People of a truthseeking bent—rationalists, unbiased scientists, inquisitive non-ideologues—are these types of people likely to be lonelier on average? Those who hold a particular set of positions, tastes, perspectives, worldviews, or preferences to bepart of a group, rather than the other way around (being considered part of some group because they hold a particular set of positions) seem like they are at a significant advantage when it comes to the ability to make and keep friends, or at least find tolerant acquaintances compared to the typical truthseeker.
The truthseeker, by virtue of their ability to find, to a particular group they are currently part of or interacting with, uncomfortable truths, seems to put them in the unenviable position of, once they’ve found a particular uncomfortable truth, having to either keep quiet and have less-than-completely honest or more limited interactions, or speaking their mind and getting ostracized. Along with this, they’re far less likely to engage in “false flattery”, are more likely to focus on details and nuance (and hence be perceived negatively, due to an aversion to pedantry on certain subjects by some), far more likely to voice disagreement, and far more likely to wind up being a person to defend something considered objectionable by the group (they’d defend the proverbial idiot who says the sun will rise tomorrow—since it will, regardless of the fact that an idiot says it.)
The truthseeker may also confuse their interlocutors, due to what may be perceived as “holding contradictory views” (“how can you think THAT if you also think THIS? You don’t know what you’re talking about”); they may be accused of being a “plant” from the “other side” (“if you think that particular thing, you must secretly be an X, so all that other stuff you said that I agree with must be a lie”); they may be thought of as a troll or prankster (“you’re just saying that thing I consider objectionable to get a negative reaction out of me, but I know you really agree with me on that the way you [honestly] agree with me on all that other stuff”), or that you’re playing devil’s advocate for its own sake. These things all happen, but due to the (current) inability to know for sure another’s motives, it may be easy to confuse the truthseeker with the idiot, the confused/self-contradictory, the plant, the troll, or the advocate, even though the truthseeker’s ideas and motives have nothing to do with any of those.
Based on limited observations coupled with a little speculation, I’d say that yes, truthseekers are likely to be lonelier on average. They’re likely much rarer, so finding other committed truthseekers would be tough, and there’s no guarantee they’d even like each other (for non-truthseeking-related reasons—like not liking the same subjective things (music, fashion, food, etc.)) My personal experience says that one can be professionally and personal well respected, considered extremely friendly, and still have no “real” friends; truthseekers are easy to love, but considered difficult to like.
Perhaps a simpler reason (in the typical case) is that the truthseeker is simply perceived by your typical person as a whole lot less fun.
Are committed truthseekers lonelier?
People of a truthseeking bent—rationalists, unbiased scientists, inquisitive non-ideologues—are these types of people likely to be lonelier on average? Those who hold a particular set of positions, tastes, perspectives, worldviews, or preferences to be part of a group, rather than the other way around (being considered part of some group because they hold a particular set of positions) seem like they are at a significant advantage when it comes to the ability to make and keep friends, or at least find tolerant acquaintances compared to the typical truthseeker.
The truthseeker, by virtue of their ability to find, to a particular group they are currently part of or interacting with, uncomfortable truths, seems to put them in the unenviable position of, once they’ve found a particular uncomfortable truth, having to either keep quiet and have less-than-completely honest or more limited interactions, or speaking their mind and getting ostracized. Along with this, they’re far less likely to engage in “false flattery”, are more likely to focus on details and nuance (and hence be perceived negatively, due to an aversion to pedantry on certain subjects by some), far more likely to voice disagreement, and far more likely to wind up being a person to defend something considered objectionable by the group (they’d defend the proverbial idiot who says the sun will rise tomorrow—since it will, regardless of the fact that an idiot says it.)
The truthseeker may also confuse their interlocutors, due to what may be perceived as “holding contradictory views” (“how can you think THAT if you also think THIS? You don’t know what you’re talking about”); they may be accused of being a “plant” from the “other side” (“if you think that particular thing, you must secretly be an X, so all that other stuff you said that I agree with must be a lie”); they may be thought of as a troll or prankster (“you’re just saying that thing I consider objectionable to get a negative reaction out of me, but I know you really agree with me on that the way you [honestly] agree with me on all that other stuff”), or that you’re playing devil’s advocate for its own sake. These things all happen, but due to the (current) inability to know for sure another’s motives, it may be easy to confuse the truthseeker with the idiot, the confused/self-contradictory, the plant, the troll, or the advocate, even though the truthseeker’s ideas and motives have nothing to do with any of those.
Based on limited observations coupled with a little speculation, I’d say that yes, truthseekers are likely to be lonelier on average. They’re likely much rarer, so finding other committed truthseekers would be tough, and there’s no guarantee they’d even like each other (for non-truthseeking-related reasons—like not liking the same subjective things (music, fashion, food, etc.)) My personal experience says that one can be professionally and personal well respected, considered extremely friendly, and still have no “real” friends; truthseekers are easy to love, but considered difficult to like.
Perhaps a simpler reason (in the typical case) is that the truthseeker is simply perceived by your typical person as a whole lot less fun.