Episode description

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Charles Duhigg highlights research showing social connections, not prestige or wealth, most determine happiness and longevity, with double the close friends equating to 20 more years; he argues combating isolation begins with conversation skills, which historically were taught but now are overlooked, causing uncertainty. Duhigg defines "supercommunicators" as those who make us feel heard and valued, a learnable skill not innate charisma, just as babies babble to master language; by demystifying emotional intelligence as a set of competencies like reading, we can reshape our culture to raise kids purposefully developing this "emotional vocabulary". Though digital life enables detachment unlike ever before, we know integration with people truly enriches existence; prioritizing these tools could help reverse trends of loneliness and depression strangling society.

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