---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A sense of dislocation has been spreading…"
description: "\"“A sense of dislocation has been spreading through our societies like a bone cancer throughout the twentieth century. We all feel it: we have become ri..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e0d/johann-hari-20885_become-rich_a-sense-of-dislocation-has-been-spreadin_2490983.jpg"
---

#  A sense of dislocation has been spreading through our…

![“A sense of dislocation has been spreading through our societies like a bone cancer throughout the twentieth century. We all feel it: we have become richer, but less connected to one another. Countless studies prove this is more than a hunch, but here’s just one: the average number of close friends…” quote by Johann Hari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e0d/johann-hari-20885_become-rich_a-sense-of-dislocation-has-been-spreadin_2490983.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e0d/johann-hari-20885_become-rich_a-sense-of-dislocation-has-been-spreadin_2490983.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e0d/johann-hari-20885_become-rich_a-sense-of-dislocation-has-been-spreadin_2490983.jpg)

> ““A sense of dislocation has been spreading through our societies like a bone cancer throughout the twentieth century. We all feel it: we have become richer, but less connected to one another. Countless studies prove this is more than a hunch, but here’s just one: the average number of close friends a person has has been steadily falling. We are increasingly alone, so we are increasingly addicted. “We’re talking about learning to live with the modern age,” Bruce believes. The modern world has many incredible benefits, but it also brings with it a source of deep stress that is unique: dislocation. “Being atomized and fragmented and all on \[your\] own—that’s no part of human evolution and it’s no part of the evolution of any society,” he told me.””

[Johann Hari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-hari/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Modern prosperity has increased wealth but eroded close social ties, leading to widespread feelings of isolation and stress.

**In simple terms:** Wealth grew, connections shrank, causing loneliness and anxiety.

Key Takeaway

Prioritize genuine relationships over material gains.

Themes

loneliness technology social change mental health community

Mood

reflective concerned

Type

analytical observational

When to use this quote

- urban living
- remote work
- social media use
- mental health counseling

Key Concepts

atomization social fragmentation evolutionary mismatch

Questions to Reflect On

- How can we rebuild community in a digital age?
- What personal habits reduce feelings of atomization?

A Different Perspective

Loneliness can also spur creativity and self‑reflection if managed health.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Become rich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/become-rich/) [Close Friend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/close-friend/) [Close friends](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/close-friends/) [Dislocation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dislocation/) [Human evolution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-evolution/) [Modern age](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/modern-age/) [Modern world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/modern-world/)

## Related quotes

> [“It gave him the same odd sense of dislocation, though; that sense of losing some valuable part of himself that could not survive the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-gabaldon/it-gave-him-the-same-odd-sense-of-dislocation-though-that-sense-of/)

[Diana Gabaldon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-gabaldon/)

> [I feel a little whirl of dislocation -- the trademark sensation of the world being more closely knit together than you expected](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-sloan/i-feel-a-little-whirl-of-dislocation-the-trademark-sensation-of-the/)

[Robin Sloan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-sloan/)

> [My writing, such as it is, grows out of my sense of discolation, I mean, dislocation. Having lost my place, I write to find…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gustavo-perez-firmat/my-writing-such-as-it-is-grows-out-of-my-sense-of-discolation-i-mean/)

[Gustavo Perez Firmat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gustavo-perez-firmat/)

> [The effect to be sought is the dislocation of the opponent's mind and dispositions - such an effect is the true gauge of an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-h-liddell-hart/the-effect-to-be-sought-is-the-dislocation-of-the-opponent-s-mind-and/)

[B. H. Liddell Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-h-liddell-hart/)

> [Legalized drugs would cause dislocations in the US economy - the prison industry for example and tens of billions spent annually on drug enforcement.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bowden/legalized-drugs-would-cause-dislocations-in-the-us-economy-the-prison/)

[Charles Bowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bowden/)

> [Films are big hits when they touch a lot of people. Things are not funny in a vacuum, they're funny because we respond to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-ramis/films-are-big-hits-when-they-touch-a-lot-of-people-things-are-not/)

[Harold Ramis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-ramis/)

> [I think there's going to be a tug of war in this country over who are the real patriots because at a time of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-jones/i-think-there-s-going-to-be-a-tug-of-war-in-this-country-over-who-are/)

[Van Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-jones/)

> [No matter how physically faint, a photograph involuntarily whisper of something exquisitely carnal. The weeks, the years, whatever stretches of time separating our present…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-kozloff/no-matter-how-physically-faint-a-photograph-involuntarily-whisper-of/)

Max Kozloff

> [The problem is, to have prices fall would work fine if we didn't have all these built in rigidities on downward prices, because then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-koch/the-problem-is-to-have-prices-fall-would-work-fine-if-we-didn-t-have/)

[Charles Koch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-koch/)

