State Of Men (Loneliness)

    When I first saw this slide, (below) I was surprised by the numbers. I thought the older you got, the more lonely you would become. But when I think about the survey, I can see how the numbers could be accurate. First off, the survey is based on feelings. I'm at the bottom end of this list (64), and my expectation is that I won't be around other people in my future years. With that expectation in mind, I won't feel as lonely as often because I'm prepared for those feelings. 

    Thinking back to my younger years, when I was the youngest group, my expectations were that my life wouldn't change, so I'd always be surrounded by people. So I get why that next group would be the "loneliest" group. The point of my life when I was the loneliest would be when I turned 30. I lived alone, almost all my friends were married and moved on in life.

    Most people entering their 30s are consumed with the changes of life. Our work, marriages, raising kids takes up our time and energy, friends take a back seat or don't have a seat at all. The importance of friends, close friends is not on our minds at all. This is the time of life that we need to seek friendships. We need to seek out, not only friends from our own age group, but also people that are older and know the struggles that we are going through because they've been there before. 

    My thoughts on this chart, went to church attendance. I've studied a few surveys on church attendance (especially on men), and how similar it is to the loneliness factor. Some studies show that men under 30 are more likely to attend than those in their 30s and early 40s. 

    Regardless, if you are experiencing the feeling of loneliness, seek out help. You are not alone- no matter what your going through find help. Living in today's world is difficult- don't make it more difficult by trying to navigate it alone.