WebMDave

S o , as I get older, I've noticed my friend group is getting smaller. It's not that I suddenly hate everyone, but I'm finding it harder and harder to connect with people these days. Most conversations just feel...shallow. I'm craving chats about big ideas and personal growth, but it seems like everyone's stuck on complaining about politics or arguing about stuff they can't control. Seriously, everyone seems so into drama and negativity. It's like no one's happy unless they're worked up about something. All this complaining about things we can't change is just exhausting. There's so much good we could be doing, but it's like people would rather just be mad all the time. I think this whole thing is a sign of something bigger going on in our society. We're all so disconnected – from ourselves, our communities, even nature. And that's leading to a serious lack of meaning in our lives. People keep telling me that as I age, I should s...

During the U.S. government handling of the 2020-2021 Covid19 social distancing experiment, I discovered how emotionally unaffected I am by wholescale cancellations of social events, widespread travel restrictions, various venue closers and all the rest of the people-separating mandates. In fact, my natural response to the changes confirmed that I am not only introverted; I am also very comfortable in social isolation. What upsets people is not things themselves, but their judgements about these things. — Epictetus At no time during the year-long-plus affair was I lonely or bored. I am aware that other people were measurably frustrated and or in some degree of turmoil during the lockdown, but I was emotionally unaffected. In fact, I experienced almost no change to my normal day-to-day life. Many experts claim that living in isolation presents very real health risks. Perhaps for some, but interestingly I am unaware of any deleterious side effects from either forced or chosen is...