Our Sociability is Our Humanity

“Loneliness, the sensed lack of human connection, touches on our essence as social animals. We are not the only such animals, but it is our ability to form extensive networks that differentiates us from other species. Our sociability is our humanity and this is deeply rooted in our evolutionary past. That is what morality represents: our commitment to others, our capacity to form bonds of belonging and care. Our sense of wellness depends on being part of one or several networks of relationship in which we are prepared to act for the benefit of others, knowing that they are prepared to do likewise for us. So individualism comes at a high cost: the breakdown of marriage, the fragility of families, the strength of communities, the sense of identity that comes with both of these things, and the equally important sense that we are part of something that preceded us and will continue after we are no longer here.”

Morality, Chapter 1, p. 32