"Loneliness has this sneaky way of making you feel like you're the only one experiencing it, doesn't it? I'll admit something: There have been nights when I've scrolled through my contacts, realizing I had no one I felt comfortable calling just to talk. Not because I don't know people, but because somewhere along the way, I'd built walls without even realizing it."
"Remember when making friends was as simple as sharing your snacks at recess? Somewhere along the line, many of us started approaching relationships like business deals. We network instead of connect. We calculate what we might gain from knowing someone. A friend once watched me on a first date and later said, "You know you were basically conducting a job interview, right?" She was right. I'd spent the entire evening gathering data points instead of actually getting to know the person sitting across from me."
Chronic loneliness can arise from unrecognized behaviors that create isolation and emotional distance. People may treat relationships like transactions, prioritizing networking and perceived gains over vulnerability and authentic exchange. Defensive busyness functions as armor, providing excuses to decline invitations and avoid intimacy. Accumulating contacts without forming meaningful bonds leads to surface-level interactions and missed opportunities for emotional closeness. Transactional questioning focuses on careers and plans instead of what brings others joy, which prevents honest connection. Recognizing and changing transactional thinking and avoidant habits can open pathways to deeper relationships and reduce persistent loneliness.
Read at Silicon Canals
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