In all developed societies, loneliness has taken on the dimensions of a social phenomenon. While individuals engage in multiple and diverse interactions, more and more people feel a painful sense of isolation. At the same time, many choose to live alone.

In this book, which includes many examples from her scientific experience, Marie-France Hirigoyen shows that today's reality is the result of a profound transformation in the relationships between men and women, and how these developments are not yet complete.

Although women have finally gained independence in both the workplace and sexuality, their emancipation has not yet been integrated into the collective mindset. This fact has led to a crisis in gender roles and instability in intimate personal bonds: one in two marriages ends in separation, primarily initiated by women.

We also observe that couples' relationships have become harsher, reflecting the competitiveness and inhumanity of the work world. As for the traditional 'investment' in romantic relationships, it is now accompanied by the increasingly widespread practice of 'time-limited couples.'

Periods of loneliness and sexual abstinence are prolonged and lead to more frequent resorting to online dating sites, as well as to 'new therapies', which often prove to be chimerical. Yet, as the author explains, loneliness can offer vitality and inspiration: at any age, chosen solitude can become a source of fulfillment, a way to escape the superficial values of a society dominated by narcissism and the worship of maximum efficiency.