Prague. The city of expats. People from far away. Having left their homes, families. They are desperately lonely. How could they not be? There is no one here for them.

There is something in us that viscerally requires others. Different types of love need to be satisfied: parental, romantic, social. Sure they are more.

Many people, especially intellectually inclined, tell themselves a lie, a false justification, for their misery. They will say it is because of the intellectual unfulfillment that they struggle. However, after many observed cases, the same strong correlation becomes conspicuous: the absence of love, the type of love, the quality of love - that is what mostly determines the levels of well-being for majority of people.

The ability to admit that one is lonely and desperately needs others correlates with a more mature and stronger ego.

There are many treasures to discover in the very painful solitude. Namely, the appreciation of others, the appreciation of love, the appreciation of moments, and the realization of mandatory self-improvement. You see time and time again a person after encountering a prolonged period of despair caused by unrequited love commences on new journeys: exercise, new hobbies, intellectual endeavors.

Therefore, one thing is clear: solitude albeit painful, can cause great self-actualization. If the path of self-actualization is not undertaken, self-destruction is inevitable.

How to inspire people to undertake the path of self-improvement? The answer to this has been known by psychologists for quite a while now. One must be made to do something. Anything. Some sort of a step of improvement needs to be taken, regardless of its size. It might start just by commitment of never leaving dirty dishes overnight. The compounding effect of perpetual self-improvement can bring previously unimagined fruits. Unfortunately, it is difficult to comprehend it, especially when one is in great anguish.

Hope is in the change. Love is in the self-actualization. Love without it is impossible. Maslow's pyramid is in the wrong order.