Even though loneliness affects so many of us, it has gotten scant research attention compared to related conditions like depression or anxiety. Robin Marantz Henig More Quotes by Robin Marantz Henig More Quotes From Robin Marantz Henig The English language has 112 words for deception, according to one count, each with a different shade of meaning: collusion, fakery, malingering, self-deception, confabulation, prevarication, exaggeration, denial. Robin Marantz Henig wordsenglish-languageshadelanguage I regret not working harder to create true friendships with other couples, not seeking out people with whom to go do things and go places - people with whom to have a few crazy, memorable bonding adventures. Robin Marantz Henig trueregretcrazypeople Angels, demons, spirits, wizards, gods and witches have peppered folk religions since mankind first started telling stories. Robin Marantz Henig demonsangelsreligionsfirst It's almost a rite of passage for the middle-aged, it seems, to invent generational stereotypes for dumping on the young. Robin Marantz Henig middle-agedalmoststereotypesyoung The tenuousness of modern life can make anyone feel overwrought. Robin Marantz Henig makefeelmodernlife In the modern world, the anxious temperament does offer certain benefits: caution, introspection, the capacity to work alone. These can be adaptive qualities. Robin Marantz Henig alonecautionworkworld Beliefs about how lying looks are plentiful and often contradictory: depending on whom you choose to believe, liars can be detected because they fidget a lot, hold very still, cross their legs, cross their arms, look up, look down, make eye contact or fail to make eye contact. Robin Marantz Henig lookyoueyebelieve In the womb, humans are free of microbes. Colonization begins during the journey down the birth canal, which is riddled with bacteria, some of which make their way onto the newborn's skin. Robin Marantz Henig skindownjourneyway The real thing young people should fear is missing out on those few, true, long-term friendships that make for a richer, happier life. Robin Marantz Henig truefearlifepeople I'm always made a little uncomfortable by studies that assert that Millennials are the most narcissistic generation in history. To me, being young has always meant being self-absorbed; in many ways, that's what youth is for. Robin Marantz Henig generationmeyouthhistory Kids don't shuffle along in unison on the road to maturity. They slouch toward adulthood at an uneven, highly individual pace. Robin Marantz Henig roadadulthoodindividualmaturity As the brain matures, one thing that happens is the pruning of the synapses. Synaptic pruning does not occur willy-nilly; it depends largely on how any one brain pathway is used. Robin Marantz Henig howone-thinghappensbrain The limbic system explodes during puberty, but the prefrontal cortex keeps maturing for another 10 years. Robin Marantz Henig systemanotherpubertyyears The 20s are like the stem cell of human development: the pluripotent moment when any of several outcomes is possible. Decisions and actions during this time have lasting ramifications. Robin Marantz Henig likemomentdevelopmenttime Friends and relatives might be surprised that I think of myself as lonely. I'm married to a man I not only love but like, and we spend a lot of time together. If I feel like socializing, I can usually find someone to meet for coffee or a drink. Robin Marantz Henig myselfmancoffeelove I'm a freelance writer, and I work alone at a big desk in the living room of my apartment. There are many days when I don't utter a single word to anyone but my husband. Robin Marantz Henig alonesinglehusbandwork Elderly parents tend to think their relationship with their middle-aged children is smoother than the children do. Adult grandchildren, who have little stake in pulling away from their grandparents, tend to describe that relationship as less rose-colored than do Gram and Gramps. Robin Marantz Henig parentsthinkrelationshipchildren Alright, alright, I admit it: my husband is the quiet, kind, accepting parent, and I'm the one who wants so much to be part of our two daughters' lives than I can't even let them finish a story without interrupting. Robin Marantz Henig storyhusbandparentquiet Regret is a bitter emotion, so painful that the urge to avoid it often drives decision-making strategies. Robin Marantz Henig avoidregretemotionpainful The chance you passed up or missed could have had any number of different outcomes, and it's easy to fantasize about how much better every one of those outcomes would have been. Robin Marantz Henig betteryouchanceeasy
