In this book, Lydia Denworth delves into the science of friendship, exploring its evolution, biological underpinnings, and psychological significance. She discusses how friendship is reflected in brain waves, detectable in genomes, and crucial for strengthening cardiovascular and immune systems. The book also examines how social connection is vital for physical and emotional well-being, contrasting it with the detrimental effects of loneliness. Denworth weaves together field biology, neuroscience, and contemporary observations to show how friendship is essential across life stages and how it is evolving in the age of social media.
In this episode of Bulletproof Radio, my guest is Lydia Denworth, author of “Friendship: The Evolution, Biology, and Extraordinary Power of Life’s Fundamental Bond.” Our discussion explores how friendship influences the human experience and contributes to our health, especially in this time of social distancing. In fact, friendship is as important as food and fitness.
Throughout human history, family and romantic relationships have gotten all the attention. Friendships weren’t even considered essential. That’s all changing now as scientific study digs into the biological, psychological, and emotional effects of friendship. Scientists can now define and measure it. And they are finding that friendship quality matters much more than quantity–sorry, not sorry, social media.
“The biological part of it is that we now understand that friendship is as important for your health as diet and exercise,” Lydia says.
“And it gets under your skin as scientists say. It really affects your health on all kinds of levels: your immune system, your stress, your cardiovascular system, your mental health and cognitive health,” Lydia says. “And the fact that it does that–that a relationship that exists outside the body entirely can get in and change how your health works–seems to me a sign that this is something that is really critical and that is deserving a far more respect and attention than we tend to give it.”
Lydia is an acclaimed science journalist and contributing editor at Scientific American where she covers the brain and psychology. She’s visited brain imaging labs and baboon troops in Kenya and written about everything from Alzheimer’s to zebrafish. She’s been in a unique position to see the evolving science on friendship in the animal and human world.
“We now understand that there are real evolutionary advantages to being good at making and maintaining friends,” Lydia says.
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