6 ms·
We have this in America as well. Have a friend who was a stripper in SF, she had customers that would pay her just to sit and talk with them. I interviewed an
by tyre 10y ago
We have this in America as well.
Have a friend who was a stripper in SF, she had customers that would pay her just to sit and talk with them. I interviewed an escort once and she had similar stories.
Additionally, this is a huge part of hospice care. Incredible article recently[0] in the New Yorker about this.
[0]: http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2016/07/11/the-work-of-a-hospice-nurse http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2016/07/11/the-work-of-a-h...
- dominotw 10y agoWe'll have a huge number of childless old people in a couple of decades. I am hoping for huge number of young immigrants who will be recruited to provide emotional companionship.
- vtail 10y agoOr, you know, the childless old people can talk to each other and provide emotional companionship in an "old" way, from the previous age before all these modern economic inventions.
- dominotw 10y agopeople need something to relate to be a companion, something to bond on. With the world getting richer and more knowledgeable, more free economically and socially; people don't have anything that ties them together. There are no wars, social struggles, economic struggles that tie people together. Culture no longer curtails people from straying far out from the line. This is bound to happen, friendships are on their way out for a reason. So yea, old people cannot be forced to hang out with each other just because they are old.
- steve19 10y agoTo me your comment is bizarre. Friendships on their way out? Old people need to be forced to be friends with each other? I can only think you are either trolling or have had a significantly different life to myself. Plenty of things allow people (without children) to relate: sports, travel, religion, food, literature, movies, the weather, politics, technological events (man on moon), cultural events (election of the first Black president of America), pets etc. etc. Old people don't need to be forced. 100s of millions of old people who enjoy each other company every single day.
- HappyTypist 10y agoI don't think friendship is on the way out, but anecdotally I've observed the median strength of the bond decreased.
- dmichulke 10y ago"The older the quirkier" would explain both your experience and older people preferring not to bond with older people.
- Spooky23 10y agoThat means they need to be friends. Friendship among peers is a two way street, which isn't what folks like this want. A therapist, escort, paid companion, etc is ultimately there to serve.
- MaysonL 10y ago"Better to go down dignified With boughten friendship at your side Than none at all. Provide, provide!" http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/provide-provide/ http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/provide-provide/
- deleted 10y ago[deleted]
- corysama 10y agoThey don't even have to immigrate :) http://www.adweek.com/adfreak/perfect-match-brazilian-kids-learn-english-video-chatting-lonely-elderly-americans-157523 http://www.adweek.com/adfreak/perfect-match-brazilian-kids-l...
- jpindar 10y agoThere are also services like http://rentafriend.com/ http://rentafriend.com/
- Mikeb85 10y agoYou can add bartenders to that list. But yeah, our society is generally pretty terrible at listening to others. We're very selfish and self-centred, often the only people who listen are those who are paid to. Oh, should add, not sure if anyone is religious or not but priests and monks are generally good listeners, and free. Sometimes short on life experience though.
- HappyTypist 10y agoIt's a very simple and very cool life hack. Just listen and you'll be great friends with almost everyone.
- denzil 10y agoBeing really bad at talking to others and thus being listener only for most of the time, I have to disagree. What will happen when you just listen is that you won't make enemies. And maybe you will make some acquittances, but not friends. To actually make friends, you have to talk and open up, without each of you opening up and getting to know each other you can hardly claim you are friends. This is the only way how I managed to get friendly with at least few people - at my best I managed to open up a bit.
- mianosm 10y agoNot all priests join before they accumulate life experiences....some have their fill of life and give back by way of taking holy orders or the like. ;-)
- Mikeb85 10y agoTrue. I know a monk who used to be a rock musician, and a few priests who are full of life experience (and a few who led pretty vanilla/strait edge lives). But it varies by religion/order/whatever other criteria you organise them by.