Does insecurity come before or after doubt? Can devotion be compatible with independence? How can two seperate "I's" merge into one all-encompassing "we"?

When frightened, you seek to reinforce your sense of individuality. "This is me, and I'm doing fine, albeit in a slightly inconsistent way", you whisper to yourself, again and again, making it sound like some kind of incomprehensible mantra.

"I'm whole, even though I tend to believe that my better half is out there somewhere. I've been in love with shadows and ghosts and strangers, and the occasional real person, too. Yes, it's mostly been a solitary journey, but not without its joys."

Then silence. We've watched our utopias dissolve into dust, one by one. If love is the only antidote to loneliness, where does freedom fit into the exchange, and does our happiness truly depend upon it?