new book: ‘Loneliness: Human Nature and the Need for Social Connection’
Written on August 16, 2008
Loneliness: Human Nature and the Need for Social Connection by John T. Cacioppo and William Patrick (W.W. Norton, 2008)
Product description:
John T. Cacioppo’s groundbreaking research topples one of the pillars of modern medicine and psychology: the focus on the individual as the unit of inquiry. By employing brain scans, monitoring blood pressure, and analyzing immune function, he demonstrates the overpowering influence of social context—a factor so strong that it can alter DNA replication. He defines an unrecognized syndrome—chronic loneliness—brings it out of the shadow of its cousin depression, and shows how this subjective sense of social isolation uniquely disrupts our perceptions, behavior, and physiology, becoming a trap that not only reinforces isolation but can also lead to early death. He gives the lie to the Hobbesian view of human nature as a “war of all against all,” and he shows how social cooperation is, in fact, humanity’s defining characteristic. Most important, he shows how we can break the trap of isolation for our benefit both as individuals and as a society.
The website for the book is www.scienceofloneliness.com
Filed in: new books,psychology.
Interesting concept: chronic loneliness as an illness distinct from chronic depression. If a person is a loner, but does not feel lonely, then they presumably do not have this illness. And, yet, you have to think that the loner is in some way living a limited life that is less than the one they might have if they had a more social existence. Do you know if the book addresses this issue?
Hi Brian, – Unfortunately I don’t have the book at hand but it seems like something that should be addressed. Personally I think a loner’s life wouldn’t necessarily be more limited than other people’s; it could be richer in other dimensions.
The book is about loneliness as ‘perceived social isolation’. So it is not about whether someone is ‘objectively’ alone—e.g., someone who chooses to live in solitude (think monks, reclusive individuals)—rather, it is about the psychological and physiological consequences of feeling alone. One striking thing in the book is how it talks about the impact of loneliness within society—for instance, loneliness within a marriage is pretty traumatic. It’s a great read.
Hi Matthew, thanks for that clarification.