On presence, recognition, and the animate quality of attentionMike Finn
Length29m
About this audiobook
Loneliness isn’t simply a side‑effect of smartphones or bad habits—it’s a breakdown in the felt sense of being truly met. In this concise, thought‑provoking essay, psychologist‑philosopher Mike Finn explores why even hyper‑connected lives can feel hollow, tracing the problem past familiar tech‑blaming narratives to the deeper dynamics of presence, recognition, and what he calls the “animate quality” of attention. Blending phenomenology, developmental research, and everyday vignettes—from neonatal eye‑gaze experiments to TikTok comment threads—Finn shows how attention can spark aliveness between people or leave us untouched in a crowd. Clear, gently radical, and full of practical insight, Why We’re Lonely in a World Full of People offers a framework for restoring genuine connection without abandoning technology, inviting readers to practice a more felt way of looking, listening, and being looked back at.
I am a clinical psychologist with deep interest in phenomenology and existential psychology. I am a psychotherapist by day and a writer by night. Sci-fi but phenomenology (study of experience) as the "sci" part has been a fascinating area to work in and has allowed for free exploration and processing of ideas or experiences I have experience or encountered.View all by Mike Finn
