80 “Feeling Lonely” Quotes & 6 Poems about Loneliness

Jacqueline Eisenbraun (Senior Editor)

Loneliness is a feeling that you have probably been stricken by before. You don’t necessarily have to be alone to feel lonely. Loneliness can strike even when you are surrounded by your loved ones. We have gathered the best quotes about loneliness here to make you think and reflect.

While some people enjoy being alone, other people struggle with it. After all, humans are social animals, and functional social relationships are one of our core human needs. Do you often feel lonely? Then let our quotes and sayings show you that you are not alone.

Sayings and Quotes about Loneliness

Sayings and Quotes about Loneliness

If you feel lonely, you should consider your general living conditions, as these play a central role.

For example, if you have just moved from a small village to a big city, you will quickly have noticed that in the city, you feel much more anonymous.

While in the village it feels like everyone knows everyone, many people in big cities do not even know who their neighbors are.

This can quickly lead to feelings of social isolation. But many other conditions can make you feel lonely, too. If you have just lost your job or someone you were close to, for example, then loneliness might be among the negative emotions that you feel.

In the following sections we will present quotes and sayings about loneliness that are sad, but can also motivate you to look at loneliness from a different perspective.

Here you’ll find quotes about time.

“I Am So Lonely”: Quotes about Loneliness to Think about

“I Am So Lonely”: Quotes about Loneliness to Think about

Here are some valuable quotes and sayings about loneliness to ruminate on.

1. Egotism is loneliness.
   (Friedrich von Schiller, German playwright, 1759-1805)
2. For one, loneliness is the flight of the sick; for the other, the flight from the sick.
   (Friedrich Nietzsche, German philosopher, 1844-1900)
3. Solitude is the mother of anxieties.
   (Publilius Syrus, Roman moralist and aphorist, 90-40 B.C.)
4. Solitude will cure our distaste for a crowd, and a crowd will cure our boredom with solitude.
   (Lucius Annaeus Seneca, Roman philosopher, c. 4 B.C.-65 A.D.)
5. A great city is a great solitude.
   (Erasmus of Rotterdam, Dutch polymath, 1466-1536)
6. Loneliness shows everyone their innermost core.
   (Helene Schlatter, Swiss writer, 1764-1832)
7. When they are alone they want to be with others, and when they are with others they want to be alone. After all, human beings are like that.
   (Gertrude Stein, American author, 1874-1946)
8. Every one will admit that man is a social being. We see this in his dislike of solitude, and in his wish for society beyond that of his own family.
   (Charles Darwin, British scientist, 1809-1882)
9. The sea is salty like teardrops, and teardrops are salty like the sea.
   The sea and teardrops are connected by loneliness.
   The sea already has it, teardrops search for it.
   (Karl Ferdinand Gutzkow, German playwright, 1811-1878)
10. Here in solitude, man reduces himself to himself.
    (Michel de Montaigne, French philosopher, 1533-1593)
11. On a day of solitude many useful things can be hatched.
    (Joseph Victor von Scheffel, German writer, 1826-1886)
12. If you meet with loneliness, do not be afraid. It is a precious aid in making friends with yourself.
    (From India)
13. The eagle flies alone, the raven in flocks; The fool needs company and the wise need solitude.
    (Friedrich Rückert, German poet, 1788-1866)
14. My greatest fear is that I will get too used to the idea of spending the rest of my life alone.
    (Unknown)

Sad Quotes for Feeling Lonely and Being Alone

Sad Quotes for Feeling Lonely and Being Alone

The sorrow and depression that we can feel when we are lonely are well described by the following quotes.

There are many people who take strength from solitude. But are you one of those who is alone through no choice of your own – perhaps because you have lost your friends or have moved to a new city? Then perhaps these quotes can give you a little comfort.

