The overwhelming majority of individuals lived in rural, close-knit neighborhoods until the Industrial Revolution attracted workers to big cities. People wanted a limited number of close friends, a smaller community of close companions, and a wider network of familiar associates.
Sadly, many of our social needs go unfulfilled these days. The interpersonal bonds of a warm, real-world group cannot be replaced by getting hundreds of “friends” on Facebook.
In our search to make our lives more successful, we have lost a lot of human connection, a reality with unignorable repercussions.
