What Henry David Thoreau Knew About Social Exhaustion
A short retreat inward may work wonders
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What Henry David Thoreau Knew About Social Exhaustion
At the end of busy conferences, it is common to see exhausted participants nodding politely. They look tired but feel compelled to be part of every conversation. That’s perhaps fear of missing out taken to the next level. Let’s call it social exhaustion, a state of deep mental fatigue caused by relentless engagement, overstimulation, and the unspoken expectation to always be “on.”
This condition is not new. Nearly two centuries ago, Henry David Thoreau recognized the dangers of excessive social entanglement and sought an antidote in solitude and simplicity. His book Walden, an account of his two-year retreat to a cabin near Concord, Massachusetts, offers a strikingly relevant manifesto for resisting the pressures of an over-socialized life.