog or water your plants when you travel, or a group with whom to play a game of basketball, softball, or poker, you’re likely out of luck. Increasingly we’re all too busy and/or too isolated for these things. Since we still need all these things, the market has filled the void. We can now hire someone to watch our pets, coach us through a rough breakup, or move our Stuff. We pay for child care and activities to entertain our kids. We can even buy computer games that simulate sports with live opponents. This is commodification at work: the process of turning things that were once public amenities, neighborly activities, or the role of friends into privately purchasable Stuff or services—i.e., commodities. Systems thinkers often talk about negative feedback loops—problems that cause an effect that adds to the original problem. For instance, when global temperatures rise, ice caps melt, decreasing the planet’s ability to reflect sunlight off that bright snow, so global temperatures rise further. The same thing is happening with our melting communities. We have to work harder to pay for all the services that neighbors, friends, and public agencies used to provide, so we’re even more harried and less able to contribute to the community. It’s a downward spiral.”

Community Society Loneliness Capitalism Human Connection Commodofication

Book:The Story of Stuff: How Our Obsession with Stuff is Trashing the Planet, Our Communities, and our Health—and a Vision for Change

Source: The Story of Stuff: How Our Obsession with Stuff is Trashing the Planet, Our Communities, and our Health—and a Vision for Change

“You must be a very lonely person." All I want, is to be cherished, she thought. And here I am talking gibberish with a selfish man. "You must be very lonely indeed." He touched her hand and smiled again. "You were so lucky," he told her, "you had a mother.”

Family Loneliness Selfishness Egocentrism Hill House

Book:The Haunting of Hill House

Source: The Haunting of Hill House