One commonly cited definition of loneliness is owned by Peplau and Perlman (1982) who defined loneliness as the distressing psychological experience caused by the discrepancy between a person's desired and his actual social network, qualitatively (deep intimate social network) or quantitatively (too few friends). Furthermore, it is said to be a subjective experience that does not necessarily imply isolation, but instead is the result of self-perceived discrepancies in social relationships (in Fitts et al., 2009; Wong, 2010; Çeçen, 2007; Miczo, 2004; Bernardon et al., 2011). It was Weiss (1974) who classified loneliness into two: emotional loneliness and social loneliness (in Wong, 2010) where emotional loneliness is said to be caused by qualitative discrepancy of relationships or the lack of close and intimate attachments and respectively, social loneliness is said to be caused by quantitative discrepancy of social networks (Wong, 2010; Peplau & Perlman, 1982 in Fitts et al., 2009). Studies on loneliness found out that the said construct is also said to be perceived differently depen...
The first influential factor to the atrophy of social life that Eitzen writes about is moving away. Americans nowadays are always on the go – if moving is the most convenient idea, they will move with no regard to formed relationships that will soon be broken. People are often forced to move in order to follow a job or because of problems within the family. Constantly moving about causes a decline in intimate relationships. This is also true in people who live alone. The lack of regular and reliable social interaction can lead to a less sociable personality and less motivation to form real relationships. Real relationships are what lead to a healthy social life.
4) and says that in contrast to Artistotle, Americans take friendships not at all seriously. We may have plenty of casual acquaintances, but very few true friends with whom we can share deep connections. Rather than gaining the benefits of a relationship with boundaries, we focus on relationships that can take us over. Taking care of our emotional health is something we choose to do independently, even though we are so dependent in many other areas of our survival. We live alone more often, we join social organizations in the lowest numbers of the last century, and up to one fourth of us have no one to confide in, and on average, a person has four close relationships, and half of these are spouses and children. In fact, when we do feel like talking, we pay for it when we hire therapists, or adopt pets. He says, referencing University of Chicago psychologist John Cacioppo, that Americans are lonely more because of the rushed way we tend to our social relationships which reduces meaningful connections. He goes on to say that we are “locked in what social critic Barbara Ehrenreich has called ‘the cult of conspicuous busyness’,” (par. 10) and that we strive to gain a respect from this lifestyle that then leaves us no time to devote to building intimates
It is an act to ultimately benefit one self. Conversely, it is also what is known as self-righteousness, where one claims to be charitable and or virtuous towards others, when all the while there is a hidden agenda to benefit one-self. The so-called “friendship” is only to benefit the oneself. Unfortunately, this type of self-love can lead to loneliness and loss of true friendships. As much as people may believe that true friendship is not necessary, it is our inherent human need to be in a relationship with other human beings, and/or to develop a form of friendship. To prove the theory that friendship is necessary, an article published by the Journal of Clinical & Diagnostic Research suggests that there is a correlation between loneliness and psychiatric disorders. According to this study, they stated that as human beings, we are a social species which require safe and secure social surroundings to survive. Friendship and/or social relationships are essential for mental and physical well beings (Mushtaq, R., Shoib, S., Shah, T., & Mushtaq, S. (2014). Without social interactions, loneliness ensues, and loneliness can lead to various psychiatric disorders like depression, alcohol abuse, child abuse, sleep problems, personality disorders and Alzheimer’s disease, just to name a few. Not to mention, it can also lead to physiological disorders. Most importantly, loneliness can have serious consequences for mental and physical health of people (Mushtaq, R., Shoib, S., Shah, T., & Mushtaq, S.
There has been a considerable amount of inquiry which has associated loneliness to depression, low self-esteem, and physical illness (Hawley & Cacioppo, 2007; Sorkin, Rook, & Lu, 2002). Loneliness can also be detrimental to health as well as overall well-being later in life due to recent evidence implying that it accelerates physiological deterioration and advancement of chronic diseases in the elderly (Hawkley & Cacioppo, 2007).
