Britain has a Minister for Loneliness

Also new word learned: “Kodokushi”, a Japanese word for lonely death or people dying alone and remaining undiscovered for a long period of time.

Highlights:

According to a report last year from the Jo Cox Commission on Loneliness, more than 9 million people in Britain—around 14 percent of the population—often or always feel lonely. That costs U.K. employers up to $3.5 billion annually, according to consumer co-operative CO-OP.

Experts like McDaid believe the best ways to tackle loneliness “[is] not provided by central government” but through “informal or formal community activities” he says.

As traders, do you guys feel lonely sometimes?

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Absolutely amazing how much a feeling can cost a business. Trading wise, I do feel lonely as I haven’t found that one trading group where knowledge and trade discussion take place instead of mentorship and signal adverts

I think Britain has a minister for silly walks also doesn’t it?

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Hopefully the forums here help to alleviate some of that loneliness? It helps me for sure.

@TalonD! Ha. A Monty Python fan!

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It does but I prefer IM like WhatsApp groups. Personally speaking though I am not so lonely, but I do agree that it is a serious issue for some people.

It’s so interesting how a lot of the forum members here that I talk to seem to have a private chat group whether through Whatsapp or Telegram. How did you discover yours?

I think this is a big step for Britain. Not a lot of countries acknowledge loneliness as a real problem faced by people of modern life. :frowning: Tbh, I get disappointed with my trades (and sometimes with myself) but I think I still try to be positive to keep myself away from that very dark place. :slight_smile: It’s not as easy as it sounds sometimes though. :frowning: Anyway, reading through this somehow reminded me of this thread:

I’m thinking maybe this served as a wake-up call for people in Britain. :thinking:

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Sadly, it appears not @ria_rose.

I too was a little optimistic at the prospect, but if you take a look here

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/jan/16/may-appoints-minister-tackle-loneliness-issues-raised-jo-cox

You will find a woman reporting the appointment, by a woman, of another woman and a number of other women connected to addressing the ‘loneliness issue’. The problems mentioned do not in any way mention the 12 men a day commiting suicide in the uk, nor anything else which could reasonably be interpreted as even noticing the problem of male suicide in the uk. There is no male at all mentioned in the article.

It is almost as though we (men) have been entirely written out of relevance in the uk society.

We seem to be a subhuman collection of irrelevance - or as Emmeline Pankhurst described us - “just carriers of venereal disease” !

Social media is a major way for all of us to connect with different traders around the world. You’re able to follow as many traders as you want and some of them offer telegram or WhatsApp groups for you to join. You can also create your own telegram group and invite other traders that you might want to connect with. It’s good to look at the traders that are very successful and take ideas from their strategies. It’s important to have some type of support system while trading, otherwise it can end up being a very lonely journey lol

Hi @purtle,

Forums and social media are great for sharing ideas and information with people who have similar goals and interests such as trading in the forex market, but online messaging is no substitute for real human companionship when it comes to personal well-being.

Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up. Again, if two lie together, then they have heat: but how can one be warm alone? And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken." - Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

That said, it’s questionable whether spending money on a government solution is the answer to the loneliness problem.

They have set up kings, but not by me: they have made princes, and I knew it not: of their silver and their gold have they made them idols, that they may be cut off. - Hosea 8:4

Hey F, now the Bible police will be after you! Oh and on another note, I am never lonely, I got my wife hahahahahaha, she makes sure of that.

Nice people attract people, it is as simple as that. Nasty people die alone, that is the bottom line, I know someone who pushed everyone out of their life, I mean everyone, they never had a good thing to say about anyone, and no one could measure up to their standard. They died alone, and when I say alone,what I mean is not that they happened to be alone when they died, but no one cared. It is normal for this to happen, and there is nothing Gov’t can do about it.

Very similar and possibly linked to mental health, do people really want to open up a door to 1984, have courts be able to determine whether a person should be institutionalized, at the word of an “expert”, sooner or later we would have camps full of political enemies like, well you know who. No I like my freedom as it is thanks.

I think what Briton needs is a Minister Of Failed Traders, yeeeeessss, the time has come.

The Ever On Time VIPER

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You gat a problem with that Braugh???

The Ever Laughing At Whoever Pankhurst VIPER

Simple yes - but perhaps Too simple - Look to a couple who get divorced in life - the “mutual friends” usually choose one of the couple to stay friends with. Normally most of them choose the same person.

