Man decided to go on a dinner with stranger to battle loneliness — he wasn't ready for the outcome

With our busy and driven lives, we often become secluded and alone without knowing it. While everyone is trying hard to make their schedules work, with the dynamics of society today, loneliness among individuals is rapidly increasing. A report from Discovery ABA Therapy revealed that over 60% of Americans report feeling lonely. It is vital to overcome this isolation before it affects us. A 35-year-old man named David Brown felt this overwhelming loneliness when he moved from Chicago to Los Angeles, per the LA Times. He thought of meeting up with a stranger for dinner as an unusual solution and the result was mind-boggling. 

Loneliness can increase the risk of premature death by up to 50%, per Discovery ABA Therapy. Moreover, it is as dangerous as smoking 15 cigarettes a day. Apart from this, isolation can also be an influential factor in negatively affecting mental and emotional health. It can lead to health-risking habits like smoking, alcoholism and more. Brown, who had just moved into another city, was feeling lonely and out of place. He came across an app called Timeleft (@timeleft), which matches strangers for impromptu meets. Given his situation, he thought it wasn’t a bad idea to go out and meet new people while tackling loneliness. 

Interactions with strangers are known to be quite beneficial. “A passing interaction with a barista, a five-second conversation about the weather or asking someone how they’re doing and actually listening to what they say, those sort of minimal social interactions can actually be a pretty powerful way to treat feelings of loneliness and isolation,” Joe Keohane, New York-based journalist and author, noted, per Star Tribune. Gillian Sandstrom, a psychologist from the University of Sussex who has extensively studied social interactions with strangers and casual acquaintances, added that talking to strangers “might reduce feelings of loneliness for a while by increasing feelings of connection and belonging, albeit on a small scale.”

Brown, a sales director, was anxious and nervous while meeting these new people. The app provided a bit of information, such as the profession and other factors. However, the names and photos were not shared. Nevertheless, he decided to meet for dinner and the result was worth it. “Everybody committed to the experience and was just open-minded,” he recalled. His nervousness soon melted away. Eventually, he also went out with some of the strangers after dinner to grab a few drinks and interact more. This one simple dinner that was joined on a whim became a beautiful beginning to something new.

He met several others that night and the time passed by wholesomely. “I made at least two best friends at that first dinner,” Brown noted. One of those two even ended up becoming Brown’s roommate. He continued to go out on dinners with strangers and make friends. Also, he mentioned that it played a big role in helping him develop his sense of confidence. That homesick and isolated feeling was soon overcome with a sense of belonging. “Don’t be afraid to be honest. If you can’t be vulnerable, it’s going to be hard for people to relate to you in your experience. We’re all at this dinner table for a reason,” he remarked.