Latest / Deep Thoughts / You’re paying an isolation tax… without knowing!

Transcript

You’re paying an isolation tax… without knowing! · Deep Thoughts

• 0:02
  Speaker 1: We all want to understand the world around us, you know,
• 0:05
  Speaker 1: get a handle on things that really matter, and do
• 0:07
  Speaker 1: it all as efficiently as possible. So today we're going
• 0:11
  Speaker 1: to be diving into something that's pretty common these days,
• 0:14
  Speaker 1: but maybe not something we talk about enough. Feeling lonely.
• 0:18
  Speaker 1: And I mean it's weird because you think with everyone
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  Speaker 1: online and connected all the time, we wouldn't feel so isolated,
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  Speaker 1: but that's kind of where we are. It's like this
• 0:27
  Speaker 1: hidden tax on our lives.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, And I think what's interesting is how much is
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  Speaker 2: actually written about this. Like the stuff we've been looking
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  Speaker 2: at goes way beyond just feeling a bit down, you know.
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  Speaker 2: It's got these tendrils reaching out into all these parts
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  Speaker 2: of our lives and affecting us in ways we don't
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  Speaker 2: even think about exactly.
• 0:43
  Speaker 1: That's what we're going to try to unpack today, like
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  Speaker 1: what's the real cost of all this loneliness and what
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  Speaker 1: can we actually do about it? I mean, first off,
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  Speaker 1: it's just kind of crazy, right, We've got all these
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  Speaker 1: ways to connect with people instantly, Like we're talking billions
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  Speaker 1: of people on social media, but we're actually seeing less
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  Speaker 1: of each other face to face. Of the stuff that
• 1:01
  Speaker 1: used to build our relationships. I feel like these virtual
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  Speaker 1: spaces they do connect us in a way, but they
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  Speaker 1: don't have the same depth, the same nuance.
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  Speaker 2: I think that's the word. It's like you can trade
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  Speaker 2: information online, sure, but you're not getting that same kind
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  Speaker 2: of emotional support that you do when you're actually with people.
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  Speaker 2: And it's that missing piece that starts to impact our health.
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  Speaker 2: I mean, it's not just a statistical thing, this link
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  Speaker 2: between loneliness and heart problems. It's like your body actually
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  Speaker 2: reacts to being isolated. Some studies show that being lonely
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  Speaker 2: long term sets off this inflammatory response in your body,
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  Speaker 2: almost like what happens when you smoke cigarettes.
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  Speaker 1: And that's what's so wild, right, Like, loneliness isn't just
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  Speaker 1: this feeling in your head. It's legitimately linked to some
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  Speaker 1: scary health risks heart disease, stroke, even dementia. There are studies,
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  Speaker 1: these long term studies that show the chronic loneliness. It's
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  Speaker 1: basically like smoking fifteen cigarettes a day in terms of
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  Speaker 1: the risk it poses. It's pretty serious stuff, and it
• 1:58
  Speaker 1: makes you think about the wider ima too. I mean,
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  Speaker 1: if it's hitting us that hard individually, it's got to
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  Speaker 1: be affecting our wallets as well.
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  Speaker 2: Right, absolutely, it's like this whole other economic burden we
• 2:08
  Speaker 2: have to deal with. For one thing, lonely people tend
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  Speaker 2: to spend their money differently. They're more likely to rely
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  Speaker 2: on those delivery services instead of going out to local businesses, which.
• 2:19
  Speaker 1: Makes sense, right, You're not going out, you're not interacting.
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  Speaker 2: Plus some economists who look at this stuff say that
• 2:24
  Speaker 2: lonely people are more likely to buy things to try
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  Speaker 2: and fill that emotional void. And then you've got this
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  Speaker 2: whole subscription economy that's great for convenience but also keeps
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  Speaker 2: us in these little bubbles, you know, fewer chances to
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  Speaker 2: just bump into people and have those random conversations that
• 2:40
  Speaker 2: can spark something new.
