There have been many times when we’ve heard the term “epidemic of loneliness” mentioned in various conversations, followed immediately by a hurried call to action for us all to start socializing again. But there is one very important factor that this popular discourse ignores completely. Professor John Cacioppo was a neuroscientist and a world-renowned expert on loneliness who worked at the University of Chicago and spent his life’s work proving that the concept of loneliness is far from simply being lonely. What he discovered was that it doesn’t matter how many people you meet; what truly matters is the sense of security and connection with other individuals.