Earlier quoted context omitted.
I always wonder about those statistics, I could imagine an extrovert is going to have a much tougher time being alone than an introvert. To apply it across the whole population seems dubious.
Falls are a fairly common cause of death. If you are elderly and fall and no one is around to help, that is in many cases a death sentence. Consider also the parent's comment about heart attacks, which you seem to have glossed over. Seems this factor alone can explain the data.
Mister Rogers had a point – routinely greeting six neighbors maximizes wellbeing
161–170 of 330 posts
Re: Mister Rogers had a point – routinely greeting six neighbors maximizes wellbeing
#162Re: Mister Rogers had a point – routinely greeting six neighbors maximizes wellbeing
#163People underestimate the positive impact of speaking with strangers.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-48459940 https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2021/09/deep-convers...
Re: Mister Rogers had a point – routinely greeting six neighbors maximizes wellbeing
#164Re: Mister Rogers had a point – routinely greeting six neighbors maximizes wellbeing
#165In our last house we knew 90% of the people on our street and regularly interacted with them. We have been in our new house for just over 2 years and only know our neighbors on one side of our house. The neighbor in the other house moved in just a week after we did. In those 2 years we have seen him only once, they day he moved in when he pulled up in his car, got out (without looking our way), opened the garage door…
We had a mom who had recently moved in, screaming in hysterics on the block one day because she thought her toddler ran away when she stepped out for a moment to throw out trash. My neighbor (who also talks to everyone) and I came out, and along with the mailman and a couple of construction guys around the corner, immediately did a search on the neighborhood blocks. She eventually found him hiding in the house, and was relieved, but then just walked away without so much as a thank you to anyone. Such a strange way to live.
Re: Mister Rogers had a point – routinely greeting six neighbors maximizes wellbeing
#166I make a point of bringing a bunch of flowers to the 10 or so houses near us at the beginning of every year. It is such a small thing to do but the effects have so far been well beyond what I would expect, immediately 'neighbor' becomes 'person I know a little bit' and from there the network around you will strengthen.
We've started hosting monthly "spaghetti and meatball nights" and invite almost everyone we know, including all the neighbors. We often get 30 people, but spaghetti and meatballs scale trivially so it's not hard to host. It's been tremendous for building community.
Re: Mister Rogers had a point – routinely greeting six neighbors maximizes wellbeing
#167Earlier quoted context omitted.
I think you'll find that community matters even more in rural towns. We are social animals. We can't do it all alone. That modern society has enabled us to be 'reclusive' is frankly a maladaptive outcome.
No we aren’t social animals, certainly not in rural areas. Give me a good book and a quiet afternoon in the shade of a tree with no neighbours any day.
And yet, here you are...
Re: Mister Rogers had a point – routinely greeting six neighbors maximizes wellbeing
#168Re: Mister Rogers had a point – routinely greeting six neighbors maximizes wellbeing
#169Earlier quoted context omitted.
Sounds blissful. I'm a fairly introverted, reclusive person. Much like your one neighbour. I keep to myself. I do know my neighbours. The couple on one side is delightful and the woman on the other side is a "Karen" who I prefer not associate with. She is an outdoor person and only "talks" to me when she has a problem with how I keep my yard. Ironically I would probably use my yard more (and thus tend to it more) if…
I think you'll find that community matters even more in rural towns. We are social animals. We can't do it all alone. That modern society has enabled us to be 'reclusive' is frankly a maladaptive outcome.
Re: Mister Rogers had a point – routinely greeting six neighbors maximizes wellbeing
#170My father in law lives in Yorkshire, where people regularly say hello to each other when out and about, particularly in the morning. We live in London, where this is highly unusual. When visiting he came on our usual morning walk in the park, and said hello, good morning to someone. They were completely flabbergasted and could only muster a garbled reply through the shock.