• 2:42
  Speaker 1: Yeah, and it's interesting how this all plays out in
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  Speaker 1: the workplace too, and people feel connected at work and
• 2:47
  Speaker 1: they tend to be more motivated, more creative. It boosts
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  Speaker 1: productivity for everyone.
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  Speaker 2: For sure, and loneliness it does the opposite, makes people
• 2:54
  Speaker 2: withdraw leads to burnout, so productivity takes a hit, which
• 2:59
  Speaker 2: is bad news for everyone, not just the individual, but
• 3:01
  Speaker 2: the whole company, the whole economy.
• 3:03
  Speaker 1: And on top of all that, you have the health
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  Speaker 1: care costs that go up because of all those loneliness
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  Speaker 1: related illnesses we talked about, So people are stretched thin financially,
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  Speaker 1: and the whole healthcare system feels the pressure. And it's
• 3:16
  Speaker 1: not just our wallets and our bodies. There's a societal
• 3:19
  Speaker 1: impact too. When people are isolated, they're more likely to
• 3:23
  Speaker 1: get caught up in these extreme ideologies or narratives that
• 3:27
  Speaker 1: prey on fear and division.
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  Speaker 2: These groups kind of exploit that basic need to belong
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  Speaker 2: that so many people are missing in their lives.
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  Speaker 1: And there's a long history of this too, right like
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  Speaker 1: when you look back those times when people felt really
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  Speaker 1: disconnected socially and often went hand in hand with some
• 3:42
  Speaker 1: pretty serious political instability.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, and some of the stuff we read, like Hannah
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  Speaker 2: aren't she's a political philosopher. She argued that this deep loneliness,
• 3:50
  Speaker 2: this feeling of being totally isolated, it made people way
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  Speaker 2: more vulnerable to these mass movements. When you don't feel
• 3:57
  Speaker 2: grounded in a community, it's easy to latch onto these
• 4:00
  Speaker 2: strong voices, to find your identity in them.
• 4:03
  Speaker 1: And it makes you think about how isolation impacts our
• 4:06
  Speaker 1: personal growth too. If you're not having those regular, meaningful
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  Speaker 1: interactions with other people. It's got to be hard to
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  Speaker 1: really grow as a person, like so many of those
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  Speaker 1: aha moments that come from talking things through with someone,
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  Speaker 1: sharing experiences.
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  Speaker 2: Exactly, if you're isolated, you're missing out on those chances
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  Speaker 2: to learn and grow. And I think it can also
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  Speaker 2: stifle creativity and make it harder to develop a growth mindset.
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  Speaker 2: You get stuck in your own way of thinking because
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  Speaker 2: you're not exposed to other perspectives, Like imagine you have
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  Speaker 2: this friend who's really good at giving you honest feedback
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  Speaker 2: helps you see those blind spots you might have.
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  Speaker 1: It's so important.
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  Speaker 2: Without that, without those human mirrors, it's tough to grow.
• 4:44
  Speaker 2: And you also miss out on the benefits of collaborating
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  Speaker 2: with others, being held accountable for your goals, even just
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  Speaker 2: learning how to navigate those tricky social situations that we
• 4:54
  Speaker 2: all encounter.
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  Speaker 1: And isn't it interesting how much of this isolation comes
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  Speaker 1: from our own desire to a avoid discomfort. Like, let's
• 5:02
  Speaker 1: face it, interacting with other people takes effort. You got
• 5:05
  Speaker 1: to be patient, you got to compromise, and you've got
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  Speaker 1: to be willing to be a little vulnerable.
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  Speaker 2: It's true, and it feels like today everything is about
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  Speaker 2: instant gratification. We're conditioned to avoid discomfort whenever possible.
