Social
Matthew D. Lieberman
5 mins
3 key insights
Visual, audio & text
Social explains how our innate drive to build social connections is the primary driver behind our behavior, exploring ways we can use this knowledge to our advantage.
Social
Social
by Matthew D. Lieberman
Overview
Do you ever feel like you are socially clueless? Or do you sometimes feel socially awkward? We all have the power to be social experts. Actually, we all naturally are.
At rest, our brain defaults to what scientists call the 'default network.' It automatically dwells on social interactions and our relationships with other people. Because of this, we spend a remarkable amount of our time every day contemplating human interaction. This time adds up. Even conservative estimates say that by the time you're 10, you've already put in about 10,000 hours of your life being social. According to Malcolm Gladwell's Outliers, which says to be an expert at anything you need to spend 10,000 hours practicing, this would make you a social expert at the age of just 10!
For a long time, people have thought that pain and pleasure drive our behaviors. But new research suggests this might not be the case. In Social: Why Our Brains Are Wired To Connect, psychologist Matthew Lieberman uses the latest research to argue that our need to connect with others is the primary driver behind our behavior.
Favorite quote
It's hard to find meaning in what we do if, at some level, it doesn't help someone else, or make someone happier.
- Matthew D. Lieberman
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