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30 minutes with a stranger

(pudding.cool)
1103 points MaxLeiter | 3 comments | 04 Sep 25 05:56 UTC | HN request time: 0s | source
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alex-moon ◴[04 Sep 25 08:22 UTC] No.45124947[source]▶
I'm increasingly convinced that social isolation is the single great social ill of our time. I am not one for "respecting others' opinions" at all, make no mistakes, if someone believes something incorrect - or worse - then they need to be corrected. But so much of the hate simmering away like a pot about to boil over is the result of loneliness. The evidence on this is startingly clear.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S235215462...

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S027795362...

https://www.psychiatrist.com/news/hate-lies-and-loneliness-f...

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999900000999 ◴[04 Sep 25 09:08 UTC] No.45125200[source]▶
Had a chat about this with a friend yesterday.

In richer societies you can afford to be alone. This isn't good for tribal beings, humans didn't evolve as lone wolves. Even something as cooking for more than one person involves so much interaction.

At the lower end of the global income scale , you can't afford to be alone in your giant house. You might need to share communal goods.

Not everyone, but just having a role in society can be a major help for many people. The biggest crime of the modern era is the disposable human. You work for an anonymous corporation, that does some nonsense you can't even hope to understand, in exchange for currency, to support the basics of your existence.

You don't get to have any real status in that, for example In many places there was just one or two bread makers for the entire community. Baking bread isn't the most prestigious job, but you matter.

Tell me, fellow techy, working on serving ads. Who exactly would be disappointed if you failed in your duties today. Would anyone in your community be upset that they didn't get as many advertisements

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1. DiscourseFan ◴[05 Sep 25 05:34 UTC] No.45135271[source]▶
On the other hand, I get to move around freely and I make enough money to live just about anywhere, and some places like a king?
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2. Cthulhu_ ◴[05 Sep 25 06:21 UTC] No.45135507[source]▶
Yeah, but you're alone. I think this is worse if you're rich-rich; if you move to a house you can afford you'll live with a different demographic, your employees / staff will no longer treat you like an equal, you and your possibly-family have a target on your back if you're known, and if you go to places for the rich - gyms, golf clubs, etc - you run into a completely different demographic, too.

But on the other hand you'll be able to afford experiences few people can.

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3. DiscourseFan ◴[07 Sep 25 07:39 UTC] No.45156201[source]▶
Actually, for me, on account of the particular circumstances of my career, I actually have close friends all over the world, and its easier for me to fly out to the various cities where they live, that I am now quite familiar with, than to tie myself down to one particular place. I mean certainly traveling was lonelier when I was younger, but now it feels more like I live in one giant city composed of all the great metropolies of the world.