How can students know whether they are open or not? Here are some useful indicators of openness. Students should demonstrate the ability to give critical and rational consideration to ideas and values that differ from their own, even when those ideas and values push them to the edges of their comfort zone. Besides, students should examine their own core beliefs and values, which are often culture-based. A reasonable tolerance for uncertainty is also necessary. That is, they do not need to have an answer for everything all the time. Last but not least, students should have the courage to risk and accept being wrong and at the same time to learn from the mistakes.

   Is it true that loneliness causes more misery in the world than any other spiritual condition in life? Generally speaking, it is. Loneliness is a negative emotion that almost everyone suffers from now and then. This solitary feeling may even torture one's soul moment to moment throughout lifetime. Contrary to general belief, loneliness does not necessarily result from the state of being alone. To get over loneliness, it is essential to realize the source of this emotion.

   Loneliness must be examined honestly and completely before it can be handled since it is actually a deep-rooted personality habit. To begin with, personal beliefs and memories that support the feeling of loneliness must be discovered and understood. Then, the habitually lonely feeling has to be replaced with more constructive emotions.

   You must understand that feeling lonely now and then is not abnormal, and neither is it your fault. Life is sometimes a lonely process, which can somehow provide the energy and motion needed for personal growth and spiritual understanding. In other words, loneliness is a challenge, not a problem. It becomes a problem only when you view yourself as its victim and consider yourself incompetent to find any solution.

   Loneliness serves as a signal to get your attention so that you can start to deal with your inner state of being. In fact, loneliness can be your very best friend. You may even need to be thankful that it exists for it stimulates you to develop relationships with other people and pushes you out into the world to look for ways of meeting your interpersonal needs.