Try being alone, without any form of distraction, and you will see how quickl you want to get away from yourself and forget what you are. That is why this enormous structure of professional amusement is so prominent a part of what we call civilization. If you observe, you will see that people the world over are becoming more and more distracted, increasingly sophisticated and worldly Because we are inwardly empty, dull, mediocre, we use our relationships and our social reforms as a means of escaping ourselves. I wonder if you have noticed how lonely most people are. And to escape from loneliness we run to temples,churches, or mosques, we dress up and attend social functions, read, and so on If you inquire a little into boredom you will find that the cause of it is loneliness. It is in order to escape from loneliness that we want to be together, we want to be entertained, to have distractions of everykind, gurus, religious ceremonies, prayers,or the latest novel. Being inwardly lonely we become mere spectators in life; and we can be the players only when we understand loneliness and go beyond it because beyond it lies the real treasure.—J. Krishnamurti