The Epidemic of Loneliness — How Cynicism Is Blocking Our Path to Connection
00:00:00.000 | I think that we are extraordinarily sub-optimized in our social lives.
00:00:05.160 | We are facing right now an epidemic of loneliness, depression, even self-harm has increased.
00:00:11.180 | I mean, there is a lot of really troubling trends in our well-being, and I think a lot
00:00:16.160 | of those have to do with a great sense of disconnection that we have, a sense of isolation
00:00:22.260 | and atomization.
00:00:24.000 | That is simply not an optimized way to live because we are fundamentally social creatures.
00:00:29.440 | In essence, cynicism is at this point a barricade.
00:00:33.240 | It's blocking us from the types of connections that most of us want, and even if we don't
00:00:38.560 | know we want them, we need them to optimize our own lives and our culture.
00:00:44.700 | I think of optimization not just at the personal level.
00:00:47.560 | You talked about it at the family level, which I think is so important, but it's also a cultural
00:00:51.320 | thing, right?
00:00:52.320 | The ability to engage in collective action, to function as a democracy, to make decisions
00:00:56.760 | and trust is the foundation of that as well.