1. All suffering is solitude, all joy is community.
   (Richard Dehmel, German poet, 1863-1920)
2. Solitude is like the scent of a poisonous plant: sweet but intoxicating, and with time ruinous.
   (Friedrich Spielhagen, German writer, 1829-1911)
3. For the very lonely, even noise is a comfort.
   (Friedrich Nietzsche, German philosopher, 1844-1900)
4. In solitude the lonely man is eaten up by himself, among crowds by the many. Now choose one.
   (Friedrich Nietzsche)
5. There are nights when you just break down and realize how lonely you are and that no one cares about you.
   (Unknown)
6. I feel lonely every single day of my life, but I am too ashamed to tell those who love me.
   (Unknown)
7. There is a difference between being alone and being lonely. Being alone means being apart from others because you want to be. Being lonely is when nobody is there for you.
   (Unknown)
8. Lonely people suffer terribly from memories.
   (Friedrich Nietzsche)
9. People are lonely because they build walls instead of bridges.
   (Joseph F. Newton, Minister in the United States, 1880-1950)
10. The lonely one offers his hand too quickly to whomever he encounters.
    (Friedrich Nietzsche)
11. How empty the world is for he who wanders alone.
    (Gustave Flaubert, French novelist, 1821-1880)
12. The lonely is but the shadow of a man, and he who is not loved is lonely everywhere and in the midst of everyone.
    (Amantine Aurore Lucile Dupin de Francueil, French writer, 1804-1876)
13. Growing old and becoming lonely seem the same thing, and at the very end one is only with oneself again and makes others more lonely through one’s death.
    (Friedrich Nietzsche)
14. What good is joy when we have nobody to share it with? A lonely happiness is a heavy burden.
    (Christian Dietrich Grabbe, German playwright, 1801-1836)

Looking for more sad quotes? Here you’ll find them.

Quotes about Being a Loner

Quotes about Being a Loner

While many people do not like to be alone, for some people it is not such a bad thing. Loners are people who tend to be alone, rather than always socializing with other people.

There are several reasons why someone might be a loner: perhaps they are an introvert, or have hobbies that mean they spend a lot of time alone.

If you spend lots of time alone and are happy with your own company, perhaps one of the following quotes will speak to you.

1. Whosoever is delighted in solitude is either a wild beast or a god.
   (Aristotle, Greek philosopher, 384-322 B.C.)
2. The mind is sharper and keener in seclusion and uninterrupted solitude. Originality thrives in seclusion, free of outside influences beating upon us to cripple the creative mind. Be alone—that is the secret of invention: be alone, that is when ideas are born.
   (Nikola Tesla, Serbian-American inventor, 1856-1943)
3. Seclusion is the price of greatness.
   (Paramahansa Yogananda, Indian Hindu monk, 1893-1952)
4. Solitude is the best nurse of wisdom.
   (Laurence Sterne, Irish novelist, 1713-1768)
5. The best thinking has been done in solitude.
   (Thomas Alva Edison, US inventor, 1847-1931)
6. Isolation is a way to know ourselves.
   (Franz Kafka, German-language writer, 1883-1924)
7. A creation of importance can only be produced when its author isolates himself, it is a child of solitude.
   (Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, German poet, 1749-1832)
8. It is far better to be alone than to be in bad company.
   (George Washington, 1st President of the United States, 1732-1799)
9. I love to be alone. I never found the companion that was so companionable as solitude.
   (Henry David Thoreau, American philosopher, 1817-1862)
10. It is good to be solitary, for solitude is difficult; that something is difficult must be a reason the more for us to do it.
    (Rainer Maria Rilke, Austrian storyteller and lyricist,1875-1926)
11. I like weird people. The black sheep, the odd ducks, the rejects, the eccentrics, the loners, the lost and forgotten. More often than not, these people have the most beautiful souls.
    (Unknown)

Quotes about Being Lonely from Famous People

Quotes about Being Lonely from Famous People

Here you will find sayings and quotes from famous people who shared their views on loneliness. Use them to overcome your loneliness for a moment and find new strength.

