"A troop of porcupines is milling about on a cold winter's day. In order to keep from freezing, the animals move closer together. Just as they are close enough to huddle, however, they start to poke each other with their quills. In order to stop the pain, they spread out, lose the advantage of commingling, and again begin to shiver. This sends them back in search of one and other, and the cycle repeats as they struggle to find a comfortable distance between entanglement and freezing." (Arthur Schopenhauer)

Comment: As social creatures we desire at times the company of others. This is natural and enjoyable. The problem arrives with the assumption that any other person can fill a void in our inner world. Only an enlivened spiritual center can deliver authentic happiness. Failure to comprehend this fact creates the never-ending scenario Schopenhauer reveals above.