Loneliness, one of the most important public health problems of our time, increased greatly during the pandemic. The past 18 months of isolation have been described as a “loneliness epidemic”, but our understanding of loneliness remains incomplete.
For a start, there is no widely accepted definition of loneliness and what does exist are variations of the “perceived absence of others”. How can the “perception of absence” be best explained? Is it some kind of pain or could it be a deliberate experience? In any case, big questions remain about loneliness. From one point of view, it is a psychosocial phenomenon. It can also be considered spiritually as an essential aspect of the human condition.
We were social animals from the beginning, and the hominins of East Africa could not survive a night alone because they were interdependent from the beginning. The era we have now entered, in which we live apart from each other, is different from any earlier era. Long before today’s covidosphere, the English philosopher Thomas Hobbes claimed that in the natural state, before authority grew to keep us in control, we were engaged in a war, “every man against every man”. When competition and individualism became the religion of the time, sole traders, self-starters and self-made men and women appeared in abundance to celebrate their emotional self-sufficiency. Structural changes in the perception of society occur when doctors practice telemedicine instead of face-to-face consultation. The aspirations of the youth have changed and 40% of the youth surveyed preferred quick money and fame over regular jobs. Research from the University of Milan shows that national economies change when social change occurs, but happiness does not increase in line with an increase in income.
Today loneliness has developed into an epidemic that is afflicting the young and the old. Factories and schools are closed, and as proof of change, YouTube has replaced theaters. People turn to their TV for comfort, despite research showing that people who watch a lot of TV get less satisfaction from it. When social ties are cut off, it can lead to early death and can be twice as deadly as obesity.
Some say the cure for loneliness is solitude. For them, the company of others was never the cure. Others say that the surest cure for pride is a generous dose of loneliness. Introspective people find that being alone with themselves enhances beauty. Sunsets acquire a special hue for the solitary self in solitude with nature. While there is a lot of talk that once we are fully vaccinated it will all be back to normal, it is wise to forget what was there, appreciate what is yet to come, and prepare ourselves for what is to come. Might be possible.
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