“Another burden that accompanies higher consciousness and competence is loneliness—the result of transcending the boundaries of traditional culture.
For centuries, only a few among millions—like Socrates and Jesus—undoubtedly rose above the cultural molds and simplistic thinking of their time. Now, thanks to mass communications, psychotherapy, and God’s grace, I would say that hundreds of thousands of adults in our country are at the crest of the wave. They think well enough to question conventional and irrational thinking. They challenge blind devotion to nation or tribe, as well as the boundaries imposed by their own culture, in the interest of their growth. They no longer believe everything they read in the newspapers. They seek the truth and challenge the illusions of what is ‘normal’ circulated by society and the media. They manifest the courage not to give in to the surrounding simplistic thinking… They find that others have a hard time understanding them and communicating with them. They pay the price of feeling at least partially alienated from their loved ones and isolated from their old friends and cultural rituals.”
— M. Scott Peck, The Road Less Traveled and Beyond
Sometimes we resist loneliness because we do not know that THIS is the price. If we know, it becomes easier to accept it. Eventually, the moment arrives when we receive what we have paid for—increased inner strength, independence from the opinions of others, and the attraction of like-minded souls.
