Dr. Vivek Murthy
Dr. Vivek H. Murthy served as the 19th Surgeon General of the United States from 2014 to 2017. He is the author of upcoming book, Together: The Healing Power of Human Connection in a Sometimes Lonely World.
In his groundbreaking book, he makes a case for loneliness as a public health concern: a root cause and contributor to many of the epidemics sweeping the world today from alcohol and drug addiction to violence to depression and anxiety. Loneliness, he argues, is affecting not only our health but also how our children experience school, how we perform in the workplace, and the sense of division and polarization in our society.
But, at the center of our loneliness is our innate desire to connect. We have evolved to participate in community, to forge lasting bonds with others, to help one another, and to share life experiences. We are, simply, better together.