The thinking child is not antisocial (he is, in fact, the only type of child
fit for social relationships). When he develops his first values and conscious
convictions, particularly as he approaches adolescence, he feels an intense
desire to share them with a friend who would understand him; if frustrated, he
feels an acute sense of loneliness. (Loneliness is specifically the experience
of this type of child—or adult; it is the experience of those who have
something to offer. The emotion that drives conformists to “belong,” is not
loneliness, but fear—the fear of intellectual independence and responsibility.
The thinking child seeks equals; the conformist seeks protectors.)