A Conversation Starter, by Sushil

"We are all beginning to notice it: the world feels lonelier, less friendly, and less connected than it once did. Increasingly, we retreat into ourselves, finding comfort in solitude rather than in one another. There was a time when it felt natural to speak with a fellow passenger on a plane or a train, exchange a few words with someone in the park, or start a conversation in a supermarket aisle. Those small moments of warmth once made everyday life feel shared. Such moments have become rare, replaced by caution, distraction, and indifference. And so we are led to ask who bears responsibility for this growing disconnection. It is a question that ought to make us think and think again, because the answer is not simple. In one way or another, we are all responsible for this. Human beings tend to follow social norms and cultural trends without stopping to ask whether they help us flourish or quietly diminish us. We imitate what we see, without considering the consequences. This withdrawal comes at a cost. Human beings are not designed to flourish alone; we depend on one another for emotional strength, growth, and a sense of belonging. We reach our fullest potential not in detachment, but in fellowship and shared effort. If we are becoming increasingly detached and unconnected, it is not because this is our nature, but because we have allowed it to become our habit."