Connect, belong, join us!
‘True belonging only happens when we present our authentic, imperfect selves to the world,’ says Brené Brown, author of Braving The Wilderness: The Quest For True Belonging And The Courage To Stand Alone, in our Dossier. A report warns loneliness is an epidemic, but what’s the antidote? In her brilliant book, Brown asks us to examine how we interact, not just with others, but with ourselves. Research shows social isolation – being cut o from human connection – doesn’t necessarily lead to loneliness and that, conversely, being with others doesn’t immunise against it. What’s more, experts say the loneliest people are married and aren’t clinically depressed, writes Anita Chaudhuri on page 62.
And so we dedicate this issue to connection: Vanessa Nicolson writes about her complex relationship with her mother on page 46, and how she reconnected with her; while Oliver Burkeman helps us listen to our anger on page 56, to connect with what it’s trying to tell us: ‘Negative emotions arise for a reason. Don’t force yourself to “let go” or you’ll miss the message,’ explains Harriet Lerner, author of The Dance Of Anger. On page 32, Olivia Gagan reveals that when she lost everything, she had to reconnect with her strengths, which boosted her self-esteem and allowed her to bounce back.