The Politics Of Loneliness

FiveThirtyEight Politics

ABC News

News, Politics

4.6 • 20.6K Ratings

🗓️ 2 February 2023

⏱️ 52 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Americans are spending more and more time alone, and more than a third reported experiencing “serious loneliness" in 2021. The director of the Harvard Study of Adult Development -- the longest study of human life ever conducted -- concluded in a new book that close personal relationships are the "one crucial factor [that] stands out for the consistency and power of its ties to physical health, mental health and longevity." A lack of those relationships can actually have an impact on political behavior and interest in extreme ideologies. Galen Druke speaks with the director of the Harvard study, Robert Waldinger, about the lessons his findings have for politics in America. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:30.0	How often does a Zen Priest get asked to be on a politics podcast?
0:34.0	I don't know how many of you had so far.
0:37.0	We've never had one before. Have you ever done a politics podcast before?
0:40.0	No, no, never. I've never done...
0:42.0	You know, this is so weird for me to be like, I'm a Harvard professor
0:46.0	and I have all these things that don't...
0:49.0	I mean, they do fit together in my mind and I'm happy to talk about that if you want,
0:53.0	but it is an odd combination and no, I've never been on a politics podcast.
0:59.0	And I'm thrilled to be on with you guys, because I do have a lot of respect for what you do.
1:04.0	Well, let's get to it then.
1:06.0	First time for everything.
1:16.0	Hello and welcome to the 538 Politics Podcast. I'm Gaelin Drook.
1:20.0	Today's episode is going to be a little different,
1:23.0	in that it's not really about politics, or at least not just politics.
	...

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