“Every joke has a kernel of truth.” A common saying such as this has numbed us to the reality of what jokes really are. Many comedians allow their outrageously dark thoughts to dictate their routines. Audiences listen waiting to hear ridiculous puns and jokes completely unaware of the twisted messages behind most punch lines. By analyzing comedians Jim Gaffigan, Dane Cook, Maz Jobrani, and Aries Spears through the frame of reference given by Professor Peter McGraw in “What Makes Things Funny,” we will understand the implicit message received through an explicit joke.
The spectrum of therapeutic techniques available within the health care continuum is very complex and varied. From traditional medicine, to holistic remedies, and anything in between, nurses have a rather large arsenal at their disposal when it comes to treating the patients that are under their care. Humor as an alternative therapy has long been understood as a proven means to aid in the recovery process. “With so much power to heal and renew, the ability to laugh easily and frequently is a tremendous resource for surmounting problems, enhancing your relationships, and supporting both physical and emotional health” (Smith & Segal, 2015). The purpose of this paper is to discuss situations in which humor would be a viable alternative therapy
Loneliness is a feeling of emptiness due to not having any friends or company around.
Humor can come in many different forms. Many people are aware of the blatant humor of slapstick, but it takes a keener mind to notice the subtle detail in sarcasm or satire. In A Modest Proposal, Jonathan Swift was able to create a piece of literature addressing the faults of the Irish culture while embedding in a humorous essay. Swift’s satire allows for the gravity of the Irish standings to be exploited under the disguise of a proposal for economic benefit.
“Social” networks and loneliness are two very unlike things to be discussed simultaneously... The two are complete opposite of one another: “social” is associated to relating to one’s society, loneliness can be defined as “a complex and unpleasant emotional response to a feeling of isolation” (Ye and Lin 166). While loneliness can mean solitude, it also includes feelings of isolation and disconnection to other people (Ye and Lin 166). John Cacioppo is labeled as the world’s leading expert on loneliness. He proposed a thought provoking analogy: a car can be used to pick up friends, but one chooses to ride alone. Did the car make the person lonely? (Marche 68). Absolutely not. The car is simply a tool in the person’s everyday life. This relates
Loneliness is the sadness resulting from being isolated or abandoned. Being lonely is almost always directly connected to relations between people, or the lack there of. Mother Teresa once said “Loneliness and the feeling of being unwanted is the most terrible poverty.” In John Steinbecks classic novel, Of Mice And Men, the three characters, Crooks, Curley’s wife and Candy struggle with loneliness in different forms because of characteristics that they can’t control. All three characters deal with their loneliness by searching for companionship with others on the ranch and this works out differently for each of them.
One definition of humor is "that which lends itself to laughing, smiling or amusement" (Davis-Evans, 2013). The effects of humor at the cellular level and on the immune system report positive effects on physical and mental health (Davis-Evans, 2013). Humor in nursing is about nurses relating to patients. There 's a bond created between people that laugh together, a bond when one makes another smile. Research suggests that laughter increases pain tolerance; improves respiration and breathing; improves mental functioning, including alertness, creativity a memory; and decreases muscle tension (Davis-Evans, 2013). These benefits can be short term and/or long term. Laughing can be compared to a mild workout, it increases circulation, decreases blood
There is a relationship between old age and late life loneliness; whether is perceived or actual is irrelevant, as society views elderly people differently
In Ellen Goodman article, “Friendless in North America” the author writes about the multiple effects of social isolation. She explained that studies done from 1885 to 2004 turned up some overwhelming news. The studies done were face to face and there were about 1,467 adults. Goodman writes that one-fourth of the people have nobody to talk to about important matters and another reported articulates people are one person less from nobody. From then to now the number of people who have nobody to talk to has doubled. The study is to show how people social isolation effects. Three effects of social isolation are eroding friendships, loneliness, and depression that can cause to death.
Before technology, face to face communication was a normal everyday thing and loneliness was a problem that was rarely talked about or experienced. People went about their day without checking their phone every five minutes or so to see if anyone liked the status they posted or feeling lonely when nobody new liked it. In new studies more and more people have feelings of loneliness and depression. However, more people now use social medias such as Facebook, twitter and instagram. While it is true that technology mainly sites such as Facebook can lead to a person feeling alone, it is also true that it depends on how you use the technology, either to your advantage or as a depressant.
Arnett, Jeffrey J. “Loneliness.” Encyclopedia of Children, Adolescents, and the Media. (2006): 477-479. Web. 29 Nov. 2013.