The Catch-22 of Modern Friendship

I explore what I call the Catch-22 of modern friendship: repeated disappointment can make us more protective of our time and more comfortable being alone, but the more we withdraw, the harder it becomes to build the meaningful relationships we still need. I talk about adult friendship, FOMO turning into JOMO, social media, Robert Putnam’s Bowling Alone, Ray Oldenburg’s idea of “third places,” Mean World Syndrome, and some of my own experiences with friendships changing as I’ve gotten older. Solitude can be healthy. Being selective can be healthy. But at what point does protecting our peace become isolation? Maybe the greatest threat to friendship isn’t that we’ve stopped loving people — but that we’ve slowly stopped believing other people are worth the risk. Open During Construction — Figuring It Out in Real Time.