About this episode
Sean Illing discusses the paradox of social interaction with psychologist Nicholas Epley, exploring the benefits of connecting with strangers.
Sean talks with University of Chicago psychologist Nicholas Epley about the strange gap between our need to be social and how social we choose to be. They explore why we underestimate how good conversations will feel, why awkwardness looms so large in our minds, and how small acts of connection can make us happier, less lonely, and more open to the people around us. Host: Sean Illing (@seanilling) Guest: Nicholas Epley We would love to hear from you. To tell us what you thought of this episode, email us at thegrayarea@vox.com or leave us a voicemail at 1-800-214-5749. Your comments and questions help us make a better show. And you can watch new episodes of The Gray Area on YouTube. New episodes drop every Monday and Friday.Listen to The Gray Area ad-free by becoming a Vox Member: vox.com/members. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
People in this episode
Host: Sean Illing
Guest: Nicholas Epley
Topics covered
- social interaction
- psychology
- loneliness
- communication
- human connection
Keywords
- social behavior
- conversations
- happiness
- awkwardness
- connection
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: University of Chicago, Vox
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