TED Radio Hour Who counts as a significant other?
9 snips
Dec 26, 2025 
Raina Cohen, a journalist and NPR producer, explores intense platonic friendships and how they often mirror soulmate connections. Stephanie Yates-Anyabwile, a marriage and family therapist, challenges traditional relationship norms and discusses innovative strategies like living apart to strengthen bonds. Bella DePaulo, a social psychologist, advocates for the 'single at heart' lifestyle, emphasizing the fulfillment found in solitude and single life. Together, they delve into rethinking who truly counts as a significant other, from friends to pets.
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Platonic Soulmates Can Be Central
- Raina Cohen describes meeting her soulmate-like friend "M" after moving to D.C. and quickly becoming inseparable without sexual chemistry.
- Their closeness led Cohen to research intense platonic friendships and write The Other Significant Others.
Friendship Once Held Romantic Language
- Historical practices like sworn brotherhood show friendship once occupied roles we now reserve for romance.
- Cohen argues friendship can be central and publicly recognized rather than disposable.
Friends Stepping Into Family Roles
- Cohen shares stories: legally recognized platonic co-parents and friends who cared for dying partners like family.
- She highlights grief after losing a soulmate friend and the lack of societal recognition for that loss.