Positive thinking

Amelia S. Worsley, Amherst College   Is loneliness our modern malaise? Former U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy says the most common pathology he saw during his years of service “was not heart disease or diabetes; it was loneliness.” Chronic loneliness, some say , is like “smoking 15 cigarettes a day.” It “ kills more people than obesity .” Because loneliness is now considered a public health issue – and even an epidemic – people are exploring its causes and trying to find solutions. While writing a book on the history of how poets wrote about loneliness in the Romantic Period , I discovered that loneliness is a relatively new concept and once had an easy cure. However, as the concept’s meaning has transformed, finding solutions has become harder. Returning to the origins of the word – and understanding how its meaning has changed through time – gives us a new way to think about modern loneliness, and the ways in which we might address it. The dangers of ve...

1.        “If you want to end the war then Instead of sending guns, send books. Instead of sending tanks, send pens. Instead of sending soldiers, send teachers.” - Malala Yousafzai 2.        “Establishing lasting peace is the work of education; all politics can do is keep us out of war.” ― Maria Montessori 3.        “We seek peace, knowing that peace is the climate of freedom.” - Dwight D. Eisenhower 4.        “There is a LIGHT in this world. A healing spirit more powerful than any darkness we may encounter. We sometime lose sight of this force when there is suffering, and too much pain. Then suddenly, the spirit will emerge through the lives of ordinary people who hear a call and answer in extraordinary ways.”  - Richard Attenborough 5.        “To forgive is the highest, most beautif...