New Study Shows Most Americans Are Lonely

If you are feeling lonely, you’re not alone. A recent study involving 340 San Diego County residents of various ages has found that loneliness is shockingly widespread.1 The study suggests that there is a 76% prevalence of moderate to severe loneliness in American society. This is a bombshell statistic. After all, our country has enshrined the pursuit of happiness in its constitution and prides itself on having a high standard of living (twelfth in the world), which apparently doesn’t equate with living well. What went wrong? The hopeful news in this study is that there is an inverse relationship between loneliness and wisdom. Those who possessed six components of wisdom experienced less loneliness — namely: general knowledge of life; emotion management; empathy, compassion, altruism and a sense of fairness; insight; acceptance of divergent values; and decisiveness — the ability to make quick, effective decisions when necessary.  The authors of this study suggest that more research is needed. But it makes intuitive sense that the antidote to loneliness is to develop an inner life, which is the purview of Western psychology and Eastern approaches to spirituality. The American dream of achieving a successful, happy life clearly has some flaws. It appears to me that chief among them is the longstanding societal belief that the key to happiness is through external pursuits rather realizing that it’s an inside job.  What We Want and How To Find It Dr. Dili...
Source: World of Psychology - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Tags: Depression General Happiness Mental Health and Wellness Personal Psychology Relationships Self-Help Spirituality Friendship Loneliness social life social media Source Type: blogs