Feel alone? Check out these quotes on what it's been like to be human in 2023
To feel 2023 is to listen closely and think on the words of awe, dread, anger, disconnect, loss — and yes, love — that flowed from people directly involved in the world's most recent turns of history.
To help tell the story, The Associated Press presents quotes from people around the world who shared their experiences, thoughts and insights. Some are universal and insightful, others intimate and specific and a few cases — looking at you, Elon Musk — may require a double take. In many instances, the sharing itself was an act of courage at a time when people are increasingly isolated.
Perhaps, they'll make you feel less alone as this year of war, chaos and beauty comes to a close.
LONELINESS
“It’s like hunger or thirst. It’s a feeling the body sends us when something we need for survival is missing.”
— U.S. Surgeon General in an interview with The Associated Press in May after his office reported that loneliness is an epidemic in the U.S. that was dramatically worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic. The World Health Organization says anxiety and depression increased by 25% globally since the outbreak the COVID-19 global crisis.
