Are You Tired Of Being Alone?
ARE YOU TIRED OF BEING ALONE?
Practice English with your teacher
Warm-up
Talk about these questions with your teacher.
선생님과 이야기해 보세요.
- The passage distinguishes between being alone and feeling lonely. When was the last time you genuinely enjoyed your own company without any distractions?
- The author calls dependence on others a "weakness and a vulnerability." Do you agree, or is needing people a sign of emotional health?
Vocabulary
Listen and repeat after your teacher.
선생님을 따라 읽어보세요.
Reading
Read the passage with your teacher.
선생님과 함께 지문을 읽어보세요.
For most people, it isn't easy being alone. I'm not talking about being in a romantic relationship or having plenty of friends and family, I'm talking about being able to be content without anyone else around to entertain you.Being alone can often cause depression, and the typical, modern source of comfort for both aloneness and depression is television. TV may distract you from the fact that you're alone, but it doesn't actually relieve the depression. Reading books and surfing the web fit into a similar category, in my opinion, and are neither substitutes for actual human interaction, nor healthy coping strategies for feelings of loneliness. All three of these -- TV, books, the internet -- relieve aloneness by providing a false sense of presence. None of them is bad, but using any of them as an emotional crutch can cause you to miss out on one of the greatest, most empowering feelings imaginable: being totally alone, and perfectly content.Being able to be comfortable while alone is one of the most difficult abilities to acquire in life, and many people never achieve it, or even think about it. Most people are constantly seeking affirmation, approval, attention, compassion, empathy, and community with others -- these can all be positive and enjoyable, but addiction to other people is a weakness and a vulnerability.
Korean Trap! / 한국인 실수 교정
Common mistakes Korean speakers make.
한국인이 자주 하는 실수를 알아봅시다.
'lonely'와 'alone'은 다릅니다. 'alone'은 물리적 상태(혼자 있는), 'lonely'는 감정(외로운)입니다. 한국어로는 둘 다 '혼자'로 번역되어 혼동하기 쉽습니다.
Discussion
Share your thoughts with your teacher.
선생님과 의견을 나눠보세요.
- The author claims TV, books, and the internet provide a "false sense of presence." Do you agree that these are mere substitutes for real connection, or can they offer genuine comfort?
- The passage says most people are "constantly seeking affirmation, approval, attention." In the age of social media likes and followers, has this tendency intensified?
- The author describes being comfortable alone as "one of the most difficult abilities to acquire." Why do you think solitude feels so threatening to many people?
- The text calls addiction to other people a "vulnerability." Can you think of real-life scenarios where excessive dependence on social approval led to poor decisions?
- Some cultures value collectivism while others prize individualism. How does Korean culture’s emphasis on community influence one’s ability to be content alone?
Lesson Summary / 수업 요약
Today's Topic: ARE YOU TIRED OF BEING ALONE?
Level: Low Advanced (L.A)
Review this lesson before your next class! / 다음 수업 전에 복습하세요!