# "If a bunch of people are lonely, why don’t they hangout together?" Um is this why I'm on Forumosa? **URL:** \ **Category:** Science & Nature\ **Tags:** science\ **Created:** [August 27, 2022, 12:30am UTC](https://tw.forumosa.com/t/if-a-bunch-of-people-are-lonely-why-don-t-they-hangout-together-um-is-this-why-im-on-forumosa/222983 "2022-08-27T00:30:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Celeborn](https://forumosa-12829.kxcdn.com/user_avatar/tw.forumosa.com/celeborn/32/26102_2.png) [@Celeborn](https://tw.forumosa.com/u/Celeborn)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2022, 12:30am UTC](https://tw.forumosa.com/t/if-a-bunch-of-people-are-lonely-why-don-t-they-hangout-together-um-is-this-why-im-on-forumosa/222983/1 "2022-08-27T00:30:19Z")
I find behavioral science and economics fascinating, and fun to read. Just sharing a link to David Brook’s column today entitled, “Why Your Social Life Is Not What It Should Be” > One day Nicholas Epley was commuting by train to his office at the University of Chicago. As a behavioral scientist he’s well aware that social connection makes us happier, healthier and more successful and generally contributes to the sweetness of life. Yet he looked around his train car and realized: Nobody is talking to anyone! It was just headphones and newspapers. > > Questions popped into his head: What the hell are we all doing here? Why don’t people do the thing that makes them the most happy? [Read the full archived article here](https://archive.ph/QsWmv) Here is a video of Epley from 2018 [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/jJejs1UnuIc/maxresdefault.jpg "Nicholas Epley on the importance of being social") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJejs1UnuIc) ---
**Author:** ![KHHville](https://forumosa-12829.kxcdn.com/user_avatar/tw.forumosa.com/khhville/32/20061_2.png) [@KHHville](https://tw.forumosa.com/u/KHHville)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2022, 2:38am UTC](https://tw.forumosa.com/t/if-a-bunch-of-people-are-lonely-why-don-t-they-hangout-together-um-is-this-why-im-on-forumosa/222983/2 "2022-08-27T02:38:18Z")
I’m on forumosa for weird/long grammatically wrong thread titles like this one. ---
**Author:** ![urodacus](https://forumosa-12829.kxcdn.com/user_avatar/tw.forumosa.com/urodacus/32/69843_2.png) [@urodacus](https://tw.forumosa.com/u/urodacus)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2022, 9:46am UTC](https://tw.forumosa.com/t/if-a-bunch-of-people-are-lonely-why-don-t-they-hangout-together-um-is-this-why-im-on-forumosa/222983/3 "2022-08-27T09:46:55Z")
I’m here to help. ---
**Author:** ![Belgian\_Pie](https://forumosa-12829.kxcdn.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/b/8dc957/32.png) [@Belgian\_Pie](https://tw.forumosa.com/u/Belgian_Pie)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2022, 10:10am UTC](https://tw.forumosa.com/t/if-a-bunch-of-people-are-lonely-why-don-t-they-hangout-together-um-is-this-why-im-on-forumosa/222983/4 "2022-08-27T10:10:48Z")
’ Yet he looked around his train car and realized: Nobody is talking to anyone! It was just headphones and newspapers.’ Strangers never talk to each other on trains. ---
**Author:** ![TaipAmy](https://forumosa-12829.kxcdn.com/user_avatar/tw.forumosa.com/taipamy/32/188329_2.png) [@TaipAmy](https://tw.forumosa.com/u/TaipAmy)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2022, 10:15am UTC](https://tw.forumosa.com/t/if-a-bunch-of-people-are-lonely-why-don-t-they-hangout-together-um-is-this-why-im-on-forumosa/222983/5 "2022-08-27T10:15:48Z")
That stranger never met my dad. ---
**Author:** ![strung.in](https://forumosa-12829.kxcdn.com/user_avatar/tw.forumosa.com/strung.in/32/122315_2.png) [@strung.in](https://tw.forumosa.com/u/strung.in)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2022, 10:17am UTC](https://tw.forumosa.com/t/if-a-bunch-of-people-are-lonely-why-don-t-they-hangout-together-um-is-this-why-im-on-forumosa/222983/6 "2022-08-27T10:17:54Z")
if you believe in true introversion, some of those folks might be at their happiest. ---
**Author:** ![TT](https://forumosa-12829.kxcdn.com/user_avatar/tw.forumosa.com/tt/32/271883_2.png) [@TT](https://tw.forumosa.com/u/TT)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2022, 10:56am UTC](https://tw.forumosa.com/t/if-a-bunch-of-people-are-lonely-why-don-t-they-hangout-together-um-is-this-why-im-on-forumosa/222983/7 "2022-08-27T10:56:18Z")
Just a little extra time here and suddenly I don’t miss other human beings any more Er, because of the great company here? ---
