From: utzoo!decvax!harpo!floyd!vax135!ariel!orion!lime!we13!otuxa!lsk
Newsgroups: net.singles
Title: Re: People who are looking for love
Article-I.D.: otuxa.180
Posted: Thu Dec 30 07:22:27 1982
Received: Fri Dec 31 04:20:04 1982
References: watcgl.83

I'm not quite sure but that you have started a tangential discussion. The point
I was making reflected my reaction to what seemed a self-contradictory
set of statements in previous articles; naturally, I agree, that there really
is nothing wrong with showing feelings, including loneliness.
As to your hypothetical situation, if I met someone who was consumingly lonely
I might well want to offer some help and advice to get them out of their
self-imposed exile, which is what it would amount to in the case you presented.

HOW LONG I might be willing to do that, if the person did not respond?? Quite
a bit, I believe. After all, friendship means staying involved even if
the other person is extremely depressed. That is when your friends truly can
shine, despite yourself. Granted, no one can carry on like this forever, I would
have to feel that there was some light at the end of the tunnel. As for being
depended on; again, it is a matter of degree. I believe all of us like being
depended on to some extent. I am sure some people like to be TOTALLY depended
upon by others; but, again, I agree, I do not fit that category, so I would
be on guard and use some intelligence to prevent that from happening.

If, you'll pardon the expression, the person turns out to be, after much effort,
a total nebbish, well, I would have tried at least.
- 
- Larry S. Kaufman
   Western Electric
    Network Software Center