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  Speaker 1: And we're seeing that play out in so many ways,
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  Speaker 1: ghosting people instead of having those tough conversations. You're reading
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  Speaker 1: these perfect online personas to avoid any kind of criticism,
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  Speaker 1: choosing to do things alone rather than risk those awkward
• 5:30
  Speaker 1: social encounters. It's like we're constantly trying to escape any
• 5:33
  Speaker 1: situation that might make us feel a little uncomfortable.
• 5:36
  Speaker 2: And that's how you end up paying this isolation tax.
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  Speaker 2: You slowly lose those social skills, those abilities that let
• 5:41
  Speaker 2: you navigate real world relationships.
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  Speaker 1: So how do we stop paying this tax?
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  Speaker 2: Well, it starts with a real shift in our thinking.
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  Speaker 2: We need to develop what you could call a social
• 5:51
  Speaker 2: investment mindset. It's about making those human connections a real
• 5:56
  Speaker 2: priority in your life.
• 5:58
  Speaker 1: And what does that look like in practice?
• 6:00
  Speaker 2: A few things. Really, it's about valuing those micro interactions.
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  Speaker 2: That quick chat with the barista, asking your colleague how
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  Speaker 2: their day is going, even just a quick phone call
• 6:09
  Speaker 2: to a friend. Those little moments add up.
• 6:12
  Speaker 1: Yeah, I like that. It's not about these grand gestures,
• 6:15
  Speaker 1: it's about making those small efforts consistently.
• 6:18
  Speaker 2: Exactly Another thing is to actively choose experiences that you
• 6:22
  Speaker 2: share with others instead of always defaulting to those solo activities.
• 6:26
  Speaker 2: Invite some friends over, get involved in something in your community.
• 6:30
  Speaker 1: And what about all the digital stuff? Any tips for.
• 6:33
  Speaker 2: Navigating that Digital minimalism is a big one. Put the
• 6:36
  Speaker 2: phone down, step away from the screens, and you'll naturally
• 6:39
  Speaker 2: have more time to actually connect with people. Even scheduling
• 6:42
  Speaker 2: some breaks from social media can help you reconnect with
• 6:45
  Speaker 2: the world around you.
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  Speaker 1: And I think the last piece is learning to be
• 6:48
  Speaker 1: okay with a little discomfort. Like growing as a person socially,
• 6:53
  Speaker 1: it means putting yourself out there and that's going to
• 6:54
  Speaker 1: involve some awkward moments. But if you can reframe those
• 6:57
  Speaker 1: moments see them as part of building deeper connections, it
• 7:00
  Speaker 1: can make a world a difference.
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  Speaker 2: Absolutely.
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  Speaker 1: So the bottom line is this isolation tax. It's not
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  Speaker 1: just some abstract idea. It has real consequences for our
• 7:07
  Speaker 1: well being, for our economy, for our society, and for
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  Speaker 1: us as individuals. But the good news is we have
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  Speaker 1: the power to change things. We can choose to prioritize
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  Speaker 1: those genuine human connections.
• 7:19
  Speaker 2: Yeah, building real relationships and communities. It's not just a
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  Speaker 2: nice to have. It's fundamental to a healthy and fulfilling life.
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  Speaker 2: And the way things are going now with loneliness on
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  Speaker 2: the rise, it's just not sustainable connecting with others. It's
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  Speaker 2: like this vital resource and when we invest in it,
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  Speaker 2: the payoff is huge.
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  Speaker 1: So, after all this, after learning about this isolation tax,
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  Speaker 1: I want you to think about this, what choices are
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  Speaker 1: you going to make to invest in those real, meaningful connections.
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  Speaker 1: Think about how much you value those connections and the
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  Speaker 1: incredible things they bring to your life.
• 7:53
  Speaker 2: Thank you for tuning in to this episode of the
• 7:54
  Speaker 2: Deep Thoughts podcast. I hope you found insights and inspiration
• 7:57
  Speaker 2: to take with you on your journey of self growth.
• 8:01
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• 8:14
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• 8:16
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