A lonely person walks among tall weeds.
medPhoto by Matthew Henry on Unsplash

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Loneliness: A Human Condition or a Modern Epidemic?

Michael Hunter, MD
BeingWell
Published in
5 min readJan 11, 2025

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I routinely ask my patients about diet, exercise, sleep, tobacco, and alcohol.

But should I also be routinely inquiring about loneliness?

A new study suggests the answer is yes.

Loneliness and isolation affect one-third of US adults over 50.

While the study indicates that we are back to pre-pandemic levels, the results remind me that clinicians should screen our patients for loneliness.

Before we look at some ways to reduce loneliness, let’s check what philosophers have to say on the issue.

Philosophers on Loneliness

I love seeing how philosophers frame issues.

Here are several examples of philosophers discussing loneliness, drawing from various philosophical perspectives.

A photo of Jean-Paul Sartre, a philosopher who wrote on loneliness.
Jean-Paul Sartre in 1967. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean-Paul_Sartre.

Of course, I begin with Sartre.

Then, we’ll look at pessimism from Schopenhauer's perspective.

From there, we’ll hear from Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Arendt, and Turkle.

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BeingWell
BeingWell

Published in BeingWell

A Medika Life Publication for the Medical Community

Michael Hunter, MD
Michael Hunter, MD

Written by Michael Hunter, MD

I have degrees from Harvard, Yale, and Penn. I am a radiation oncologist in the Seattle area. You may find me regularly posting at www.newcancerinfo.com

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