Counteracting Emotional Disconnection
Years ago, Albert Schweitzer said: “We are all so much together, but we are all dying of loneliness.” Strangely, this seems more relevant today than ever before.
We have never been so technically connected to individuals in all corners of the earth and yet simultaneously more emotionally disconnected and isolated. In this country, our neighbours live behind high walls and banks of security; there is a sense of mistrust of others and a staggering increase in mental illness such as anxiety and depression.
Our tech-addiction seems to exacerbate the frenetic tempo of our lives and is lamely fed by “I need it for security”, or “can’t be out of touch with my office”, as we apologetically (or not), lay the cell phone face down on the lunch table. Even when we’re not stressing out about our security and have an opportunity to be social, we are together with others physically but often not truly “there” and “with” the other person.
Whilst one option may be to go off the grid and set up a kibbutz-style community where we can truly learn to live closer to nature and nurture our relationships again, perhaps there’s a less radical way. Perhaps we could think from the perspective of being just a little more community minded, in other words, paying attention to people when they speak, being more present when we go out with friends and less dependent on what is going on on Facebook or Twitter, or simply going out of our way to spend time with a lonely parent or grandparent.
Having an attitude of compassion and interest in our fellow-human beings allows for connection. And this doesn’t have to be at the expense of being in touch with the dozens of Facebook friends! Their lives and daily commentaries will still be there, virtually, whilst those lives you have touched by your literal presence will forge tangible bonds of human connection and important memories of infinite value.
Finally, this is a ‘hit me in the forehead’ kind of quotation that I think sums up how we can end emotional disconnection:
