I don't know that picking apart a single word is a worthwhile pursuit. Clearly, the author of the book seems to think that it is. I get the impression, from lo

I don't know that picking apart a single word is a worthwhile pursuit. Clearly, the author of the book seems to think that it is. I get the impression, from looking at what else Lars Svendsen has written about - that he chooses a word with strong cultural baggage and yet no clear definition, and spends a great deal of time, viewing the word through many different lens. The interest and need to do this falls away, as you gain a strong enough sense of what your life is about, as you divorce yourself from cultural (including parental) expectations and start to figure out what works, and doesn't work, for you. Once you're on the path of deciding what works for you, loneliness, boredom, fear, work, freedom etc - they're just not that interesting. You're simply living out your life. You cease being so incredibly insecure, because either you find a small group of people who share your values and that's enough, or you find that living with minimal human contact is actually quite alright :) ps. most people fit within society's expectations and embrace them and are not bothered by them too much to begin with, and hence don't have this problem. This is for those who feel like they don't belong on some level.