The Quest for Meaning in Human Life
People have tried to solve the fundamental questions regarding the sense of their lives for centuries, and there is no unanimous opinion on this issue. “On Being” is the mental health project launched by Krista Tippett that focuses on aspects of human life, such as social creativity and the positive impact of arts, education, and spirituality on the person (Murthy, 2023).
Krista Tippett’s On Being and Contemporary Conversations
The author interviews prominent contemporaries like Maya Angelou and the Dalai Lama about the questions that worry everyone (Murthy, 2023). Vivek Murthy, a surgeon and physician, is one of the guests in the interviews with Krista Tippett. The guest talks about loneliness as the major problem he faced in his life and his thoughts concerning the epidemics of loneliness in modern society (Murthy, 2023). Murthy focuses on the problem of loneliness, which is among the most widespread concerns in contemporary healthcare, causing related problems with the mental and physical state of the person.
Loneliness as a Modern Epidemic
Murthy conducted an investigation that lasted for many years about the impact of loneliness on the human condition. He concluded that addictions that individuals develop are typically the adverse consequences of loneliness and their inability to acquire a sense of belonging to the community (Murthy, 2023). Drug use, alcohol addiction, and obesity are signs that the person has problems with intimacy, and they do not feel that anyone supports them (Murthy, 2023).
More than 20 percent of the adult population in the United States says that they feel entirely lonely, which is a comparatively high number (Murthy, 2023). The situation is even worse in some other countries, including Japan, where there is a separate word that denotes voluntary separation from society and complete loneliness (Murthy, 2023). It states that there is an epidemic of loneliness in the modern world, and the contemporary lifestyle is among its triggers.
Reference
Murthy, V. (2023). To be a healer. On Being. Web.