Love is Lonely in Crowds
This is from Albert Schweitzer's book, The Spiritual Life. Written in 1947.
"From a feeling of embarassment, we hesitate to approach a stranger. The fear of being repulsed is the cause of a great deal of coldness in the world; when we seem indifferent we are often merely timid. The adventurous soul must break that barrier, resolving in advance not to mind a rebuff. If we dare with wisdom, always maintaining a certain reserve in our approach, we find that when we open ourselves we open doors in others.
Especially in great cities do the doors of the heart need to be opened. Love is always lonely in crowds. Country and village people know each other and realize some mutual dependence, but the inhabitants of cities are strangers who pass without salute-so isolated, so separate, often so lost and despairing. What a stupendous opportunity is waiting there for men and women who are willing to be simply human!
Begin anywhere-in office, factory, subway. There may have been SMILES across a streetcar aisle that stayed the purpose of a suicide. Often a friendly glance is like a single ray of sunshine, piercing a darkness we ourselves may not dream is there."
"From a feeling of embarassment, we hesitate to approach a stranger. The fear of being repulsed is the cause of a great deal of coldness in the world; when we seem indifferent we are often merely timid. The adventurous soul must break that barrier, resolving in advance not to mind a rebuff. If we dare with wisdom, always maintaining a certain reserve in our approach, we find that when we open ourselves we open doors in others.
Especially in great cities do the doors of the heart need to be opened. Love is always lonely in crowds. Country and village people know each other and realize some mutual dependence, but the inhabitants of cities are strangers who pass without salute-so isolated, so separate, often so lost and despairing. What a stupendous opportunity is waiting there for men and women who are willing to be simply human!
Begin anywhere-in office, factory, subway. There may have been SMILES across a streetcar aisle that stayed the purpose of a suicide. Often a friendly glance is like a single ray of sunshine, piercing a darkness we ourselves may not dream is there."
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