--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: At some point just about all of us…" description: "\"At some point just about all of us experience loneliness. In a sense, it is what it means to be a sentient animal, to have an experience of separation ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b44/thomas-l-dumm-34424_animal_at-some-point-just-about-all-of-us-exper_1739866.jpg" --- # At some point just about all of us experience loneliness… ![“At some point just about all of us experience loneliness. In a sense, it is what it means to be a sentient animal, to have an experience of separation from others.” quote by Thomas L. Dumm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b44/thomas-l-dumm-34424_animal_at-some-point-just-about-all-of-us-exper_1739866.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b44/thomas-l-dumm-34424_animal_at-some-point-just-about-all-of-us-exper_1739866.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b44/thomas-l-dumm-34424_animal_at-some-point-just-about-all-of-us-exper_1739866.jpg) > “At some point just about all of us experience loneliness. In a sense, it is what it means to be a sentient animal, to have an experience of separation from others.” [Thomas L. Dumm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-l-dumm/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Loneliness is a universal feeling that arises from being a conscious being aware of separation from others. **In simple terms:** Everyone feels alone sometimes. Key Takeaway Accept and explore the feeling. Themes loneliness sentience human nature Mood reflective empathetic Type philosophical psychological When to use this quote - personal reflection - mental health support - creative work - team dynamics - relationship building Key Concepts psychology existentialism Questions to Reflect On - How does acknowledging loneliness change your behavior? - What actions can reduce feelings of isolation? A Different Perspective Loneliness can be mitigated through connection and purpose. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Animal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animal/) [Experience Loneliness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/experience-loneliness-736990/) [Loneliness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/loneliness/) [Loneliness Sense](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/loneliness-sense-588796/) [Mean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mean/) [Sentient](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sentient/) [Sentient Animal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sentient-animal-1509522/) [Separation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/separation/) [Solitude](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/solitude/) ## Related quotes > [“He had shining dark eyes and an oboe voice and mink-soft hair and could seem, even to Gary, more sentient animal than little boy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-franzen/he-had-shining-dark-eyes-and-an-oboe-voice-and-mink-soft-hair-and/) [Jonathan Franzen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-franzen/) > [There are degrees of loneliness, ways in which the experience of loneliness deepens, becomes something like what we might call a way of life.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-l-dumm/there-are-degrees-of-loneliness-ways-in-which-the-experience-of/) [Thomas L. Dumm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-l-dumm/) > [For me it is essential to understand that everyone is alone. Not in the sense of loneliness, but rather in the sense that no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rineke-dijkstra/for-me-it-is-essential-to-understand-that-everyone-is-alone-not-in/) [Rineke Dijkstra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rineke-dijkstra/) > [On the outside one is a star. But in reality, one is completely alone, doubting everything. To experience this loneliness of soul is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brigitte-bardot/on-the-outside-one-is-a-star-but-in-reality-one-is-completely-alone/) [Brigitte Bardot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brigitte-bardot/) > [Being lonely doesn't mean something is wrong with me. 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If we are not careful we find others spending…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sandburg/a-man-must-find-time-for-himself-time-is-what-we-spend-our-lives-with/) [Carl Sandburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sandburg/) > [“For many who are alone, because their partner has died or they have separated from them, a sudden, unfamiliar emptiness is the order of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janett-menzel/for-many-who-are-alone-because-their-partner-has-died-or-they-have/) [Janett Menzel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janett-menzel/) > [I don't experience much loneliness, oddly. Sometimes I have thought I was lonely and it turned out I was in reality wanting a snack,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-lockwood/i-don-t-experience-much-loneliness-oddly-sometimes-i-have-thought-i/) [Patricia Lockwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-lockwood/) > [One can experience loneliness in two ways: by feeling lonely in the world or by feeling the loneliness of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/one-can-experience-loneliness-in-two-ways-by-feeling-lonely-in-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“From my experience, loneliness isn't necessarily caused by a lack of people but is more an inner ache caused by a fractured soul. