A year ago, nearly exactly to the date, researcher Nicholas Christakis and colleagues released a study demonstrating how our moods might be contagious within our social network (sorry, this research pertains primarily to traditional …
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Two things -
1. I think it is very interesting that a spouse would only experience an 8% chance of increased happiness, a friend 25% and a neighbor over 30%. It seems happiness is only more contagious when there is less of a relationship between the two individuals. Of course, this supports the “smile and it will make others around you smile too” theory; however, it is interesting in the perception the closer you are to a person, the less influence your mood has on them.
2. It appears a negative feeling like loneliness is more contagious than a more positive emotion like happiness. I would be very interesting in seeing the percentage results based on the different relationships. Is this a negative of the response happiness got (ie, your spouse is more likely to feel lonely while a neighbor has less impact because the relationship status)? Of course, it also suggests the truth behind humans tend to focus on the negative – perhaps we are inately more susceptible? Dunno…
but interesting nonetheless.
How can I fix my loneliness when I cannot afford what my insurance company does not cover for the cochlear implants. There is no guarantee that it will help me. I’m stuck between 2 worlds with my deafness. I can speak really well, and I am too entrenched in the hearing culture that sign language is not sufficient. The deaf culture is basically sign language only. I’ve been socially isolated my whole life. Chat rooms have been my link to the world.
The reason I’m lonely is that I don’t have any friends, so I guess I’m not contagious, right?
This research, as well as the earlier study, seems a little sketchy to me. With the right statistical package, you can find correlations in almost anything.
Seems to fit well. A spouse is more insecure when the other is happy (at least for my spouse that is the case), and my neighbors are happy to see me grow as an individual and break free from the oppresive relationship with my spouse, and friends are glad but have the supconsciencous nagging – oh, boy, what retribution is there going to be from the spouse???? 8% 34% 25% sounds about right, Now….don’t ya know the loneliest time is when you are surrounded most by those who are “suppose” to care the most?! – or a big crowd too…..one can get lost very easily
on the other hand…
http://www.spiritualityhealth.com/spirit/archives/actually-it’s-happiness-loves-company
Oh, goody, now I can feel guilty about my loneliness! I agree that this is an important bit of research, but no one has addressed what to do about it. Why isn’t everyone lonely by now? How do we stop the cycle? It looks like loneliness is more contagious than happiness.
So, what, do we kill all the introverts? Or protect them as a class under the Americans with Disabilities Act?
Dear Editor:
I am responding to the article “Loneliness may be contageous”,from December 1, 2009. While results of the study seem intuitively correct — people who feel lonely have fewer social contacts — I totally disagree that loneliness is contagious.
The notion that “more people” feel lonely can hardly be denied, but to assume that loneliness is spreading between social networks sounds like a sketch.
First, loneliness is only recognized in highly developed societies. But even in those countries, people in the poorest stratum appreciate social contacts, because people need other people for their survival. However, rich individuals with abundance of wealth may be at greater risk of being lonely due to their lack of need for others.
Other factors that contribute to the decline in close relationships are: long work hours, high rate of exploitation at work, chronic feeling of tiredness, long commutes, remote locations of friends’ houses, the popularity of Internet, and lack of affordable recreation facilities.
Possibly, we just shift in the form of connection with the usage of new technologies to stay in touch with kin and friends – cell phones, instant messengers, Internet, and so on.
If we are to move in the direction to reduce loneliness, new values that are favorable to a sense of community, better parenting skills, expansion of new recreational facilities, and changes in social policies which will offer a less segregated living must emerge.
I know a really good cure for loneliness. Hang around other people for a few hours.