You know (to adopt the easy or conversational style) that you and I belong to a happy minority. We are the sons of the hunters and the wandering singers, and from our boyhood nothing ever gave us greater pleasure than to stand under lonely skies in forest clearings, or to find a beach looking westward at evening over unfrequented seas. But the great mass of men love companionship so much that nothing seems of any worth compared with it. Human communion is their meat and drink, and so they use the railways to make bigger and bigger hives for themselves. . Hilaire Belloc
About This Quote

I was amazed when I first read this. How can anyone be happy in a crowd? Happiness comes from being alone, or perhaps in a group of close friends or family. When we feel lonely, we often think that if we could just be with “that one person” we would be happy. But we were only thinking of the emotional aspect of the relationship and missing the truth that happiness is tied to our relationships, not just to one person or thing. As Theodor Adorno wrote in his book Against Romance: "the only necessity is to be alone."

Source: On Nothing And Kindred Subjects

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