There's a specific kind of loneliness that only hits people who are surrounded by others but known by none of them - Silicon Canals

"Research published in the journal Personality and Individual Differences found that the quality of social interactions - specifically whether people felt genuinely understood - predicted loneliness far more reliably than the quantity of interactions. You could see a hundred people a week and still qualify as lonely by every meaningful measure."

"Social loneliness is the one we talk about - not enough people around, not enough interaction. It's the kind that remote workers and solo founders feel, and it's real. But emotional loneliness is a different animal entirely. It strikes when you have plenty of social contact but almost none of it reaches you below the surface."

Emotional loneliness differs fundamentally from social loneliness. While social loneliness results from insufficient interaction, emotional loneliness occurs despite abundant social contact when interactions lack genuine understanding and depth. Research demonstrates that the quality of social connections—specifically feeling truly understood—predicts loneliness more reliably than the quantity of interactions. High-functioning individuals who excel at reading social cues and managing impressions face particular vulnerability to emotional loneliness. They navigate social situations skillfully, maintain extensive networks, and participate actively in group settings, yet experience profound disconnection because their authentic selves remain unseen. The paradox emerges: being socially active and included while feeling fundamentally unknown and emotionally starved. Addressing this requires moving beyond surface-level interactions toward genuine vulnerability and truth-telling in relationships.

Read at Silicon Canals