Loneliness Is Like a Physical Assault

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When we don't feel connected to others, the that feeling is not as stark. John cachiopo's research on loneliness shows that the elevation in stress hormones is the equivalent of a physical assault. Loneliness isn't mearly being proximate to people. Loneliness is how you feel about your relationships. And it's really about our internal states and our perception of the depth and meaning fulness of our relationships. We do need to deepen those connections, not just make those kind of casual, soft, easy connections.

Eric Barker is not a people person. “Getting me to write a relationship book,” he says, “is like asking Godzilla to improve the infrastructure in your city.” But he did it anyway. Guided by leading social psychologists, Eric went on a journey to understand what he was getting wrong about relationships — and what he could do to turn things around. The result is “Plays Well With Others,” a guide to friendship, intimacy, loneliness, and belonging that our curator Daniel Pink says will “revitalize your life.”

THIS AND THAT:

Check out Eric’s blog, “Barking Up the Wrong Tree”

Try out Arthur Aron’s intimacy building questions

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