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patsy-clairmont/from-my-experience-loneliness-isn-t-necessarily-caused-by-a-lack-of/) [Patsy Clairmont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patsy-clairmont/) > [It's clear to me that anyone, anywhere, can experience loneliness, isolation, solitude, and estrangement; and most people probably do encounter these things at some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brendan-myers/it-s-clear-to-me-that-anyone-anywhere-can-experience-loneliness/) [Brendan Myers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brendan-myers/) > [Cinema is a wonderful art form for talking about loneliness. We can experience films together with other people. It can be a collective experience…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joachim-trier/cinema-is-a-wonderful-art-form-for-talking-about-loneliness-we-can/) [Joachim Trier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joachim-trier/) > [In community, where you have all the affection you could ever dream of, you feel that there is a place where even community cannot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-nouwen/in-community-where-you-have-all-the-affection-you-could-ever-dream-of/) [Henri Nouwen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-nouwen/) > [Loneliness is different than isolation and solitude. Loneliness is a subjective feeling where the connections we need are greater than the connections we have.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vivek-murthy/loneliness-is-different-than-isolation-and-solitude-loneliness-is-a/) [Vivek Murthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vivek-murthy/) ## More by Thomas L. Dumm > [None of us is perfect, but the point of our writing is to try to become better, to learn something that we may not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-l-dumm/none-of-us-is-perfect-but-the-point-of-our-writing-is-to-try-to/) [Thomas L. Dumm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-l-dumm/) > [There are degrees of loneliness, ways in which the experience of loneliness deepens, becomes something like what we might call a way of life.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-l-dumm/there-are-degrees-of-loneliness-ways-in-which-the-experience-of/) [Thomas L. Dumm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-l-dumm/) > [Of course, each of us has to write our own book, live our own life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-l-dumm/of-course-each-of-us-has-to-write-our-own-book-live-our-own-life/) [Thomas L. Dumm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-l-dumm/) > [In one of my favorite anecdotes about Foucault, someone asks him why he writes books. He responds by saying something like "When I begin…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-l-dumm/in-one-of-my-favorite-anecdotes-about-foucault-someone-asks-him-why/) [Thomas L. Dumm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-l-dumm/) > [Usually, we think that "good" loneliness is what we call "solitude," the choice of some alone-time. But I want to press on with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-l-dumm/usually-we-think-that-good-loneliness-is-what-we-call-solitude-the/) [Thomas L. Dumm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-l-dumm/) > [ I worry that we don't currently have a democracy in the United States. Instead we have what \[political philosopher\] Sheldon Wolin has recently labeled… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-l-dumm/i-worry-that-we-don-t-currently-have-a-democracy-in-the-united-states/) [Thomas L. Dumm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-l-dumm/) > [It is an admonition to myself when I am reading other people's books. Writing a book is very difficult to do, even a bad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-l-dumm/it-is-an-admonition-to-myself-when-i-am-reading-other-people-s-books/) [Thomas L. Dumm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-l-dumm/) > [As lovers of truth, we want to be close to it. Sometimes - evil thought, evil temptation - we want to be close to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-l-dumm/as-lovers-of-truth-we-want-to-be-close-to-it-sometimes-evil-thought/) [Thomas L. Dumm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-l-dumm/) > [One of the reasons I always come back to representations of loneliness in plays, films, and literature is that they give us specific examples…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-l-dumm/one-of-the-reasons-i-always-come-back-to-representations-of/) [Thomas L. Dumm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-l-dumm/) > [I look back on some of my early reviews of others, and realize to my chagrin that I've been as guilty as anybody else…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-l-dumm/i-look-back-on-some-of-my-early-reviews-of-others-and-realize-to-my/) [Thomas L. Dumm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-l-dumm/) > [We can never leave loneliness behind completely - it is part of what forms us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-l-dumm/we-can-never-leave-loneliness-behind-completely-it-is-part-of-what/) [Thomas L. Dumm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-l-dumm/) > [I'm pretty sure my dog, Pip, gets lonely when there is no one to be with him. But we humans