Re:Ask HN: How can we solve the loneliness epidemic?
by toomuchtodo on Thursday January 15, 2026 @02:32PM
(#46637920)
For sure, my church citation wasn't about religion specifically, but that the decline in third spaces in general and a lack of community can be directly connected to early deaths and deaths of despair.
Re:Ask HN: How can we solve the loneliness epidemic?
by srean on Thursday January 15, 2026 @03:11PM
(#46638483)
That's right.
Church does not have to be a church of faith, it can well be a church of reason.
What matters is that people with shared values get to spend time together on a regular basis without getting into status games that might eventually show up no matter what the church.
Re:Ask HN: How can we solve the loneliness epidemic?
by nathan_compton on Thursday January 15, 2026 @03:25PM
(#46638715)
I've tried a few types of churches of reason and they are pretty sad, honestly. Hard core, dedicated, non-religious person here, so I'm not saying that people should go to Church, but I've never seen anything approximating a Church of Reason that would have satisfied my (admittedly minimal) social desires.
Re:Ask HN: How can we solve the loneliness epidemic?
by toomuchtodo on Thursday January 15, 2026 @03:43PM
(#46639019)
Re:Ask HN: How can we solve the loneliness epidemic?
by nathan_compton on Thursday January 15, 2026 @07:20PM
(#46641424)
Interesting suggestion! Thanks!
Re:Ask HN: How can we solve the loneliness epidemic?
by srean on Thursday January 15, 2026 @03:32PM
(#46638844)
I hear you. For me things that have worked are those that are built around a hobby -- travelling to the wooded hills, astronomy, music recitals, caring for strays / abandoned pets.
Re:Ask HN: How can we solve the loneliness epidemic?
by badeeya on Thursday January 15, 2026 @04:32PM
(#46639630)
I agree!
Re:Ask HN: How can we solve the loneliness epidemic?
by publicdebates on Thursday January 15, 2026 @03:27PM
(#46638758)
I wrote that comment back when he had only one or two links, and this post had 4 comments anod 2 points. I stand by what I said: I wish I could have downvoted it for being a low effort drive by comment.
Re:Ask HN: How can we solve the loneliness epidemic?
by bigstrat2003 on Thursday January 15, 2026 @03:50PM
(#46639115)
To be blunt: what you said was completely out of line. You were mad that he wasn't responding to your other comment (why wasn't it in the OP if you wanted people to read that stuff before responding?). You then got mad that his comment was voted higher than yours (again, putting all that in the OP would've fixed that, not to mention complaining about vote counts is straight up childish).
Just take the L man. You lashed out for no good reason, the person you responded had a hell of a lot more grace and tact than you showed this entire exchange, just learn from it and move on.
Re:Ask HN: How can we solve the loneliness epidemic?
by publicdebates on Thursday January 15, 2026 @05:29PM
(#46640316)
Agree to disagree. And as soon as I get to 500, I'm going to downvote his comment on principle alone, even if it happens next week. I'm not mad, and it's not about anything other than acting on what I believe to be right.
Re:Ask HN: How can we solve the loneliness epidemic?
by publicdebates on Friday January 16, 2026 @10:00AM
(#46647006)
Argh! I can finally downvote, but not that comment, since it's a direct reply to me.
Alas, irony emerges victorious.
In case it's not clear, original replier's comment here is absolutely correct and it doesn't necessarily have to be in a religious pretext (re: the church article), that's just a palpable example for most people. Neighbors, community centers, hobbies, etc-- these all require work on everybody's end and you must commit to these relationships to create a semblance of something to revolve your life around in lieu of drowning in loneliness.