I don’t know. Maybe this is the only time in history where the importance of individualism is stressed, at least it feels like that because we are the only ones going through all this right now. Talk about blessing and a curse.

Blessings, we all know how: personal freedom, achievements, enjoyment. Great.

Yet seeing the flip side is also relatively easy for someone with some sense. The majority of people feel lonely and isolated. Bond became a thing of the past in this more-than-ever-connected world. Not cool. Depressing, actually.

In her book Hold Me Tight: Seven Conversations For a Lifetime of Love, Sue Johnson states, “People recently surveyed in the U.S. and Canada rate a satisfying love relationship as their number-one goal, ahead of financial success and satisfying career.”

This time we live in is the first time in history where love marriages are widely accepted and encouraged. Again, great, but there is a problem we don’t talk about much.

Considering many feel alone, misunderstood, and disconnected, many expect their partner to feel the void. What you didn’t get from the community, you expect your partner to give. Sad but understandable.

The thing is, perhaps, there are cultures that value individual merit, and there are those who value community. Very, very few manage to keep the traditional values yet encourage autonomy.

There you have it. Like many things, seems like we got to strike a balance on this one too, only this is crucial, like, life-and-death important.