– I think we forget the importance of having some purpose or the other to fill our day with. Whether it's to have a job to get up to, going to the reading room or just having plans with friends, it's important for humans to feel that life has significance. These activities serve as a kind of drive, or proof that we are making progress in life, and is additionally a distraction from things that are difficult, says Norwegian psychologist Benjamin Silseth.

a lack of purpose is a feeling i have faced often in 2020–2021. i think it's what's behind many of my negative feelings.

they say that pensioners often get depressed because they don't have a job, no one needs them anymore, and they spend a lot of time alone. when several generations of a family shared the same home, grandparents would play a more active role in the household, and would rarely be alone, which would've been good for their mental health.

even the most introverted of nerds will suffer mental health problems if they are isolated. humans aren't cut out for being alone all the time.