• jetA
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    4 months ago

    I think people feel useful in social contexts, people they see everyday, who depend on them, who have consistent interactions. And most people get that through work. Especially when we’re talking about older people when their friends start dying. The young people at the job, at the volunteer center, at whatever, provide the connective through thread in their lives to give them purpose.

    Some people are very fortunate and they can find purpose without structure, but a lot of people need that structure. I think you’re 80% more likely to die within a year of your spouse dying when you’re over a certain age. Just you need that social structure