1. Solitude is a beautiful thing, but you need someone to tell you that solitude is a beautiful thing.
   (Honoré de Balzac, French novelist, 1799-1850)
2. All great passions begin in solitude.
   (Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Swiss writer, 1712-1778)
3. A man can be himself only so long as he is alone; and if he does not love solitude, he will not love freedom; for it is only when he is alone that he is really free.
   (Arthur Schopenhauer, German philosopher, 1788-1860)
4. The strongest man in the world is he who stands most alone.
   (Henrik Ibsen, Norwegian playwright and theatre director, 1828-1906)
5. Loneliness is and always has been the central and inevitable experience of every human being.
   (Thomas Wolfe, American writer, 1900-1938)
6. It is easy to stand in the crowd, but it takes courage to stand alone.
   (Mahatma Gandhi, Indian revolutionary, 1869-1948)
7. There are two types of loneliness: one is feeling like you’re all alone; the other feels like being in a crowded room, when you realize you’re the only person who knows what it’s like to be you.
   (Atticus, Athenian rhetorician, 101-177)
8. And when you are alone, you will be completely your own.
   (Leonardo da Vinci, Italian polymath and artist, 1452-1519)
9. The loneliest moment in someone’s life is when they are watching their whole world fall apart, and all they can do is stare blankly.
   (F. Scott Fitzgerald, American novelist, 1896-1940)
10. Man is alone on earth – that is misfortune.
    (Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Russian novelist, 1821-1881)

Positive Quotes for Loneliness

Positive Quotes for Loneliness

The quotes in this section explain that solitude is not always a bad thing. If you enjoy being alone, because you enjoy your own company or because isolation helps you to think, then you will enjoy the following quotes.

1. Sometimes you have to be alone. Not to be lonely, but to enjoy the free time and be truly yourself.
   (Unknown)
2. The most beautiful thing in the world is knowing how to belong to yourself.
   (Michel de Montaigne, French philosopher, 1533-1593)
3. A soul that sees beauty may sometimes walk alone.
   (Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, German poet, 1749-1832)
4. Sometimes you have to stand alone to be sure that you still can.
   (Unknown)
5. Solitude gives the spirit a sense of self.
   (Bettina von Arnim, German writer, 1785-1859)
6. Solitude is the school of godliness.
   (Gerhardt Tersteegen, German writer, 1697-1769)
7. Those who feel doomed to loneliness can still do things to make their loneliness blessed.
   (Arthur Schnitzler, Austrian physician, 1862-1931)
8. One can find comfort in solitude.
   (From the Bantu people)
9. In solitude the mind gains strength and learns to lean upon itself.
   (Laurence Sterne, Irish novelist, 1713-1768)
10. I am sometimes lonely, but I dare say it’s good for me…
    (Louisa May Alcott, American novelist, 1832-1888)
11. I think it’s very healthy to spend time alone. You need to know how to be alone and not be defined by another person.
    (Oscar Wilde, Irish poet, 1854-1900)
12. No one saves us but ourselves. No one can and no one may. We ourselves must walk the path.
    (Buddha, founder of Buddhism, 560 B.C.-483 B.C.)
13. Ordinary men hate solitude. But the Master makes use of it, embracing his aloneness, realizing he is one with the whole universe.
    (Lao Tzu, Chinese philosopher, 365 B.C.-290 B.C.)

Here you’ll find more positive quotes.

Short Quotes about Feeling Lonely

Short Quotes about Feeling Lonely

Here you will find sweet and short sayings about loneliness that are no less meaningful and witty. You can use them for social media or share them on WhatsApp to express your feelings.

1. Loneliness is bitter.
   (Robert Hamerling, Austrian poet, 1830-1889)
2. Loneliness is an insidious disease.
   (Unknown)
3. Solitude raises philosophers.
   (Helene Gräfin von Waldersee, German writer, 1850-1917)
4. Solitude is the school of wisdom.
   (German proverb)
5. Solitude is a nest of thoughts.
   (From Turkey)
6. Sickness and loneliness are related.
   (Otto Weininger, Austrian philosopher, 1880-1903)
7. Only among your own kind do you have the right to feel lonely.
   (Arthur Schnitzler, Austrian physician, 1862-1931)
8. Those who are lonely are lucky because there is no one there to hurt them.
   (Wilhelm Busch, German poet, 1832-1908)
9. Solitude is being completely comfortable with yourself.
   (Robert Schumann, German composer, 1810-1856)
10. In solitude, you are your own greatest enemy.
    (Unknown)
11. Solitude is sometimes lovely.
    (Yosa Buson, Japanese poet, 1716-1784)

Funny Quotes about Loneliness

Funny Quotes about Loneliness

If you don’t take loneliness and being alone so seriously, then maybe the following quotes will bring a smile to your face. You can share them with friends to show that it’s possible to face loneliness with a sense of humor, and that while you are alone, you are doing just fine.

