Connected with Jen and Shannon Why Do We Crave Connection with John Vervaeke
21 snips
Nov 10, 2025 
Join award-winning professor John Vervaeke as he explores the 'Meaning Crisis' and our inherent need for connection. Discover how modern society's alienation calls for practices that restore belonging and perspective. John critiques the notion of personal meaning, emphasizing its necessity to be shareable and developmental. Delve into the relationship between truth, community trust, and the role of mindfulness in fostering wisdom. With insights on cultivating collective virtues, this conversation reveals pathways to deeper connection and understanding.
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Meaning As Sensed Connectedness
- Meaning is a sensed presence of connectedness beyond mere propositions.
- It depends on agency, narrative selfhood, and personhood belonging to a community.
Three Levels Of Meaning Needs
- Human needs for meaning operate at three nested levels: agency, self, and personhood.
- Each level requires different forms of connection and skill to avoid trauma and alienation.
Meaning Isn't A Personal Preference
- Modern culture misframes meaning as a private preference tied to self-esteem.
- True meaning is shareable, mutually correctable, and developmental, not a possession.