During the most isolating worldwide pandemic in a century, it’s time to take a closer look at what may result in loneliness.
As a group, humans develop being around others, but how much and what kind of contact each person needs to feel part of a community varies among individuals as well as over one person’s stage of life. “A common belief is that the loneliest people are those who are alone; actually, it’s important to separate the two,” said Dr. Perissinotto, a professor of medicine at the University of California. “Kids with their families can be lonely because they can’t see the friends at school; people who are not physically isolated can feel lonely because the community doesn’t welcome them in; and older adults can experience loneliness through retirement or death of a loved one.” What leads to loneliness is much deeper than being alone.
With the pandemic exacerbating loneliness issues, an increasing number of health professionals are concerned about the mental and physical health risks associated with the feeling—like depression and early death, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That’s why, experts say, it’s also time to look more closely at what we can do about loneliness.
“When it comes to fighting loneliness, the key is not looking at circumstances and assuming what feelings should be associated with it, but actually asking yourself if you are lonely,” Perissinotto said. “If your solitude (独处) is a choice and you have people who can support you if you need help, there is no saying you can’t live a happy life.” And just as solitude doesn’t necessarily equal loneliness, interaction doesn’t mean fulfilment for everyone, according to Hawkley, a principal research scientist at the University of Chicago. “People can be around others and feel lonely anyway or they can be pretty much single souls and not be lonely,” Hawkley pointed out.
Hawkley divides connections into three primary types and holds that loneliness can stem from the sensing of a lack of any of them. “The first type happens when someone like a spouse is so close to you that part of your identity becomes closely connected with his or hers. Then there is the second type, which you establish with your close friends, as well as the third type—those interactions that make you feel part of a community.”
It is suggested that one identify what kind of loss of connection his loneliness is coming from and then evaluate the quality of his various relationships. Identifying the kind of connection that one is longing for and the quality of the relationships he already has are important first steps, but where one goes from there depends entirely on his specific context.
8. According to the passage, Perissinotto probably agrees that ________.
A.people living on an isolated island tend to be more lonely. |
B.asking someone if he’s lonely doesn’t help fight loneliness. |
C.those choosing to be alone do not necessarily feel upset. |
D.someone without community admission feels powerless. |
9. The underlined word
exacerbating in paragraph 3 most probably means ________.
A.worsening | B.ascending | C.confusing | D.alleviating |
10. What can we conclude from the last two paragraphs?
A.There are no obvious connections among three different types of loneliness. |
B.Hawkley holds that people lacking one of the three connections feel lonely. |
C.Recognizing one’s missing connection is helpful in dealing with loneliness. |
D.The quality of one’s relationships is not so important as his specific context. |
11. What’s the author’s attitude towards the loneliness issue?
A.Skeptical | B.Concerned | C.Appreciative | D.Contradictory |