
Loneliness is transmittable from person to person, study finds - fiaz
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/11/30/AR2009113003846.html
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mdemare
If loneliness is contagious, can we cure it by placing lonely people in
quarantine?

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bd
Isn't this happening already by definition?

    
    
      lone_ly \'lo_n-le_\
      1a: being without company: LONE
       b: cut off from others: SOLITARY
      2: not frequented by human beings: DESOLATE

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noelchurchill
Someone posted an article here on HN once which talked about how peoples
general dispositions was transmittable to people up to two or three degrees of
separation from yourself. So if you're in a bad mood then that attitude can
spread to your friends of friends of friends. Anyone else remember reading
that article? I'd like to bookmark it.

~~~
noelchurchill
Found the article I was thinking of:
<http://www.time.com/time/printout/0,8816,1865960,00.html>

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jongraehl
> "It is unclear whether their statistical model will 'find' social contagion
> in every outcome they examine because of the limitations," Jason M. Fletcher
> of Yale University wrote in an e-mail. He and a colleague conducted a
> similar analysis using data from a large federal survey to show that acne,
> headaches and even height could appear to be spread through social networks
> if not analyzed properly.

The inclusion of this caveat makes this an above-average piece of science
reporting.

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heed
What if someone appears to be lonely, but doesn't actually feel lonely?

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Mz
Or maybe it is literally contagious (ie a pathogen):
<http://www.canlyme.com/minddisease.html>

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gojomo
Note to self: avoid everyone, just in case they've got contagious loneliness.
Problem solved!