> [The present age is demented. It is possessed by a sense of dislocation, a loss of personal identity, an alternating sentimentality and rage which,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walker-percy/the-present-age-is-demented-it-is-possessed-by-a-sense-of-dislocation/)

[Walker Percy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walker-percy/)

> [Relentlessly feeding on poverty and economic dislocation, a New World Order was taking shape.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-chossudovsky/relentlessly-feeding-on-poverty-and-economic-dislocation-a-new-world/)

[Michel Chossudovsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-chossudovsky/)

> [Everyone aimed at security: no one accepted responsibility. What was plainly lacking, long before the barbarian invasions had done their work, long before economic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-mumford/everyone-aimed-at-security-no-one-accepted-responsibility-what-was/)

[Lewis Mumford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-mumford/)

> [ \[Heresy is\] the dislocation of a complete and self-supporting scheme by the introduction of a novel denial of some essential part therein. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilaire-belloc/heresy-is-the-dislocation-of-a-complete-and-self-supporting-scheme-by/)

[Hilaire Belloc](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilaire-belloc/)

> [I think raising wages, investing in infrastructure, making sure that people have access to good educations that equip them for the jobs of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-think-raising-wages-investing-in-infrastructure-making-sure-that/)

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

> [For God to be kept out of the classroom or out of America's public debate by nervous school administrators or overcautious politicians serves no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-gibbs/for-god-to-be-kept-out-of-the-classroom-or-out-of-america-s-public/)

[Nancy Gibbs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-gibbs/)

## More by Johann Hari

> [“The Italian philosopher Paolo Virno says we have moved from having a “proletariat”—a solid block of manual workers with jobs—to a “precariat,” a shifting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-hari/the-italian-philosopher-paolo-virno-says-we-have-moved-from-having-a/)

[Johann Hari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-hari/)

> [“It might look discouraging , but at every relapse, you learn something new.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-hari/it-might-look-discouraging-but-at-every-relapse-you-learn-something/)

[Johann Hari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-hari/)

> [“I respect you as a person too much to respect your ridiculous beliefs.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-hari/i-respect-you-as-a-person-too-much-to-respect-your-ridiculous-beliefs/)

[Johann Hari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-hari/)

> [I got my dad a great father's Day present. He called to say: 'Ach. Zis present is so good I now think it vas…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-hari/i-got-my-dad-a-great-father-s-day-present-he-called-to-say-ach-zis/)

[Johann Hari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-hari/)

> [I'm so patriotic, I think every British kid should have a chance to grow up to be our head of state.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-hari/i-m-so-patriotic-i-think-every-british-kid-should-have-a-chance-to/)

[Johann Hari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-hari/)

> [“To the prohibitionists, Hannah is a failure, because she continued using drugs. To the Portland, she was a success, because she knew she was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-hari/to-the-prohibitionists-hannah-is-a-failure-because-she-continued/)

[Johann Hari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-hari/)

> [The climate-change deniers are rapidly ending up with as much intellectual credibility as creationists and Flat Earthers. ...they are nudging close to having the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-hari/the-climate-change-deniers-are-rapidly-ending-up-with-as-much/)

[Johann Hari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-hari/)

> [Your working assumption, when you meet a homophobe, should be that they are gay.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-hari/your-working-assumption-when-you-meet-a-homophobe-should-be-that-they/)

[Johann Hari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-hari/)

> [“Saw a sunken army who had spent fourteen years waging war on alcohol only to see alcohol win, and win big.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-hari/saw-a-sunken-army-who-had-spent-fourteen-years-waging-war-on-alcohol/)

[Johann Hari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-hari/)

> [The US head of state grew up on food stamps. The British head of state grew up on the postage stamps.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-hari/the-us-head-of-state-grew-up-on-food-stamps-the-british-head-of-state/)

[Johann Hari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-hari/)

> [There is an emerging scientific consensus that global warming is making hurricanes more intense and more destructive. It turns out that Katrina fits into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-hari/there-is-an-emerging-scientific-consensus-that-global-warming-is/)

[Johann Hari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-hari/)

> [So the opposite of addiction is not sobriety. It is human connection.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-hari/so-the-opposite-of-addiction-is-not-sobriety-it-is-human-connection/)

[Johann Hari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-hari/)

> [You will get something wrong today, and tomorrow, and every day of your life. So will I, and everybody you know. You don’t have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-hari/you-will-get-something-wrong-today-and-tomorrow-and-every-day-of-your/)

[Johann Hari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-hari/)

> [The bombs held in current nuclear arsenals are seventy times more powerful than the bomb dropped on Nagasaki. If we don't begin opposing the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-hari/the-bombs-held-in-current-nuclear-arsenals-are-seventy-times-more/)

[Johann Hari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-hari/)

> [“So Bruce came to believe, as he put it, that “today’s flood of addiction27 is occurring because our hyperindividualistic, frantic, crisis-ridden society makes most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-hari/so-bruce-came-to-believe-as-he-put-it-that-today-s-flood-of/)

