2 weeks ago
9
Dear Eric: I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the “epidemic of loneliness” we keep hearing about. After a few recent outings, I’ve come to a frustrating realization: for many, loneliness isn’t caused by a lack of people in their lives, but by a profound lack of social and emotional skills.
I’ve spent time recently with two friends out of a sense of obligation because they are both quite lonely. However, witnessing their interactions was eye-opening. In one instance, a woman shared her beautiful wedding dress with us. My reaction was genuine excitement; my friend’s reaction was a flat, “Oh, uh-huh.” In another, a mutual friend announced her pregnancy. While I was celebrating the news, the other “lonely” friend’s only comment was about the mother’s weight gain, before immediately pivoting the conversation back to photos of her new car.