1. If you are afraid of loneliness, do not marry.
   (Anton Pavlovich Chekhov, Russian dramatist, 1860-1904)
2. If a tooth knocked out of a jaw had a feeling, no doubt it would feel as alone as I do.
   (Maxim Gorky, Russian writer, 1868-1936)
3. I’m never lonely – the voices in my head keep me great company.
   (Unknown)
4. I’m just one more disappointing relationship away from becoming a crazy cat lady.
   (Unknown)
5. When I die, my gravestone should have free Wi-fi so that people visit me often.
   (Unknown)
6. I’m in a much better mood when I’m alone.
   (Unknown)
7. Anyone who has a cat need not be afraid of loneliness.
   (Daniel Defoe, English writer, 1660-1731)

Here you will find more funny quotes.

Poems about Loneliness

Poems about Loneliness

The following poems focus on solitude and the feeling of loneliness. They are deep, beautiful, and will make you think. Perhaps they will help you to feel less alone, and like someone understands you.

1)

I Wandered Lonely As A Cloud

I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o’er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

2)

Ode on Solitude

Happy the man, whose wish and care
A few paternal acres bound,
Content to breathe his native air,
In his own ground.

Whose herds with milk, whose fields with bread,
Whose flocks supply him with attire,
Whose trees in summer yield him shade,
In winter fire.

3)

Alone

Poem: Alone

From childhood’s hour I have not been
As others were—I have not seen
As others saw—I could not bring
My passions from a common spring—
From the same source I have not taken
My sorrow—I could not awaken
My heart to joy at the same tone—
And all I lov’d—I lov’d alone—
Then—in my childhood—in the dawn
Of a most stormy life—was drawn
From ev’ry depth of good and ill
The mystery which binds me still—
From the torrent, or the fountain—
From the red cliff of the mountain—
From the sun that ’round me roll’d
In its autumn tint of gold—
From the lightning in the sky
As it pass’d me flying by—
From the thunder, and the storm—
And the cloud that took the form
(When the rest of Heaven was blue)
Of a demon in my view—

(Edgar Allan Poe, American writer, 1809-1849)

4)

To Solitude – the Poem

To Solitude

O solitude! if I must with thee dwell,
Let it not be among the jumbled heap
Of murky buildings; climb with me the steep,—
Nature’s observatory—whence the dell,
Its flowery slopes, its river’s crystal swell,
May seem a span; let me thy vigils keep
’Mongst boughs pavillion’d, where the deer’s swift leap
Startles the wild bee from the fox-glove bell.
But though I’ll gladly trace these scenes with thee,
Yet the sweet converse of an innocent mind,
Whose words are images of thoughts refin’d,
Is my soul’s pleasure; and it sure must be
Almost the highest bliss of human-kind,
When to thy haunts two kindred spirits flee.

(John Keats, British poet, 1795-1821)

5)

The Loneliness One Dare Not Sound

The Loneliness One dare not sound—
And would as soon surmise
As in its Grave go plumbing
To ascertain the size—

6)

Solitude

Laugh, and the world laughs with you;
Weep, and you weep alone;
For the sad old earth must borrow its mirth,
But has trouble enough of its own.
Sing, and the hills will answer;
Sigh, it is lost on the air;
The echoes bound to a joyful sound,
But shrink from voicing care.
Rejoice, and men will seek you;
Grieve, and they turn and go;
They want full measure of all your pleasure,
But they do not need your woe.
Be glad, and your friends are many;
Be sad, and you lose them all,—
There are none to decline your nectared wine,
But alone you must drink life’s gall.

7)

I Am Lonely

I Am Lonely

The world is great: the birds all fly from me,
The stars are golden fruit upon a tree
All out of reach: my little sister went,
And I am lonely.

The world is great: I tried to mount the hill
Above the pines, where the light lies so still,
But it rose higher: little Lisa went
And I am lonely.

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