[Johann Hari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-hari/)

[Explore all 30 Johann Hari quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-hari/)

## More Become rich quotes

> [The poor think they will be happy when they become rich. The rich think they will be happy when they are rid of their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-de-mello/the-poor-think-they-will-be-happy-when-they-become-rich-the-rich/)

[Anthony de Mello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-de-mello/)

> [If your only goal is to become rich, you will never achieve it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-rockefeller/if-your-only-goal-is-to-become-rich-you-will-never-achieve-it/)

[John D. Rockefeller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-d-rockefeller/)

> [“A country with secure property rights, scientific inquiry and technological innovation will become richer. But, since division of labour is limited by the size…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-wolf/a-country-with-secure-property-rights-scientific-inquiry-and/)

[Martin Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-wolf/)

> [There are people who want to become rich; they become rich. If you persist you can fulfill any kind of stupidity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/there-are-people-who-want-to-become-rich-they-become-rich-if-you/)

[Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/)

> [You don't do an experimental film to become rich, so the people who are involved are involved because they enjoy the creative aspect of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabella-rossellini/you-don-t-do-an-experimental-film-to-become-rich-so-the-people-who/)

[Isabella Rossellini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabella-rossellini/)

> [“If you care about other people, that's now a very dangerous idea. If you care about other people, you might try to organize to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/if-you-care-about-other-people-that-s-now-a-very-dangerous-idea-if/)

[Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/)

> [To become rich in no time is very easy. The only thing you have to do is to look at those who are poorer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/to-become-rich-in-no-time-is-very-easy-the-only-thing-you-have-to-do/)

[Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/)

> [No man can Become Rich without enriching others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-miller/no-man-can-become-rich-without-enriching-others/)

[Dan Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-miller/)

> [Marrying to increase love is like gaming to become rich; alas, you only lose what little stock you had before.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wycherley/marrying-to-increase-love-is-like-gaming-to-become-rich-alas-you-only/)

[William Wycherley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wycherley/)

> [Doing more and more with less and less is one form of being generous. In fact, the easiest way to become rich is by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kiyosaki/doing-more-and-more-with-less-and-less-is-one-form-of-being-generous/)

[Robert Kiyosaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kiyosaki/)

> [The greatest reward in becoming a millionaire is not the amount of money that you earn. It is the kind of person that you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-rohn/the-greatest-reward-in-becoming-a-millionaire-is-not-the-amount-of/)

[Jim Rohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-rohn/)

> [I think it's weird when you become rich at 40.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-hornby/i-think-it-s-weird-when-you-become-rich-at-40/)

[Nick Hornby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-hornby/)

> [This is an absolute law: You've got to be rich inside to become and remain rich outside. Become rich inside and your mental equivalent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-victor-hansen/this-is-an-absolute-law-you-ve-got-to-be-rich-inside-to-become-and/)

[Mark Victor Hansen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-victor-hansen/)

> [He who wishes to become rich wishes to become so immediately.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juvenal/he-who-wishes-to-become-rich-wishes-to-become-so-immediately/)

[Juvenal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juvenal/)

> [Men become richer not only by increasing their existing wealth but also by decreasing their expenditure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/men-become-richer-not-only-by-increasing-their-existing-wealth-but/)

[Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/)

[Browse all 195 Become rich quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/become-rich/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“A sense of dislocation has been spreading through our societies like a bone cancer throughout the twentieth century. We all feel it: we have become richer, but less connected to one another. Countless studies prove this is more than a hunch, but here’s just one: the average number of close friends a person has has been steadily falling. We are increasingly alone, so we are increasingly addicted. “We’re talking about learning to live with the modern age,” Bruce believes. The modern world has many incredible benefits, but it also brings with it a source of deep stress that is unique: dislocation. “Being atomized and fragmented and all on [your] own—that’s no part of human evolution and it’s no part of the evolution of any society,” he told me.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Johann Hari"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-hari/a-sense-of-dislocation-has-been-spreading-through-our-societies-like/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Become rich"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-hari/a-sense-of-dislocation-has-been-spreading-through-our-societies-like/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e0d/johann-hari-20885_become-rich_a-sense-of-dislocation-has-been-spreadin_2490983.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e0d/johann-hari-20885_become-rich_a-sense-of-dislocation-has-been-spreadin_2490983.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e0d/johann-hari-20885_become-rich_a-sense-of-dislocation-has-been-spreadin_2490983.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“A sense of dislocation has been spreading through our societies like a bone cancer throughout the twentieth…” — Johann Hari",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Johann Hari",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-hari/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“A sense of dislocation has been...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-hari/a-sense-of-dislocation-has-been-spreading-through-our-societies-like/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-hari/a-sense-of-dislocation-has-been-spreading-through-our-societies-like/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
