
Curious Minds at Work
CM 268: David Robson on Overcoming Loneliness
Jun 17, 2024
Award-winning science writer David Robson discusses overcoming loneliness by understanding cognitive biases and building social connections. Topics include shared reality, evolution of social pain neurons, navigating social relationships, self-expansion, gratitude, and human social potential.
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Quick takeaways
- Building strong relationships involves experiencing a shared reality that leads to increased altruism and closeness.
- Loneliness neurons become active when lacking social connections, emphasizing the brain's need for ongoing connection.
Deep dives
Building Stronger Relationships through Shared Reality
Building strong relationships involves experiencing a shared reality where individuals feel the same way about events, occupying a similar stream of consciousness. Research shows that sharing intimate thoughts and feelings, such as laughing at the same jokes or finishing each other's sentences, creates a feeling that minds have merged, leading to increased altruism and closeness in relationships.
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