Naples: The Happiest City

The most striking part of this place aside from the stunning architecture, the outrageously good food, classic music, art....is the powerful social connection.

Studies show Naples is one of the happiest cities. There are few tourists so you really get immersed in the authentic local vibes. I can see how joy reigns here.

Nearly all of Vincenzo’s family live in the same building.

His siblings with their kids, make dinners together, share one laundry machine at Mama Mininos central headquarters apt. Where she in her 80s has nearly constant visits and calls from grandchildren, neighbors, friends, and other family.

The apartments are small-two children will share a bunk and there’s no escape from parents like in our sprawling U.S. households.

Teenagers seem so well-adjusted and connected to their parents.

I’ve come to the conclusion that we cross a line where wealth gets us the bigger house etc and inversely constricts our connections to each other as a family, and ultimately, a nation, a world.

We are a culture founded on independence and self-reliance. Breaking away, increasingly breaking apart.

And I think we’ve got it wrong in social ways that harm our health - depleting the quality and quantity of our daily interactions.

We become avoidants.

We get lonely and it takes an imperceptible toll on our mental health leading to depression, anxiety, drug and alcohol abuse, at worst suicide, and at best, a blah feeling as we live our lives alone, even in a crowd.

It’s why I made my course - to get people out - to reconnect with ourselves and others in a more authentic way that revives our buried selves and makes us happy again.

Like before the years of masks and etiquette and isolation distorted who we are.

You can learn more about blocks to intimacy here: My next Intimacy Support Group starts this Wednesday April 10th: https://www.intimacities.com/in-person-intimacy-course