Align with your interests; give attention; show care to others and yourself; take healthy risks; and seek a fresh perspective. “How do I find or make the one friend ?” This was a question several people asked after reading my recent Washington Post article “A loneliness cure - make one friend a year”. This concern is honest, vulnerable and common.
There are many people longing for closer relationships. A 2022 and 2023 Gallup survey found that less than half of US adults reported feeling “very” connected to others. Many cultural and structural factors, including remote work, social media and a higher focus on convenience in everyday life, such as home streaming services and no-contact errands, have bolstered the growing epidemic of loneliness.
Yet it is possible to have meaningful relationships in this very imperfect climate..
