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Is loneliness really such an issue? Maybe i dont have an issue with it because I'm an introvert?

acrophiliac 4y ago
I agree, as an introvert, I'm pretty happy being alone. But apparently it's a big deal. The former U.S. surgeon general calls it an "epidemic". https://www.vivekmurthy.com/post/2017/10/10/work-and-the-loneliness-epidemic-harvard-business-review https://www.vivekmurthy.com/post/2017/10/10/work-and-the-lon...
- shubb 4y ago
  I wonder if loneliness == being alone... many people report being lonely in a crowded place, being lonely in a marriage, or being lonely at work. But this leads to the conclusion that the solution to loneliness may not always be 'meeting people'.
bubblic 4y ago
oh yes, it is a huge issue! This article from 2013 already described that 50% of adults were suffering from loneliness. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-24522691 https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-24522691 And it definitely got way worse during/after pandemic. I would suggest you check out some Reddit forums if you are curious to know the other half of the population. r/ForeverAlone, r/lonely, r/loneliness, r/alone, r/LonersEmpire
- senectus1 4y ago
  yikes. while I may not win in the office for being and introvert it sounds like i win outside the office :-P
drakonka 4y ago
I'm also an introvert and am usually happy to be alone. On the weekend, I'd much rather stay in and do my own thing with my cats than go anywhere or meet anyone. But I do have bouts of longing for connection with other humans sometimes. It can be difficult to reconcile. Even if I make plans to go out and make friends or meet an existing one during one of these slumps, by the time the planned day rolls around I usually have to force myself to actually do it. Once I force myself out there I have fun, but it takes so much effort to actually do it and not stay in my own little world reading or coding or whatever. I think I've come to terms with the fact that even though I really love being alone, I do need to put in an effort to make more meaningful connections over the long term.
kashunstva 4y ago
> Maybe i dont have an issue with it because I'm an introvert? As an off-the-scale introvert and socially anxious person, I’ll just say that loneliness and introversion aren’t incompatible because the degree to which you are depleted or energized by the presence of others is not a binary variable. Rare is the person who needs no human interaction. But as others have alluded to, loneliness may be a catch-all for many emotional states and mental health conditions. A sense of self-alienation can be read-out as loneliness and even the most committed introvert can experience that.
swah 4y ago
I'm also an introvert, and married and have a son - and still miss having some friends for having a beer. Its another kind of interaction.

I agree, as an introvert, I'm pretty happy being alone. But apparently it's a big deal. The former U.S. surgeon general calls it an "epidemic". https://www.vivekmurthy.com/post/2017/10/10/work-and-the-loneliness-epidemic-harvard-business-review https://www.vivekmurthy.com/post/2017/10/10/work-and-the-lon...

shubb 4y ago
I wonder if loneliness == being alone... many people report being lonely in a crowded place, being lonely in a marriage, or being lonely at work. But this leads to the conclusion that the solution to loneliness may not always be 'meeting people'.

bubblic 4y ago

oh yes, it is a huge issue! This article from 2013 already described that 50% of adults were suffering from loneliness. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-24522691 https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-24522691 And it definitely got way worse during/after pandemic. I would suggest you check out some Reddit forums if you are curious to know the other half of the population. r/ForeverAlone, r/lonely, r/loneliness, r/alone, r/LonersEmpire

senectus1 4y ago
yikes. while I may not win in the office for being and introvert it sounds like i win outside the office :-P

drakonka 4y ago

I'm also an introvert and am usually happy to be alone. On the weekend, I'd much rather stay in and do my own thing with my cats than go anywhere or meet anyone. But I do have bouts of longing for connection with other humans sometimes. It can be difficult to reconcile. Even if I make plans to go out and make friends or meet an existing one during one of these slumps, by the time the planned day rolls around I usually have to force myself to actually do it. Once I force myself out there I have fun, but it takes so much effort to actually do it and not stay in my own little world reading or coding or whatever. I think I've come to terms with the fact that even though I really love being alone, I do need to put in an effort to make more meaningful connections over the long term.

kashunstva 4y ago

> Maybe i dont have an issue with it because I'm an introvert? As an off-the-scale introvert and socially anxious person, I’ll just say that loneliness and introversion aren’t incompatible because the degree to which you are depleted or energized by the presence of others is not a binary variable. Rare is the person who needs no human interaction. But as others have alluded to, loneliness may be a catch-all for many emotional states and mental health conditions. A sense of self-alienation can be read-out as loneliness and even the most committed introvert can experience that.

swah 4y ago

I'm also an introvert, and married and have a son - and still miss having some friends for having a beer. Its another kind of interaction.