Earlier quoted context omitted.
Presumably https://www.tesd.net/cms/lib/PA01001259/Centricity/Domain/11...
Would still like to hear the precis.
[deleted]
Americans are choosing to be alone, but we should reverse that
61–70 of 396 posts
Re: Americans are choosing to be alone, but we should reverse that
#62There's been a lot of talk recently about effects of loneliness and the "loneliness epidemic". What a lot of this lacks, including this article, is a good and correct definition of loneliness. They seem to use the lazy & inaccurate definition of "spending significant time alone", which is very different to being lonely. There's a lot of people who are now able to spend more time alone than before and are happy with t…
It will probably be difficult to have any mainstream support of that idea, because allowing people to be alone and think by themselves goes against the society we’ve built for centuries.
Sure, the concept is praised. But even monks were supposed to live in small communities.
There’s of course the not so cynical take of people not bound by networks being harder to rope in a common direction. It’s supposed to be a virtue, but from a position of power it’s a pain in the side.
Re: Americans are choosing to be alone, but we should reverse that
#63There's been a lot of talk recently about effects of loneliness and the "loneliness epidemic". What a lot of this lacks, including this article, is a good and correct definition of loneliness. They seem to use the lazy & inaccurate definition of "spending significant time alone", which is very different to being lonely. There's a lot of people who are now able to spend more time alone than before and are happy with t…
Good point. Not forming families or being part of a tight community seems to be a start to define it better.
Re: Americans are choosing to be alone, but we should reverse that
#64Not just the US but Europe too. I’m not religious but more and more I think that church (as an institution) had an actual positive effect on local communities. At least as a "force" to keep people together, have a community space etc. A space where you can meet and talk with others. My parents are Anglicans and I always liked the little tea and biscuits after each service. These things matter.
It is not just churches, at least in the US there used to be all kinds of community groups around different things, these all seem to be disappearing. Things like Mens/Womens Fraternal Organizations, Miltary / VA organizations, or even something like Bowling leagues etc. While none of these have disappeared completely it does seem their membership numbers are decreasing in a similar way to churches
Re: Americans are choosing to be alone, but we should reverse that
#65There's been a lot of talk recently about effects of loneliness and the "loneliness epidemic". What a lot of this lacks, including this article, is a good and correct definition of loneliness. They seem to use the lazy & inaccurate definition of "spending significant time alone", which is very different to being lonely. There's a lot of people who are now able to spend more time alone than before and are happy with t…
I'd expect there to be a high correlation. People willingly choose to spend less time with friends and devote themselves to activities when the choice is easy because those activities are almost completely fulfilling, except occasionally when they aren't fulfilling anymore but the person is still alone.
On the other hand there are people who can't bear to be alone at all. Which seems like a different issue.
Re: Americans are choosing to be alone, but we should reverse that
#66What I (non-US) observed: non-U.S. people when talking about their own medical issues: I have this medical issue, I wonder if I should see a doctor, the cause may be this. U.S. people when talking about their own medical issues: I had this medical issue, I saw a doctor, and the cause was this. non-U.S. people when talking about their own divorce: I am thinking about divorcing my wife/husband. U.S. people when talking…
Could you please state your point more explicitly?
Re: Americans are choosing to be alone, but we should reverse that
#67Not just the US but Europe too. I’m not religious but more and more I think that church (as an institution) had an actual positive effect on local communities. At least as a "force" to keep people together, have a community space etc. A space where you can meet and talk with others. My parents are Anglicans and I always liked the little tea and biscuits after each service. These things matter.
As a counterpoint, we still have school (the effect including parents), our job, local markets, local bars, local events (library talks, festivals, “neighborhood day”, national holidays celebrations etc).
Occasions to meet people abound for most people interested to, and we make a conscious choice to not go, or at least not bound in these events to keep people out of our private spheres.
Re: Americans are choosing to be alone, but we should reverse that
#68There's been a lot of talk recently about effects of loneliness and the "loneliness epidemic". What a lot of this lacks, including this article, is a good and correct definition of loneliness. They seem to use the lazy & inaccurate definition of "spending significant time alone", which is very different to being lonely. There's a lot of people who are now able to spend more time alone than before and are happy with t…
It will probably be difficult to have any mainstream support of that idea, because allowing people to be alone and think by themselves goes against the society we’ve built for centuries. Sure, the concept is praised. But even monks were supposed to live in small communities. There’s of course the not so cynical take of people not bound by networks being harder to rope in a common direction. It’s supposed to be a virt…
>There’s of course the not so cynical take of people not bound by networks being harder to rope in a common direction.
It's the opposite. People who are isolated are easier to control. Populations that are isolated find it harder to organize against people in positions of power. If you occupy the upper rungs of the societal ladder, you don't need to be a part of a social group, because your power (from wealth, politics, etc.) can be exercised unilaterally. The only check to their power comes from the people on the bottom rungs of the ladder banding together.
Re: Americans are choosing to be alone, but we should reverse that
#69A few thoughts: 1. The internet means we have many forms of entertainment available without needing to go anywhere. 2. Many of those are social activities, even though we are physically alone. This is completely different from being totally isolated (as implied by the article). 3. The declining economic situation affects the ability of people to pursue leisure activities that would involve actually going somewhere th…
> 2. Many of those are social activities, even though we are physically alone. This is completely different from being totally isolated (as implied by the article).
This is also completely different from being physically with others.
Re: Americans are choosing to be alone, but we should reverse that
#70A few thoughts: 1. The internet means we have many forms of entertainment available without needing to go anywhere. 2. Many of those are social activities, even though we are physically alone. This is completely different from being totally isolated (as implied by the article). 3. The declining economic situation affects the ability of people to pursue leisure activities that would involve actually going somewhere th…
I find this very hard to believe. Real interactions are so rich, how could these goggles even hope to get there in a few years? What is having dinner together if you didn’t even eat the same? And this is the most banal example I could think of. I’d sooner become an actual hermit than to share a soggy McD burger over VR.
Come on, social interactions will be like all of us at a masquerade party. What could be more personal?