This beautiful story from the New York Times reinforces the power of communication. People who are blind and deaf as Helen Keller noted “live in isolation” which is a lonely place to be. Today, as outlined in this Harvard Business Review article, we have a loneliness crisis, largely because of the inability of most to engage in civil and meaningful discourse. A Mental Health America/Faas Foundation study, ‘Mind the Workplace’ found that 66 percent of North American workers cannot count on their co-workers for support when things get hard, which means they are isolated. Let’s learn from this story how important it is to reach out to those who live in isolation.
This article describes how pervasive loneliness has become in our society, leaving few unscathed at some point during their lifetime. It also makes some good suggestions and shows examples of how to counter loneliness. We all need to get out into our communities when we feel isolated. As well, we need to keep a watchful eye on our most vulnerable community members, especially the elderly. After all, loneliness can be deadly.