Why We Avoid Conversations That Would Make Us Happier

Why We Avoid Conversations That Would Make Us Happier

From A Slight Change of Plans by Pushkin Industries

May 12, 2026 · 46 min · Season 1 · Episode 124

About this episode

Nick Epley discusses the misconceptions around social interactions and how to foster positive connections.

We often avoid social interactions out of fear that others don’t want to engage with us. But social psychologist Nick Epley says that fear is misplaced. Today, Nick joins Maya to talk about why we’re missing out on positive connections that could enrich our lives, and how we can fix this.  Check out Nick’s new book, “A Little More Social.”   If you enjoyed our conversation with Nick, check out our episode with Vanessa Bohns, “You Have More Influence Than You Think.” See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

People in this episode

Host: Maya

Guest: Nick Epley

Topics covered

  • social interactions
  • psychology
  • positive connections
  • fear of engagement
  • self-improvement

Keywords

  • social psychology
  • fear of rejection
  • communication
  • relationships
  • happiness

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Pushkin Industries

Books & works: A Little More Social, You Have More Influence Than You Think

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