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Do you think this statement is true?

A.Nonymous

A.Nonymous

Extreme Android User
So I was in the process of setting up my new phone and re-configuring all the apps from scratch. While doing this I had Hulu on in the background on autoplay. I have no clue what was on, but one of the characters said something that caught my ear. The guy said, "You can waterboard people and they'll admit they have herpes before they admit they're lonely."

It got me wondering if loneliness is that much of a social epidemic. Also got me wondering if loneliness is that much of a social disease that no one will admit to it. Thoughts?
 
I don't know. Sometimes I am lonely and I have no trouble admitting it. Its upsetting and as a modern man, I'm ok with talking about my feelings.

Wouldn't want to talk about STD's though.
 
People don't wanna admit that there lonely because the world revolves around being social. On here everybody likes thanks and likes. On twitter everybody wants more followers. And so on and so on and so on.
 
So what you're saying is that if someone says they're lonely they are basically saying, "I do not conform to social norms."
 
I don't think I would talk about a disease.. If I had one.

I can tell friends that I feel lonely
 
A.Nonymous said:
So what you're saying is that if someone says they're lonely they are basically saying, "I do not conform to social norms."
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No. People just need companionship. Some can deal with 1 or 2 others needs big huge groups. That's why jails have solitary confinement, people can't stand to be alone. That's why single people have pets too.
 
I actually have no trouble admitting that I'm lonely.

Then again, I got a dog for a slightly different reason. He's a great companion but he's also adorable and everyone, attractive single women included, love petting him :p

I can be a bit awkward on the spur of the moment so he acts as a cute cuddly ice breaker when I can't think of anything to say.
 
Women love my dog so much. He's a huge chick magnet. He's such a chick magnet that when he's around no one pays attention to me.
 
Some people are more emotionally insecure than others. Those people have a real hard time being lonely, & the ones I've met seem to have this "traditional way of life" drummed into them. I don't think it's biological; I think that somebody (probably their parents) have been scaremongering them that being lonely is a curse. One can be single & not lonely, provided there are people around them. It's only when one lives in true isolation that it's justified in feeling hard done by (imo).... but then, some people prefer solitude.

I always had this drummed into me: there are always people worse off than ourselves. Another one is: is the glass half full, or half empty?
 
IIRC a recent study showed that Americans in general are more lonely than ever. It makes sense.


  • As we've moved into urban areas, we've put up natural barriers to help cope with overcrowding.
  • The post 9-11 Orwellian mistrust of neighbors is making us less social.
  • Using the plethora of toys, including the Internet and cable TV is easier than getting to know someone.
  • Age plays a factor. If you didn't pair off and start a family early on, your chance of making new friends after age 30 decreases rapidly.
Although "being popular" as a primary driving force is neither the norm nor most common, those who do seek popularity put a lot of pressure on the rest of us. The most disastrous thing imaginable to a "popular" person is loneliness. The thing is, popularity isn't the opposite of loneliness. There are plenty of popular people who have hundreds of "friends", but don't know any of them very well. This type of person can be very lonely, even while surrounded by a crowd of admirers. In this case, it appears that quality beats quantity.
 
Well yes. I am of the belief that the human race is nearing the end of it's evolution. We are victims of ourselves. It's true that we've become obsessed with technology. This is part of the end game. But it's not worth sweating over, this will all end but not in our lifetimes.
 
Speed Daemon said:
IIRC a recent study showed that Americans in general are more lonely than ever. It makes sense.


  • As we've moved into urban areas, we've put up natural barriers to help cope with overcrowding.
  • The post 9-11 Orwellian mistrust of neighbors is making us less social.
  • Using the plethora of toys, including the Internet and cable TV is easier than getting to know someone.
  • Age plays a factor. If you didn't pair off and start a family early on, your chance of making new friends after age 30 decreases rapidly.
Although "being popular" as a primary driving force is neither the norm nor most common, those who do seek popularity put a lot of pressure on the rest of us. The most disastrous thing imaginable to a "popular" person is loneliness. The thing is, popularity isn't the opposite of loneliness. There are plenty of popular people who have hundreds of "friends", but don't know any of them very well. This type of person can be very lonely, even while surrounded by a crowd of admirers. In this case, it appears that quality beats quantity.
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This describes me to a T sadly. I'm now over 30 and all my friends are married and all but one of them has kids. Needless to say after a hard day at work they'd rather go home to their wife and kids then kick back with me somewhere. Can't say I blame them. But I put myself here. I focused on schooling through college. Then I focused on my career afterwards. Meanwhile, they focused on marriage and family. I've got a more successful career than some, less successful than others, but they've got the wife/kids and sometimes I wonder if they came out ahead anyway.

Maybe I'm the exception, but if I was waterboarded I would probably fess up to all kinds of STDs whether they're true or not before I admitted to anyone that I was lonely. I think saying you're lonely sometimes is asking for pity.
 
^^^^

divorce .. once that happens .. you would be the one in the better situation.

take it from a man that is divorced.. and love my kid... i settled because I thought it was the right thing to do at the time.. because everyone else was.
dont be forced to thinking you need to be married and start a family ASAP. take your time.. find the RIGHT girl.. be 100% sure.. and then fight to be happy with her.
 
It may depend on which lonely are you. Lonely for friends or lonely for a mate. Some have both and some have one or the other!

You can have plenty of friends and still feel lonely because you don't have a mate. But I believe if you have a mate then it may not matter if you have friends or not, you have the mate as a friend also.
 
dan330 said:
Only when you too old to chase tail
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I dunno. I think there's a point where people look at you and they figure that if you're single at your age you must have some deep psychological malfunction that they're not going to want to deal with. So they avoid you.
 
i am 43.. and still actively dating... and enjoying it.

in today's environment.. there are single people looking for a good match in all age groups. i dont think age is much of an issue any more.
 
Depends on what you're looking for I guess. I am not a kid person and never want them. The older I get the better the chance that the women I meet have spawned and possibly have an ex floating around as well to make things complicated. So that cuts the dating pool down. Plus I think the older you get the more people look at the big picture of you and make judgements.

Look at it this way. When you're in high school or college, everyone is basically a loser. You have no job (or a crappy one), no money, you likely live with your parents or in a crappy apartment and you drive a beater/hand me down car. No one judges you for any of that. Everyone is a loser so it's normal.

Fast forward 10 years. Now you're in your late 20s/early 30s. What job you have, how much money you have, where you live, what kind of car you drive, etc.... are all used by some people to judge you. I think people look for someone of at least comparable status so all of a sudden that stuff matters. I have people encourage me all the time to buy a nicer car. Not because my car is unreliable, but because they say people judge me based on the car I drive.
 
I grew up an only child with over protective parents. I spent a lot of time alone, but very rarely did I ever felt lonely. In fact, I like having time to myself as well as time with people. The balance for me swings a bit towards time on my own.
 
Stuntman said:
I grew up an only child with over protective parents. I spent a lot of time alone, but very rarely did I ever felt lonely. In fact, I like having time to myself as well as time with people. The balance for me swings a bit towards time on my own.
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Ditto.
 
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