Alone Together

If you’re feeling a little bored these days, you’re not alone. Boredom can keep us trapped in our loneliness. But it can also give us clues as to what we can do to stop being bored. And it may interest you to know researchers around the world study boredom for a number of reasons. For example, it can affect our political choices, how much we give to charity and even how we might decide t...

How far would you go to end loneliness? Would you go to the lengths that Tony Williams, a retired widower, did to try to connect with his community? He printed up hundreds of business cards to hand out, hoping people would reach out for a chat. No one did. He placed a big sign in his window telling the world the silence inside his home was unbearable, pleading for people to call him. What do you t...

There’s a famous painting by American artist Edward Hopper of four people sitting in a diner on a dark corner. That theme, in many of Hopper’s works, of people inside looking out, longing for something beyond their walls captured the attention of many at the beginning of the pandemic. Diners have become associated with the place to go for those on their own and wanting connections. This week, we h...

A life of solitude was imposed on millions of us during the pandemic due to the coronavirus. Being alone is a life chosen deliberately by some; others are just alone, not by choice. We can end up unexpectedly alone and for many, the twists and turns of life, brought us to where we are, alone. Experts and researchers around the world share their insights about what we know about lonelines...