Being one of the strongest human feelings, Loneliness It can profoundly affect the way we perceive the world around us.
A study conducted by researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles, revealed the impact of loneliness on people and how it changed their outlook on life.
A relevant factor in this investigation is the different perception of the world that lonely people compared to others. However, significant differences are also presented in the way solitary individuals read their reality.
Interpret the world your way
Through non-invasive brain scans, psychologist Elisa Pike and her team explored the neural activity of those feeling isolated.
The results indicate that these people have a unique perception of the world. This can lead to feelings of being misunderstood, which is closely related to loneliness.
(Image: Adobe Stock/Reproduction)
In the past, studies have indicated that such sensation in non-lonely people activates areas of the brain related to social connection and reward processing. In contrast, those who feel misunderstood show greater activity in areas associated with negative emotions.
Researchers have explored the “Anna Karenina Principle,” based on the work of Leo Tolstoy, which states: “All happy families are the same. Every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.”
By applying this concept to research, it is suggested that individuals who are not lonely interpret the environment similarly, while each lonely person experiences a unique perception of the world.
Brain analyzes further revealed that non-lonely individuals had remarkably similar brain responses, quite different from other brain responses.
Thus, subjects have significantly different neural patterns between themselves and with respect to related individuals. This indicates that each individual participant in this research has a unique interpretation of life and the world.
According to researcher Elisa Pike, having a different perspective than others increases feelings of isolation, because these people tend to be less understanding.
Loneliness is not necessarily associated with a deficiency social activityas not all research participants showed an inactive social life.
In summary, distinct neuronal patterns compared to non-solitary individuals were observed, even among those who reported a satisfactory level of social interaction in the survey, with friends and participation in social events.
The study stresses the importance of addressing loneliness Psychological healthIn addition to promoting the need to create strategies and policies capable of dealing with this feeling, and to encourage healthy social ties.
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