can end up with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-l-dumm/i-m-pretty-sure-my-dog-pip-gets-lonely-when-there-is-no-one-to-be/) [Thomas L. Dumm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-l-dumm/) > [Worldwide, the twentieth century has seen the rise of extraordinary concentrations of economic and political power - evoking the people as the source of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-l-dumm/worldwide-the-twentieth-century-has-seen-the-rise-of-extraordinary/) [Thomas L. Dumm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-l-dumm/) [Explore all 14 Thomas L. Dumm quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-l-dumm/) ## More Animal quotes > [I was 3-years-old - to this day it is a vivid memory. My family and I were on a boat, catching fish. As one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joaquin-phoenix/i-was-3-years-old-to-this-day-it-is-a-vivid-memory-my-family-and-i/) [Joaquin Phoenix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joaquin-phoenix/) > [Animals know nothing of themselves, and they also know nothing of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/animals-know-nothing-of-themselves-and-they-also-know-nothing-of-the/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [Humans are animals too, but some do not like to work from expectations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mak-786/humans-are-animals-too-but-some-do-not-like-to-work-from-expectations/) [Mak\_786](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mak-786/) > [When grubbing for necessities man is still an animal. He becomes uniquely human when he reaches out for the superfluous and extravagant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/when-grubbing-for-necessities-man-is-still-an-animal-he-becomes/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [I'm 38 and I'm single, and I'm having my most intense and gratifying relationship with a dog. But we all learn about love in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-knapp/i-m-38-and-i-m-single-and-i-m-having-my-most-intense-and-gratifying/) [Caroline Knapp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-knapp/) > [Practically all animals which move fast in a homogeneous medium have found means of giving their body a streamlined shape, thereby reducing friction to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/konrad-lorenz/practically-all-animals-which-move-fast-in-a-homogeneous-medium-have/) [Konrad Lorenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/konrad-lorenz/) > [A horse, a horse, my kingdom for a horse!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/a-horse-a-horse-my-kingdom-for-a-horse/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [“it is a federal system of sadistic torture, vivisection, and animal genocide, which has been carried on for decades under the fraudulent guise of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-tobias/it-is-a-federal-system-of-sadistic-torture-vivisection-and-animal/) [Michael Tobias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-tobias/) > [“What does it mean to be a self-conscious animal? The idea is ludicrous, if it is not monstrous. It means to know that one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-becker/what-does-it-mean-to-be-a-self-conscious-animal-the-idea-is-ludicrous/) [Ernest Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-becker/) > [We must love animals in such a powerful way that we should reject to eat them!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/we-must-love-animals-in-such-a-powerful-way-that-we-should-reject-to/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [“The universe contains any amount of horrible ways to be woken up, such as the noise of the mob breaking down the front door,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/the-universe-contains-any-amount-of-horrible-ways-to-be-woken-up-such/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [This brings me back to the image of Kafka standing before a fish in the Berlin aquarium, a fish on which his gaze fell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/this-brings-me-back-to-the-image-of-kafka-standing-before-a-fish-in/) [Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/) > [That dog, I say that dog is lower than a snake full of buckshot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/foghorn-leghorn/that-dog-i-say-that-dog-is-lower-than-a-snake-full-of-buckshot/) [Foghorn Leghorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/foghorn-leghorn/) > [I bet plants go like 'Weeeeeeeee!' whenever they're swallowed by a giraffe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-bet-plants-go-like-weeeeeeeee-whenever-they-re-swallowed-by-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Animal rights without veganism is like human rights with slavery. It makes no sense. None whatsoever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-l-francione/animal-rights-without-veganism-is-like-human-rights-with-slavery-it/) [Gary L. Francione](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-l-francione/) [Browse all 13,456 Animal quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animal/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "At some point just about all of us experience loneliness. In a sense, it is what it means to be a sentient animal, to have an experience of separation from others.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Thomas L. 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