Interesting question. I think there’s something to this in at least one subset of the phenomenon you discuss: when one’s environment is filled with believers in X and “truthseeking” leads one to conclude that belief in X is likely false… loneliness ensues, especially if X is a “hot topic” like a political stance or religion. This has been my experience having all-but-deconverted from Catholicism.
Part of the entire reason I want to try for a meetup in Minnesota, as I said to my brother the other day, is that I need some new friends.
A related hypothesis that came up in the discussion with my brother focused on the difference between Myers-Briggs S vs. N types. N’s tend to be open to possibilities, “what ifs” and change, and S’s a bit less so—what I see/know is so, deference to authority figures, etc.. I have no idea if “truthseekers” are of a high N component, but it would interesting to know. Perhaps the loneliness only comes about when the surrounding environment is more rigid, unwilling to update given new evidence, or something similar.
If everyone were happy to examine one’s case, discuss the available evidence and related probabilistic reliabilities associated… it would seem that there would be no source for divisiveness and therefore no source for loneliness.
Interesting question. I think there’s something to this in at least one subset of the phenomenon you discuss: when one’s environment is filled with believers in X and “truthseeking” leads one to conclude that belief in X is likely false… loneliness ensues, especially if X is a “hot topic” like a political stance or religion. This has been my experience having all-but-deconverted from Catholicism.
Part of the entire reason I want to try for a meetup in Minnesota, as I said to my brother the other day, is that I need some new friends.
A related hypothesis that came up in the discussion with my brother focused on the difference between Myers-Briggs S vs. N types. N’s tend to be open to possibilities, “what ifs” and change, and S’s a bit less so—what I see/know is so, deference to authority figures, etc.. I have no idea if “truthseekers” are of a high N component, but it would interesting to know. Perhaps the loneliness only comes about when the surrounding environment is more rigid, unwilling to update given new evidence, or something similar.
If everyone were happy to examine one’s case, discuss the available evidence and related probabilistic reliabilities associated… it would seem that there would be no source for divisiveness and therefore no source for loneliness.
I think it’s just as possible to feel alienated when I’m strongly committed to a particular view and my environment is more “open to possibilities.”
I wish you success in finding a new social community that works for you.
An excellent point I was definitely not considering!