Lately, wherever I go—in public spaces, community settings, even family gatherings—I hear a version of the same sentence: "Everything feels heavy."

As a new year begins, many people are doing what we often do at this time—taking stock, setting intentions, hoping for some sense of reset. And yet, instead of feeling renewed, many describe a quiet form of exhaustion. What I hear is not only fear or sadness, but something more unsettling: uncertainty about whether anything they do still makes a difference.

That sense of heaviness is closely tied to what psychologists call mattering—feeling valued and knowing that what you contribute makes a difference. When this begins to erode, people do not just feel stressed. They begin to feel inconsequential. Slowly, often quietly, they withdraw from community life, from shared concerns, and from the belief that their voice can shape what comes next.

This concern is increasingly reflected in large-scale research. The U.S. Surgeon General has identified loneliness and disconnection as a public-health crisis, linking both to rising depression, anxiety, and early mortality. Extensive studies now show that social isolation is not only emotionally painful—it is physically dangerous. When people feel disconnected and unseen, the impact reaches far beyond mood. It touches identity, health, and one's sense of purpose.

Together, these trends reveal a troubling social pattern: When people feel disconnected and inconsequential, they stop believing the future can improve—or that they have any meaningful role in improving it.

Even in everyday spaces, many people now feel replaceable, overlooked, and unsure whether they are truly missed when they are absent. They show up, but they do not always feel needed. And over time, that quiet sense of invisibility takes a toll.

But if the erosion of mattering can diminish hope, the strengthening of........

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