Bereavement causes people to feel somehow embarrassed at socialising with the remaining partner.

Often a person gives up their frends and puts their life on hold to look after an ailing parent and when that person has departed, there are no friends for the ex-carer to socialise with.

Weak elderly and frail people are often avoided by others who perhaps feel they may have to “Help” at some point.

Some people are just shy, others can be quite tedious company - There’s no reason for us to look at any category of loneliness and “Blame the victim”.

If there is a “Blame” to be attached, perhaps it is a world where we have to “Interact” all the time or else we feel somehow “bad” - “Likes” are fun, but are they a necessity ?

Most here speak of the Internet as though it can “help” with loneliness - Perhaps the expectation of positive Internet interaction which may not be fulfilled goes some way to the root of the problem ?

If you watch “Life below zero” Sue Aitken lives hundreds of miles from her nearest neighbour as does Glen Villeneuve and as autumn arrives each of them is looking forward to 8 months without seeing another human being. They do not complain about loneliness - Sue has befriended local foxes - Villeneuve is completely alone almost all of the time.

One of the issues holding couples together is sometimes a “Fear of being alone” preveting them from leaving each other !

Counselling can perhaps teach people HOW to enjoy their own company and not be so reliant on others. That could help some.

It’s surely a complex subject and a simple “don’t know if it’s worth spending money on…” , to me is a bit of “COP - OUT…”

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Hey F, my point has nothing to do with money, and everything to do with reality. Mrs. V and I have been volunteer counselors for over 40 years, when I say volunteer I mean no $$$$.

The issue is the world, morally, internally, I guess some would say spiritually, is bereft, it’s sad but basically thats it. And frankly it makes sense, I would guess that if I ask everyone on this board what was the “Original” title of Darwins book most would get it wrong. For those who don’t know here it is " The Origin Of Species by Means Of Natural Selection or the Preservation Of Favored Races In The Struggle For Life", all you have to do is read this title, and it lets you know what the elite think. Also if you pile on a big heaping dose of Margaret Sanger, and sprinkle in some Ayn Rand, well here we are.

The majority of politicians, magnates, oligarchs believe this survival of the fittest two a T. This article tells you all you need to know.

The Ever Short Human Government and Institutions VIPER

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Sorry @TradeViper, perhaps I shouold have been clearer, I know you never mentioned money, That comment was headed towards @FOREX.com comment

My laziness there !

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Isn’t it interesting how loneliness is a growing problem and yet there is 7.5 billion people (growing exponentially) on the planet.

I suspect that it’s to do with the issues of the modern era. For all of human history until the past 60-100 years, people mostly lived their entire lives around the people they were born near, and would have known them very well. Now that travel is cheap and easy via all kinds of vehicles, people move around all the time and you likely won’t be around anyone for very long except your spouse. Even your kids will probably move far away once they come of age and look for jobs/etc. Social media is certainly not a healthy substitute either, because you’re not dealing with all of the real emotions, behaviours and togetherness that people need in their lives.

It’s altogether just a hollow experience.

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Rather too well - in some cases :thinking:

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Tis true but compare that to not having any sort of interaction with anyone at all and online contact may be the best option for some folks during certain periods of their life.

I suppose, at least there is someone trying to do something?

True sometimes but perhaps there’s more to pushing people away than just being nasty? Either way, I think people get what they think they deserve.

Ahh also very good points. Pretty awesome you’ve thought of those scenarios. I see this all the time too but it is kind of difficult to come up with solutions for them because for the most part (except for the weak elderly), most people assume they can help themselves if they wanted to.

I think it’s something that can be solved from a personal level. E.g. if one feels dissatisfied, there are ways to somehow alleviate it. Although I imagine it can be difficult esp now with the rise of remote work. Not only are you now far from family, you’re now also far from coworkers.

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It’s good that people are tackling this issue. Loneliness and depression can seriously affect your life and the lives of those around you.

I agree that any feeling can cost a business. After all, we are human beings, not robots so people cannot disregards their feelings just like that otherwise this could lead to some serious mental health issues (which actually is another big problem in the modern world).

@TalonD , sorry if this a stupid question but what are silly walks? Never heard of a such term and a minister of silly walks :slight_smile:

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