Hell and Lonliness

[Progo35]

I was thinking: is Hell eternal loneliness?

[Daniel]

At least, that's what the French philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre said in his famous existentialist play No Exit in 1941.

While I don't wish to digress into the literary and theological merits of his work, my sense is that Sartre was making an important observation with psychological- yea- even spiritual relevance. That being we each have an ego which- at its most base level- seeks to preserve itself and its interests before the interests of others.

Sounds like hell to me. A very lonely place which is evidenced in the New Yorker cartoon of the man who, clawing and grasping at those around him, says "Enough about me....what do you think of me?"

Most faiths place great stress on serving others- loving others- having compassion for others. I believe this is the cure for lonliness: warm-hearted compassion for one's suffering and the suffering of others which cracks open the door, helping one reach out from behind one's defenses (might this be what the ego is for? To defend one from the One?)

To put it in Christian terms, why should one assume that God in His Mercy would forbid one from every reaching out when He is forever reaching towards us?

Either Love is Love or it is not.

[iowan woman]

I noted your profile, that you are an artist. I fear whatever I say will sound cliché or trite but that I think loneliness feels like Hell. Sartre, on the other hand, wrote a play in which he imagines that Hell is other people (No Exit).

Something about your moniker reminds me of Madeline L'Engle. Was there a character with that name in one of her books? I LOVE Madeline L'Engle.

I find my way by reading other peoples work and writing my own but it ain't not the same as having a friend at your side, is it? When I get really bored or lonely, I list things, like who is my favorite author, what are my favorite colors, what foods bring back bad memories, what are my all time favorite songs...This will sound odd and in no way is a substitute for other people but when i do my listing, I know G-D is listening in - I imagine G-D likes my game as well as I do and I don't feel alone.

Yes, Progo, hell is loneliness; the good news that there is a cure for that, if not this minute then up the road.

If you are asking about the afterlife, I think we slip right back into eternity. I think we are here, on earth, because of something we love. I love people and the land itself, I love all forms of art and am good at maybe one on day when I am lucky.

Loneliness is a bitter pill to swallow but the moments of joy are worth it.

[iowan woman]

I was writing my response when Daniel posted his.

How funny. My kids came home and distracted me. That is my excuse for not being as smart as him.
This time. I've been reading his posts; I will have to keep working on new ones.

smiles

[Daniel]

I noted your profile, that you are an artist. I fear whatever I say will sound cliché or trite but that I think loneliness feels like Hell. Sartre, on the other hand, wrote a play in which he imagines that Hell is other people (No Exit).

Very eloquent actually. I agree with you.

Something about your moniker reminds me of Madeline L'Engle. Was there a character with that name in one of her books? I LOVE Madeline L'Engle.

There is a thread about her here...and I posted a brief story. She really -to my mind anyway- was a Universalist. A way of seeing things which appeals to me very much.

By moniker, do you mean the line under all my posts? That's a quote from Gibran, the Lebanese-American writer (1883-1931). Not sure if L'Engle used his name for a character in one for her books- it's been a while since I read one- but I wouldn't put it past her. :D

[iowan woman]

Daniel,

I am a sloppy writer. Progo sounds very Madeline L'Engle. Thanks for the heads up; I have not crossed her thread but I will look for it. She wrote a book I read years ago, a journal of sorts, that I have always wanted to find again. My girl just told me that she has a friend who scouts around for her out-of-print work.

I just read she always told people she was made of star dust. I hope I am never cured of thinking she was magic incarnate. I wish I could have seen her speak.


The beauty of Kahlil Gibran's The Prophet has haunted me for more than 20 years.

Shalom

[Progo35]

Hey, Iowan,

Yes, Progo (short for Progonoskis) is the name of the Cherubim who Meg teams up with to defeat the Echtroi in Charles Wallace's mitochondria in A Wind in the Door. I love Madeliene L'Engle, too. She's my favorite author.

[Daniel]

She wrote a book I read years ago, a journal of sorts, that I have always wanted to find again.

This site is very good for finding out-of-print books. You can even create a 'want' if you don't find it right away- they will send you an email letting you know when there is a copy available. I've gotten more books than I can count this way.

http://www.abebooks.com

Here's to reading!

[iowan woman]

I really liked the character of the cherubim in A Wind In The Door.
I recently reread the first two of that series and have plans to maybe read the rest soon.


When I'm lonely a good book reminds me of my humanity, helps push me outside of myself and my small world. I love books. I would land on earth simply and just for the reading.

[scrupulous_stoic]

This reminds me of John Milton's famous statement in Paradise Lost:

The mind is its own place, and in itself can create a heaven of hell, a hell of heaven.