We're Lonelier Than Ever. Ritual Is the Answer.
From Hello Monday with Jessi Hempel by LinkedIn
May 18, 2026 · 29 min
About this episode
Bruce Feiler discusses the importance of rituals in human life and how they can help us reconnect in today's world.
Rituals work. They help us make meaning, process transition, and connect with each other. That’s why we’ve been doing them for more than 300,000 years. So why, in this century, have we largely abandoned them? This week, bestselling author, repeat Hello Monday guest, and longtime friend Bruce Feiler joins us in the studio to talk about his new book, A Time to Gather: How Ritual Created the World and How It Can Save Us. Bruce traveled to 16 countries on six continents to explore why ritual matters and identify how we can bring it back into our everyday lives. In this episode: Why ritual is the original human algorithm and why we've abandoned it The difference between self-care and group care, and why the latter matters so much The rise of new rituals: cancer-versaries, sober-versaries, infertility ceremonies, and divorce parties Why funerals are disappearing, and what we're losing when they do A live ritual design class: Bruce walks Jessi through building one for her daughter's preschool graduation The three things every ritual needs: a beginning, a middle, and an end From "rites of passage" to "bites of passage": why small, frequent moments of connection matter as much as the big…
People in this episode
Host: Jessi Hempel
Guest: Bruce Feiler
Topics covered
- rituals
- human connection
- self-care
- group care
- cultural practices
- transition
Keywords
- rituals
- human connection
- self-care
- group care
- cultural practices
- transition
- funerals
- ceremonies
- community
Mentioned in this episode
Books & works: A Time to Gather: How Ritual Created the World and How It Can Save Us
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