Will Wright was an expert in the ever-changing world of health care, where costs have been rising faster than inflation since the mid-60s. “The biggest problem is the feeling of isolation you get when you don’t buy into what you’re doing or the culture, and you don’t have a healthy outlet to talk about it,” he said.
During a TEDx Talk in Birmingham, AL Will brought the loneliness epidemic to the forefront. With solutions!
“People go on hikes alone. People go to the movies alone. Philosophers oftentimes think their best thoughts alone,” he said. “No, being alone is good. I’m talking about being lonely.”
Being alone is much different than loneliness. The biggest difference between the two is that loneliness is quite literally killing us.”Loneliness is not a choice. It represents a fundamental mismatch between the relationships that we have and those that we want. Loneliness is not good.
“And here’s the thing: loneliness is killing us. I’ve worked in public health for over a decade, studying trends in chronic disease, and I can tell you that loneliness puts us at greater risk of developing disease,” continues Will Wright.
“People who are struggling with diseases like diabetes, depression, even cancer, oftentimes got those diseases in large part because they were lonely to begin with. In fact, a meta-analysis of 70 peer reviewed journal articles estimated that loneliness is as risky to our health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day.”
You can read the transcript of Will Wright’s Birmingham TEDx Talk online at https://singjupost.com/will-wright-loneliness-is-literally-killing-us-at-tedxbirmingham-transcript/
The entire TEDx Talk can be viewed on YouTube here https://youtu.be/ruh6rN5UrME
