Is Loneliness a Threat to Democracy?

Tuesday, March 19, 2024

German study: More and more young people in Germany say they often feel lonely. That poses significant health risks, but researchers say there's also a link between loneliness and anti-democratic attitudes.

Posted by lamplighter at 08:33 AM | 8 COMMENTS | permalink | Comment on This Entry |

Alternate links: Google News | Twitter

Comments

Admin's note: Participants in this discussion must follow the site's moderation policy. Profanity will be filtered. Abusive conduct is not allowed.

More from the article...

... The study "Extrem Einsam" ("Extremely Lonely"), part of the Kollekt project funded by the Federal Family Affairs Ministry, suggests loneliness could also harbor a threat to democracy. Researchers found a link between loneliness and anti-democratic attitudes: An inclination toward populism, the belief in conspiracy theories, authoritarian attitudes and the approval of political rule-breaking and violence. ...

"These aren't causal connections, but there is a correlation," said Claudia Neu, a sociologist and one of the authors of the study. People who experience loneliness over a long period of time begin to perceive the world more negatively, as being darker and more threatening " they trust other people less, but also their environment and democratic institutions.

That is a problem, according to Neu, because democracy thrives on participation, and support for democracy is dependent on how strongly a person feels connected to society as a whole. ...

[chart in article]

#1 | Posted by LampLighter at 2024-03-17 05:27 PM | Reply

Mudbomb...dat you?

#2 | Posted by LegallyYourDead at 2024-03-17 09:58 PM | Reply

One word - Incels.

#3 | Posted by GalaxiePete at 2024-03-19 10:39 AM | Reply | Newsworthy 1

Only the Lonely

www.youtube.com

too early?

#4 | Posted by Corky at 2024-03-19 11:31 AM | Reply

Of course. It's lonely angry losers who want to bring down their whole society to make everyone else as miserable as they are.

#5 | Posted by SpeakSoftly at 2024-03-19 11:53 AM | Reply

To me loneliness is just a matter of education.

You are never really alone. You actually have two brains two very different personalities in your head. One can speak the other cannot.

So it speaks to you in your dreams ( and in other ways).

Happiness is not because of what's going on outside your head but what's going on inside it.

#6 | Posted by donnerboy at 2024-03-19 03:15 PM | Reply

The biggest threat to democracy is liberalism.

#7 | Posted by phesterOBoyle at 2024-03-20 01:31 PM | Reply

The biggest threat to democracy is liberalism.
#7 | POSTED BY PHESTEROBOYLE

^
Perfect example of why Trump loves the Poorly Educated.

Liberalism is a political and moral philosophy based on the rights of the individual, liberty, consent of the governed, political equality, right to private property and equality before the law.[1][2] Liberals espouse various and often mutually warring views depending on their understanding of these principles but generally support private property, market economies, individual rights (including civil rights and human rights), liberal democracy, secularism, rule of law, economic and political freedom, freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of assembly, and freedom of religion,[2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9] constitutional government and privacy rights.[10] Liberalism is frequently cited as the dominant ideology of modern history.[11][12]:11
en.wikipedia.org

#8 | Posted by snoofy at 2024-03-20 01:37 PM | Reply