FEELING LONELY? Wisdom is the antidote to loneliness
February 19, 2020 • 1 min read
-- The wiser you get, the more connected you feel
Turns out we’re a lonely bunch.
A study involving 340 San Diego County residents measured a 76% prevalence of moderate to severe loneliness.
How awful – and unhealthy.
But there is an antidote – develop a rich inner life, because wisdom makes you feel more connected.
Researchers identified six components of wisdom evident in people who were less lonely:
- General knowledge of life
- Empathy, compassion, and altruism
- A sense of fairness
- Insight
- Acceptance of divergent values
- Decisiveness – the ability to make quick, effective decisions when necessary
Now that’s a pile of self-improvement books.
But ponder this: loneliness isn’t a function of your objective number of social contacts. Rather, it is the subjective perception of feeling disconnected.
On this front, researchers suggest meditation, which they say helps to illuminate the distinction between feeling disconnected and being defined by it.
What’s more, meditation significantly reduces the expression of pro-inflammatory gene C-Reactive Protein (CRP).
Never believe how you feel.