Is loneliness our modern malaise? Former U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy says the most common pathology he saw during his years of service “was not heart disease or diabetes; it was loneliness.” Chronic loneliness, some say, is like “smoking 15 cigarettes a day.” It “kills more people than obesity.” Because loneliness is now considered a public health issue—and even an epidemic—people are exploring its causes and trying to find solutions. While writing a book on the history of how poets wrote about loneliness in the Romantic Period, I discovered that loneliness is a relatively new concept and once had an easy cure. However, as the concept’s meaning has transformed, finding solutions has become harder. Returning to the origins of the word—and understanding how its meaning has changed through time—gives us a new way to think about modern loneliness and the ways in which we might address it. The Dangers of Venturing Into ‘Lonelinesses’ Although loneliness may seem …