All human beings require intimate social connection. Author and psychologist, Dr. Sue Johnson, teaches that people have attachment styles; dependant upon our attachment style is our ability to connect to and with other people. No matter what a person says, they require socialization. In Western culture, we often see ourselves as individuals who are self reliant and not needing daily interactions with other folks. This is not the case.
Our humanity is dependant upon the family unit and as we can see the family unit has been breaking down over the last 50 years. If we want to raise healthy families and in turn communities, we all have a vested interest in learning to emotionally connect and respond to one another. The belief that we are an individualistic society independent of one another’s needs and well-being has not been doing much good. Instead of texting and chatting online, it is best to learn how to communicate with people in the flesh and how to respond to others’ needs with empathy and compassion. Emotional connection leads to lasting love, something we all can aspire to. We are social animals who need connection and healthy connection requires communication. Let’s start talking!
