"The Unbearable Lightness of Being"

I just finished reading "The Unbearable Lightness of Being," a 1984 philosophical Czech novel by Milan Kundera. This novel is considered a modern classic in literature.

I found one interesting concept in the 6th chapter that I want to share with you. 

From Milan's words, "We all need someone to look at us. We can be divided into 4 categories according to the kind of look we wish to live under."

"The 1st category longs for the look of an infinite number of anonymous eyes, in other words, for the look of the public."

Think of celebrities and politicians.

"The 2nd category is made up of people who have a vital need to be looked at by many known eyes. They are the tireless hosts of cocktail parties and dinners. They are happier than the people in the first category, who, when they lose their public, have the feeling that the lights have gone out of the room of their lives. This happens to nearly all of them, sooner or later. People in this category, on the other hand, can always come up with the eyes they need." 

"The 3rd category is for people who need to be constantly before the eyes of the person they love. Their situation is as dangerous as the situation of people in the first category. One day the eyes of their beloved will close and the room will go dark."

"The 4th category, the rarest, is for people who live in the imaginary eyes of those who are not present. They are the dreamers."

Personally I think I belong to the 2nd category because I find comfort in being surrounded with the people I know--those who I trust, love, and care for. It gives me joy to entertain them at parties and spend time with them during travels, in coffee shops, or even via modern technologies.