Can we live without knowing that at least one person in this big, wide world cares for us, wants us to be happy, and would fly to our aid in times of need? We all need at least one unconditional relationship. Relationships come in two sorts: given and chosen. Given relationships, determined by birth and place, were the rule in traditional society. They were largely unconditional, but they came with heavy obligations. In modern society we prefer to choose our relationships, even within families, and we are less constrained by traditional obligations. But our relationships are more demanding, more conditional, and as a result, less stable. Hence the increase in loneliness and isolation; hence the need to reinvent new spaces for unconditional bonds to form and flourish.