Professor Sam Vaknin discussed how human loneliness, being alone is an inherent condition stemming from the existential trauma of separateness experienced through the gaze of others, with modern technology enabling a choice to embrace isolation via artificial interactions like social media. He emphasized that this technological shift is intentional and systematically discourages genuine intimacy, leading to widespread societal atomization, and that individuals differ in their ability to create and maintain fantasy as a coping mechanism to manage this solitude. The conversation also explored the psychological impacts of narcissism and fantasy on human connection, highlighting the complex interplay between personal choice, societal structures, and technological influences on loneliness and social detachment.