Existential Loneliness

henri nowen

“[My friend and I] spoke about the existential loneliness we are both experiencing at this time in our lives. This loneliness stems not from a lack of friends, problems with spouse or children, or absence of professional recognition. Neither of us has any major complaints in these areas.

Still…the question ‘What am I doing, and for what reason?’ lurks underneath all of our good feelings about friends, family and work… Without a deep-rooted sense of belonging, all of life can easily become cold, distant and painfully repetitive.” – Henri Nowen, “The Road To Daybreak”