**Author:** ![anon50641892](https://forumosa-12829.kxcdn.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/b487fb/32.png) [@anon50641892](https://tw.forumosa.com/u/anon50641892)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2022, 12:13pm UTC](https://tw.forumosa.com/t/if-a-bunch-of-people-are-lonely-why-don-t-they-hangout-together-um-is-this-why-im-on-forumosa/222983/8 "2022-08-27T12:13:29Z")
Boredom, to seek help, to help, but online debate/chat/forum can never replace real life. I enjoy much more talking to people face to face. I am the type that would talk to strangers on a train if time allows. 😀 ---
**Author:** ![jimipresley](https://forumosa-12829.kxcdn.com/user_avatar/tw.forumosa.com/jimipresley/32/102867_2.png) [@jimipresley](https://tw.forumosa.com/u/jimipresley)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2022, 12:16pm UTC](https://tw.forumosa.com/t/if-a-bunch-of-people-are-lonely-why-don-t-they-hangout-together-um-is-this-why-im-on-forumosa/222983/9 "2022-08-27T12:16:28Z")
> [@Belgian\_Pie](#): > > ’ Yet he looked around his train car and realized: Nobody is talking to anyone! It was just headphones and newspapers. What’s a newspaper? ---
**Author:** ![jimipresley](https://forumosa-12829.kxcdn.com/user_avatar/tw.forumosa.com/jimipresley/32/102867_2.png) [@jimipresley](https://tw.forumosa.com/u/jimipresley)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2022, 12:18pm UTC](https://tw.forumosa.com/t/if-a-bunch-of-people-are-lonely-why-don-t-they-hangout-together-um-is-this-why-im-on-forumosa/222983/10 "2022-08-27T12:18:49Z")
> [@anon50641892](#): > > I enjoy much more talking to people face to face. I am the type that would talk to strangers on a train if time allows. I’m the opposite. I would NEVER try to engage in conversation with a stranger. And when they try, I say “Me no English. Me Bosnia.” ---
**Author:** ![anon50641892](https://forumosa-12829.kxcdn.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/b487fb/32.png) [@anon50641892](https://tw.forumosa.com/u/anon50641892)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2022, 12:21pm UTC](https://tw.forumosa.com/t/if-a-bunch-of-people-are-lonely-why-don-t-they-hangout-together-um-is-this-why-im-on-forumosa/222983/11 "2022-08-27T12:21:36Z")
To each their own. That’s the beauty of life. ---
**Author:** ![Belgian\_Pie](https://forumosa-12829.kxcdn.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/b/8dc957/32.png) [@Belgian\_Pie](https://tw.forumosa.com/u/Belgian_Pie)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2022, 6:31am UTC](https://tw.forumosa.com/t/if-a-bunch-of-people-are-lonely-why-don-t-they-hangout-together-um-is-this-why-im-on-forumosa/222983/12 "2022-08-28T06:31:49Z")
> [@jimipresley](#): > > What’s a newspaper? Something that takes up two seats to read. ![DSC_1696-01](https://forumosauploads-12829.kxcdn.com/original/3X/c/1/c1e766d18ab316a621f11f664f015a484789392a.jpeg) > [@jimipresley](#): > > And when they try, I say “Me no English. Me Bosnia.” Close enough! ---
**Author:** ![FatKaz](https://forumosa-12829.kxcdn.com/user_avatar/tw.forumosa.com/fatkaz/32/174281_2.png) [@FatKaz](https://tw.forumosa.com/u/FatKaz)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2022, 7:09am UTC](https://tw.forumosa.com/t/if-a-bunch-of-people-are-lonely-why-don-t-they-hangout-together-um-is-this-why-im-on-forumosa/222983/13 "2022-08-28T07:09:44Z")
> [@Celeborn](#): > > Yet he looked around his train car and realized: Nobody is talking to anyone! It was just headphones and newspapers. > > Questions popped into his head: What the hell are we all doing here? Why don’t people do the thing that makes them the most happy? I love chatting to people and making new friends. But if somebody starts talking to me on an MRT or a typical train journey (maybe I’d make an exception for a long-distance train journey), I am not happy. Especially if I’m reading or listening to headphones. I don’t see anything startling about this. Different contexts are more suitable than others. ---
**Author:** ![anon50641892](https://forumosa-12829.kxcdn.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/b487fb/32.png) [@anon50641892](https://tw.forumosa.com/u/anon50641892)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2022, 7:19am UTC](https://tw.forumosa.com/t/if-a-bunch-of-people-are-lonely-why-don-t-they-hangout-together-um-is-this-why-im-on-forumosa/222983/14 "2022-08-28T07:19:38Z")
> [@FatKaz](#): > > Different contexts are more suitable than others. Communication, context means something. You’ll never get the same context of a verbal communication through online forums or social network. Unless you write a damn research paper but even that, most people don’t have the attention span to care to read or bother to fully understand.