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"Inspiring and original."-Johann Hari, New York Times bestselling author of Lost Connections and Stolen Focus
A deeply personal, philosophical meditation on the global phenomenon of loneliness.
Loneliness increases your chance of early death by 26 percent, places your body under extreme physical stress, can lead to depression and anxiety, and is so pervasive that it's been recognized as an epidemic in the United States. But what defines loneliness, and is it true that we are lonelier now than we have ever been?
Simultaneously intimate and impeccably researched, So Lonely recounts acclaimed Norwegian writer Hilde Østby's own questions about and struggles with the condition, and her many conversations with researchers, artists, and journalists who have looked closely at the myriad faces of loneliness and the ways it can be overcome. She speaks with experts in neuroscience, psychology, and sociology about the factors that cause us to be lonely: from racism, toxic masculinity, poverty, and violence, to technology, conspiracy theories, and trauma. She also turns to literature, including the Moomin novels by revered Norwegian children's author Tove Jansson. As she unmasks the many faces of loneliness, she also examines its impact, returning to events like Norway's 2011 Utøya terrorist attack as examples of collective traumas whose causes and effects are permeated with loneliness.
For readers of The Lonely City and Languishing, So Lonely is a moving, essential book about the costs to all when some are pushed out, and also about the incredible capabilities of human beings-how resilient we are, and how the restorative power of community allows us to thrive.
Sommario
Chapter 1. Why loneliness is the hunger of the soul, and why we cannot bear to be abandoned
Chapter 2. Why the eyes really are the mirror of the soul
Chapter 3. Why having a good laugh doesn't always prolong your life
Chapter 4. Why it is so important to understand each other
Chapter 5. Why community can be dangerous
Chapter 6. Why it is so difficult to trust each other
Chapter 7. Why we can yearn so badly for a hug
Chapter 8. I encounter the Groke for the last time
Info autore
Hilde Østby is the author of
The Key to Creativity,
My Belly, and the co-author of
Adventures in Memory, which was translated into twenty-one languages. She has worked as a literary critic for Norway's biggest newspaper and published fiction to critical acclaim. She has a master's degree in the history of ideas and lives in Oslo, Norway.
Relazione
"A compelling and humane examination of the societal and cultural forces that drive people away from each other and toward extremists and conspiracism."
-Mike Rothschild, author of The Storm Is Upon Us: How QAnon Became a Movement, Cult, and Conspiracy Theory of Everything and Jewish Space Lasers: The Rothschilds and 200 Years of Conspiracy Theories
"Loneliness is one of the most important and difficult topics of our time, and this book is a beautiful meditation on it, taking us from The Moomins to the far right. Inspiring and original."
-Johann Hari, author of Lost Connections: Why You're Depressed and How to Find Hope and Stolen Focus: Why You Can't Pay Attention--and How to Think Deeply Again
"A riveting exploration of the realm of loneliness - and an artful guide to ways out of it."
-Aage Borchgrevink, author of A Norwegian Tragedy
