>Lonely? Make strong friendships! Poor? Get rich? Self-fulfilling prophecies are futile. > romantic and sexual relationship is not a requirement for a happy

>Lonely? Make strong friendships! Poor? Get rich? Self-fulfilling prophecies are futile. > romantic and sexual relationship is not a requirement for a happy life We have proof of various intelligent animals, domesticated and wild, that display signs of depression, loneliness and self-harm when separated from their bonded partner. If anything, the need for intimacy and romance are central to life as we know it.