[powerpress]
Happiness is inextricably tied to friendship.
Yet as we get older, making new friends can feel strangely out of reach. Commitments multiply, and most of us are just trying to get through the day. Slowly, almost without noticing, we drift toward becoming more misanthropic than is healthy.
Meanwhile, AI tools are supplanting human communication, and the systems that shape how we connect are being designed by a select few tech billionaires who are hardly known for their social skills.
And here we are, living more and more of our lives in isolation.
The question is what that isolation actually means. Is what we’re feeling loneliness, or simply aloneness? One is a feeling; the other is how we spend our time.
Adam Grant is an organizational psychologist at Wharton, a bestselling author, and the host of the podcast Re:Thinking. Last time he was on the show, he urged us to argue like we’re right but listen like we’re wrong. This time, he turns to what animates a real connection, and why some people click while others don’t.
His new book, Vibe: The Secrets of Strong Connections in a Lonely World, is a natural extension of his earlier book, Think Again. Where that book explored how we can better understand one another, Vibe asks how we can connect more deeply. His answer: Compatibility is something you construct, something you can build and work on.
Topics include:
- The 75% Rule for Time Alone
- Associates, Allies, Pals & Companions
- C.S. Lewis, Tolkien & the Unreliable First Impression
- Joe Dumars, Rasheed Wallace & Accepting the Person but Not the Behavior
- Frenemies & the Health Cost of Ambivalent Ties
- Fighting Fair & Why Candor Brings People Closer
- The Brené Brown Feud & Solomon’s Paradox
- Voice Notes, Oxytocin & Reconnecting After Years Apart
For those who prefer a visual experience, the conversation is available on YouTube. As always, the audio version streams wild and free on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
Peace + Plants,
Listen, Watch, & Subscribe
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- Connect with Adam: Website | Instagram | Threads | Substack | LinkedIn | X | Facebook
- Podcast: Re: Thinking with Adam Grant
- New Book: Vibe: The Secrets of Strong Connections in a Lonely World
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