Loneliness Quote by Will Schwalbe
““I was thinking a lot about loneliness, because we were now reading Kokoro, a remarkable novel by Natsume Soseki, which was published in 1914 and was one of fourteen novels Soseki wrote after retiring from a professorship at Tokyo’s Imperial University. It was a book I’d read once before, in college, when I’d taken a course from its translator, Edwin McClellan. I’d been struck by Soseki’s exploration of the complex nature of friendship, especially among people who aren’t equals, in this case a student and his teacher. I wanted Mom to read it, and to read it again myself. When we talked about the novel, we discovered that we both had been startled by the same quote, an explanation of loneliness the teacher tells to the young man. The teacher says: “Loneliness is the price we have to pay for being born in this modern world, so full of freedom, independence and our own egotistical selves.””
About This Quote
Source Book: Kokoro by Natsume Soseki, 1914
Loneliness is portrayed as an inevitable cost of modern freedom and individualism, especially in unequal relationships like teacher‑student.
In simple terms: Modern freedom brings loneliness.
Key Takeaway
Recognize loneliness as a sign of personal freedom.
Themes
loneliness
modernity
individualism
relationships
Mood
reflective
melancholic
Type
literary
philosophical
When to use this quote
- student‑teacher dynamics
- personal reflection
- literary discussion
Key Concepts
existentialism
social psychology
Questions to Reflect On
- How does freedom create isolation?
- Can equality reduce loneliness?
A Different Perspective
Loneliness can be mitigated by community and shared purpose.
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