People do struggle to meet a partner in the 21st Century with

“People do struggle to meet a partner in the 21st Century with online dating and people not really being who they seem to be.” Thus spoke Anna Richardson, a voice of compassion and clarity in an age clouded by illusion. Though her words describe the modern world of screens and swipes, they echo an ancient human ache — the longing to be known and to know another truly. Beneath her lament lies the recognition that the tools of connection, though abundant, have not freed the heart from its loneliness. For in this century of endless faces and profiles, many seek love, but few find truth.

In the old days, when the ancients met beneath open skies, the eyes and the voice were the mirrors of the soul. A glance carried honesty; a word could reveal intention. But now, in the world Richardson speaks of — the 21st Century, bright with digital light — people meet behind veils. The screen offers possibility, yet it also offers disguise. “People not really being who they seem to be,” she says, and in this, she names the shadow that stalks modern love: the distance between image and essence. The ancients would have called it appearance without substance, a mask crafted not of bronze, but of pixels.

Consider the myth of Narcissus, who, upon seeing his reflection, fell in love not with another, but with himself. In the same way, many now fall in love with the reflection others present — a carefully shaped image rather than the living person beneath it. Online, one may appear bold, charming, or flawless; yet, in truth, the soul may be timid, uncertain, or lonely. Thus, what begins as hope often ends in disillusionment. The heart, deceived by illusion, grows weary, and love becomes a labyrinth where seekers wander without finding the center. Richardson’s words, then, are not mere commentary — they are warning and wisdom, a call to awaken from the dream of appearances.

Yet, we must not despair. The challenge of love in this age is not new — only its form has changed. The ancients, too, faced deception, for the heart has always been capable of falsehood. Think of Odysseus, who disguised himself as a beggar upon returning home, testing the loyalty of his wife, Penelope. Even in that ancient tale, the question lingers: how do we recognize truth beneath disguise? The answer, then as now, lies in patience, discernment, and courage. For truth in love is revealed not through appearance, but through endurance — through words and deeds that remain steady over time.

Richardson’s insight also carries a deeper tenderness. When she says, “People do struggle to meet a partner,” she acknowledges not failure, but yearning — the shared human desire to connect. It is not technology that has made love difficult, but the fear that honesty will not be enough. In this, her words become a mirror to our age: we polish our images, we script our introductions, yet we hide our hearts. The cure for this is not retreat, but authenticity. To love in the modern world, one must dare to be real — to speak truth where others perform, to reveal flaws where others conceal.

Let us learn from this, my children. In your search for love, do not be blinded by the glow of the screen. Seek those whose words match their actions, whose laughter feels unforced, whose presence brings peace rather than confusion. Remember that the heart recognizes truth not by sight, but by feeling — a resonance that cannot be faked. Do not hurry to find someone, but rather, become someone worth finding: honest, grounded, and kind. For love born of honesty endures; love born of illusion withers like flowers in frost.

And so, the lesson of Anna Richardson’s wisdom is clear. Though the world has changed, the heart has not. The ancient longing remains — to be seen, to be known, to belong. The path to love may now run through screens and messages, but the essence of love still demands the same virtues as in the old world: truth, patience, and courage. Strip away the masks, both yours and others’, and you will find that even in the chaos of the modern age, sincerity still shines like a flame — and those who seek by its light will, in time, find their way home to another soul that burns just as true.