The best way for you to effectively combat existential isolation is by letting people in and forging closer bonds with the people you care about while creating new relationships. It’s a little bit harder to connect in our culture because of some of the reasons mentioned in this chapter but you can do it with a little bit of work. Of course maturing as a person and increasing self-concept means knowing how to avoid destructive relationships too. Sometimes it’s better to disengage from abusive relationships in order to preserve your sense of self. You also have to make sure that you are not connected to family members in an unhealthy way in order to avoid becoming your own individual.