Loneliness

From the acclaimed author of Imagine Wanting Only This—a timely and moving meditation on isolation and longing, both as individuals and as a society. There is a silent epidemic in America: loneliness. Shameful to talk about and often misunderstood, loneliness is everywhere, from the most major of metropolises to the smallest of towns. In Seek You, Kristen Radtke's wide-ranging exploration of our inner lives and public selves, Radtke digs into the ways in which we attempt to feel closer to one another, and the distance that remains. Through the lenses of gender and violence, technology and art, Radtke ushers us through a history of loneliness and longing, and shares what feels impossible to share. Ranging from the invention of the laugh-track to the rise of Instagram, the bootstrap-pulling cowboy to the brutal experiments of Harry Harlow, Radtke investigates why we engage with each other, and what we risk when we turn away. With her distinctive, emotionally-charged drawings and deeply empathetic prose, Kristen Radtke masterfully shines a light on some of our most vulnerable and sublime moments, and asks how we might keep the spaces between us from splitting entirely.

“What does it mean to be lonely?” Thomas Dumm asks. His inquiry, documented in this book, takes us beyond social circumstances and into the deeper forces that shape our very existence as modern individuals. The modern individual, Dumm suggests, is fundamentally a lonely self. Through reflections on philosophy, political theory, literature, and tragic drama, he proceeds to illuminate a hidden dimension of the human condition. His book shows how loneliness shapes the contemporary division between public and private, our inability to live with each other honestly and in comity, the estranged forms that our intimate relationships assume, and the weakness of our common bonds. A reading of the relationship between Cordelia and her father in Shakespeare’s King Lear points to the most basic dynamic of modern loneliness—how it is a response to the problem of the “missing mother.” Dumm goes on to explore the most important dimensions of lonely experience—Being, Having, Loving, and Grieving. As the book unfolds, he juxtaposes new interpretations of iconic cultural texts—Moby-Dick, Death of a Salesman, the film Paris, Texas, Emerson’s “Experience,” to name a few—with his own experiences of loneliness, as a son, as a father, and as a grieving husband and widower. Written with deceptive simplicity, Loneliness as a Way of Life is something rare—an intellectual study that is passionately personal. It challenges us, not to overcome our loneliness, but to learn how to re-inhabit it in a better way. To fail to do so, this book reveals, will only intensify the power that it holds over us.

A pioneering neuroscientist reveals the reasons for chronic loneliness--which he defines an unrecognized syndrome--and brings it out of the shadow of its cousin, depression. 12 illustrations.

There is Hope in Loneliness It’s easy for loneliness to set in, especially in times when you feel isolated, deserted, or left behind. When your spouse dies or your family moves, when you seemingly have nothing new in your life, you may question God about His intentions. But you can find freedom and healing. J. Oswald Sanders offers biblical and practical guidelines to show you how to identify the causes of loneliness and deal with the heart of the issue. There is hope and healing as you grow and mature in your faith and gain a deeper understanding of God’s intentionality even in lonely times.

"To be alone is to be different. To be different is to be alone, and to be in the interior of this fatal circle is to be lonely. To be lonely is to have failed" (Susan Schultz, 1976) Loneliness carries a significant social stigma, as lack of friendship and social ties is socially undesirable, and social perceptions of lonely people are generally unfavourable. Lonely people often have very negative self-perceptions, believing that the inability to establish social ties is due to personal inadequacies or socially undesirable attributes. This book is divided into three parts. The first part reviews loneliness in general, describing what it is and how it affects us. The second part examines loneliness throughout the life cycle, analysing how it affects us in childhood, adulthood and as we age. The final part explores the connection between loneliness and other conditions such as arthritis, eating disorders and depression. Loneliness Updated offers the latest research on how loneliness can affect us in our daily lives, and how it is expressed as we travel through life from childhood to old age. It will be a highly interesting read for scholars, students and researchers of clinical psychology, particularly those interested in further exploring the effects and consequences of loneliness. This book was originally published as a special issue of The Journal of Psychology.

A timely, beautifully observed debut novel set in near future New York about a young woman who finds herself tangled in a secret Government project combating loneliness. Lee knows she's the best. A professor favorite and fellowship winner, there's no doubt she'll land one of the coveted jobs at a Big Five corporation. So when, upon graduating, Lee is instead assigned to an unknown company in the dead city of New York, her life goals are completely upended. In this new role, Lee's task is to gather enough research to train an AI how to be a friend. She begins online and by studying the social circle of her clueless, outgoing roommate Veronika. But when the company reveals it's part of a classified government mission to solve loneliness-an emotion erased from society's lexicon decades ago-Lee's determination to prove herself kicks into overdrive, and she begins chasing bolder and more dangerous experiences to provide data for the AI. How far will Lee go to teach the algorithm? As the mysterious affliction spreads, Lee must decide what she's willing to give up for success and, along the way, learn what it means to be a true friend. Loneliness & Company is an enchanting, gorgeously written novel about finding meaning and connection in a world beset by isolation.

In this incisive and controversial book, Richard Stivers rejects genetic explanations of psychological problems, arguing instead that the very organization of technological societies is behind the pervasive experience of loneliness. In its extreme form, loneliness assumes pathological dimensions in neurosis and schizophrenia, which reflect the contradiction between power and meaninglessness that characterizes modern life. Loneliness, in its many manifestations, seems to be the price we must pay for living in a technological world. Yet nurturing family, friend, and community ties can mitigate its culturally and psychologically disorganizing power. This book is a clarion call for a renewal of moral awareness and custom to combat the fragmentation and depersonalization of our technological civilization. Visit our website for sample chapters!

On February 20, 2014, media queen Oprah Winfrey launched a campaign on CNN against loneliness; she named her initiative, “Just Say Hello!” She also named as her campaign partners her long-time best friend, “CBS This Morning” co-Anchor Gayle King, and CNN’s chief medical correspondent and practicing neurosurgeon Dr. Sanjay Gupta to "help fight loneliness, lift spirits, and brighten days to save lives". Researchers have said loneliness can cut off a lifespan by ten years. Oprah’s initiative, if successful, could add ten years of existence to lonely lives, but Oprah is not the first celebrity to launch such altruistic enterprise: Stevie Wonder went that route in 1984 with "I Just Called to Say I Love You", and in 1985, Michael Jackson, Lionel Richie, Quincy Jones and a host of superstars with "We Are the World". Had those earlier initiatives succeeded, Oprah’s campaign might not be necessary. But, there are also available often overlooked very precious time-tested scientifically backed biblical formulas for combating loneliness some of which are cited in this book in the hope that, perhaps, Oprah and her team may consider using their celebrity positions to help America focus on the things of GOD. For, “no eye has seen, nor ear has heard, and human mind has conceived the things God has prepared for those who love him” (1Cor. 2:9). Hz

This timely and topical book presents a unique critical exploration of the sociology of single travel and theory of consumption in relation to loneliness and tourism. Logically structured and interdisciplinary in scope, this book introduces disrupting questions around the convergence of the post-modern self in relation to solo travel post-pandemic, with chapters exploring topics such as romantic loneliness, the benefits and drawbacks of single travel in a globalized world, the influence of technology on solo travel and the impact of sex tourism. International case studies and examples are given throughout and the book is richly illustrated and data-led. The volume looks to the future, exploring relevant trends and the development of new products and services in the next few years. This volume is a pivotal resource for students, scholars and academics with an interest in tourism and mobility studies, international relations, development economics, crisis management, sociology and public policy. The book may also be of professional interest to practitioners and policymakers dedicated to tourism sociology and sociology of tourism consumption.