The History of Loneliness Can Help Us Through This Pandemic | Hacker News Reader

The History of Loneliness Can Help Us Through This Pandemic

time.com

38 pointsprostoalex18 comments

It's strange that some of my peers did not mind the lockdown at all, some even enjoy it and find it relaxing. I on the other hand completely faltered.

I always saw myself as an introvert which rather reads books, codes and figures out stuff, than mingling at networking events. So it took me by surprise how big the psychological impact of the lockdown was/is one me. I tried to analyze myself here https://medium.com/@franz.enzenhofer/supporting-and-hating-t...

In short and as strange as it sounds: As an introvert I need meaningful interactions with people to challenge myself. And without challenge I sucumb to depression. Hard times.

For me the lockdown (I am in Germany so it is relatively lighter than some other places like Italy or Belgium) was not a big incovenience, the only thing I am really missing is my Martial Arts regular training.

For the rest I just had more time to devote to hobbies so I am more or less fine, so far.

I have a page devoted to Loneliness/Solitude on my personal website (https://www.pa-mar.net/Lifestyle/Solitude.html) and I will add the OP article to the reading list in the appendix.

Being an introvert doesn't mean you don't like/need socializing, it means you get tired from it and need to recharge afterwards by being alone. Extroverts gain energy by being around others whereas introverts lose it

Does personality affect the uptake of ATP?

Potentially, I've never seen a study relating personality to ATP.

The usage of "energy" here is a metaphor for how the dopamine system is invoked in the brain. Introverts have less dopamine released in a social interaction than extroverts do, and that gives the impression of "tiredness" or "having less energy".

Yeah I think I would generally agree with this. I did not necessarily mean energy in a literal sense. If you've ever been hanging out with friends and suddenly you just don't want to talk or do anything except for go home then you'll know the feeling I'm referring to.

It's a feeling of depletion, but perhaps it's due to dopamine or another neurotransmitter

I'm an introvert, but my hobbies are outdoor sports that require other people and sometimes enclosed spaces.

I was dying! I had to go home and move in with family so I could speak to someone more than once every two weeks.

Was? Did you go back to normal activities already?

> I had to go home and move in with family so I could speak to someone more than once every two weeks.

Eyeballs, friend, use them.

it's good to remember that introversion/extraversion are not fixed dispositions but dynamic states that we each flitter back and forth through. adjectives rather nouns.

I didn't expect I would enjoy the lockdown as much as I do. It probably helps that in my country we have a soft lockdown. I did have to overcome a tinge of bad conscience, but that didn't last. I wonder if this is related to the black hole you mention, does it have anything to do with shame?

I made a comic about my experience, but it's in french... https://lecourrier.ch/app/uploads/2020/04/intermede-confine-...

I was just telling my family over the weekend that the one good thing about all this is that, for once in my life, I didn't feel bad about being a hermit, which is my natural state.

One point this article hasn't touched upon is that peoples' needs for social interaction can vary wildly, from the need for constant companionship, to being fine with none, even for years. There have been many solitary people throughout history who were able to get along just fine alone, even with no person or god to keep them company.

Yes, it's instructive to learn coping mechanisms from famous people in history, but be careful about falling for the fallacy that everyone is the same. Your mileage WILL vary.

I love how people use "wildly" when "widely" would do.

"Wildly" has the additional connotation of "erratic".

I've seen this topic touched on a few times recently but i feel like there is a major flaw in a the assumption that the current pandemic related loneliness/isolation can be compared to more traditional forms of loneliness/isolation.

Traditionally lonely people don't have anyone to communicate with, people in lockdown do have people to communicate with but now have to do it remotely, just doesn't seem comparable to me.

Speaking for my friendship group that is extremely socially active normally, everyone seems to have happily moved to social media and zoom drinking sessions with little ill effects.

Need no help, I'm doing better mentally now that I don't have to go another place and be surrounded by people to work.

I'm kind of annoyed how people are whining about the mental hardships of lock down (those of us who can work from home, I sympathise entirely with those unfortunate that cannot work and get issues from the pressure that brings with it).

People who prefer solitude have always been second rank in society, we have been the ones who had to "suck it up", or "find a job where you're alone", and listen to the "nobody is forcing you to blah blah" (which is entirely untrue if you want the same privileges as everybody else, without having to socialize to gain them).

But the second the tables turn, they having a breakdown. Not buying it.

My social life has not changed but improved since the quarantine started. Voice chat servers have never been this full. The whole extended squad is on line 10 hours a day. We can finally have 5v5 custom games all day long. We all consider ourselves introverts. Now, when you are tired of socialising you just say be right back and come back tomorrow. When outside you have to spend possibly hours more than you would like before it's socially acceptable to leave.

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