38 articles
Having a baby doesn't just change your sleep schedule — it quietly dismantles your social world. Here's the science of what happens to your friendships when you become a parent, and a practical playbook for rebuilding community from scratch.
Mika Torres·
Long-term love doesn't fail dramatically — it fades quietly, through relational autopilot. Here's what social science reveals about the three forces that actually keep romantic partnerships alive: energy allocation, conversational drift, and the surprising fine print on gratitude.
Jules Nakamura·
You feel closer to your CrossFit classmates than friends you've known for years. That's not an accident — it's cardiac synchrony, shared suffering, and a self-reinforcing virtuous cycle. Here's the 3-layer framework behind why sweat builds bonds faster than almost anything else.
Ren Castillo·
Getting ghosted feels like a wound because it is one. Here's the 3-step recovery protocol backed by social psychology — for people who want to actually repair the damage instead of just white-knuckling through it.
Ren Castillo·
You think you're listening. The data disagrees. Here's what behavioral research on 17,120 real conversation moments reveals about what active listening actually does — and why the difference between faking it and doing it is a three-part chain reaction.
Jules Nakamura·
The standard loneliness advice is to get out there and meet people. The science has a sneakier suggestion: turn your attention outward and give something away. Here's the surprisingly robust evidence that kindness and volunteering reduce loneliness — in the giver.
Jules Nakamura·
Your brain has been running the same social bonding software for 200,000 years, and it runs on laughter. Here's the evolutionary neuroscience of why shared humor builds connection faster than almost anything else — and how to use it more deliberately.
Jules Nakamura·
Most of us confuse solitude with loneliness — and spend our lives chasing a kind of social life that was never going to nourish us. The science reveals a more honest distinction, and a quieter path forward.
Sage Lindgren·
You've been meaning to have people over for months. Science says stop waiting — sharing a meal is one of the most powerful community-building tools available, and a potluck is the lowest-stakes way to do it.
Mika Torres·
Empathy isn't something you're born with — it's a skill with documented training modalities that actually work. Here's the science-backed framework for getting better at the most important social skill nobody ever taught you.
Ren Castillo·
Your friendship network isn't shrinking because something's wrong with you. It's following a predictable arc — and knowing where you are on it changes everything about how you tend it.
Dani Okafor·
Men aren't losing friends because they're broken — they're losing them because nobody handed them a framework. Here's the four-part playbook for building real male friendship, backed by science and short on vague advice.
Ren Castillo·
You can live ten feet from someone for five years and never actually meet them. Here's the science of what it actually takes to turn proximity into community — and a practical playbook for the person ready to make it happen.
Mika Torres·
We tend to think of warmth toward others as a personality trait — something you either have or you don't. The science says otherwise. Here's what loving-kindness research reveals about the trainable inner orientation that changes how connected you feel.
Sage Lindgren·
Before you send that overdue "thinking of you" message, you run an elaborate internal risk assessment. Here's what the science says about why we hesitate — and how catastrophically we underestimate what our words mean to the people who receive them.
Sage Lindgren·
Long-term couples drift not because love fades, but because a specific feedback loop breaks down. Here's the social science behind what actually sustains romantic intimacy — and three practical moves to rebuild it.
Jules Nakamura·
There's an emotion that shrinks your ego, makes strangers feel like allies, and synchronizes your heartbeat with the person next to you. It's awe — and the science of how it builds human connection is genuinely astonishing.
Jules Nakamura·
Being ghosted stings. But the science says it's usually inertia, not cruelty — and there's a practical protocol for both sides. Here's exactly what to do when a connection goes silent.
Ren Castillo·
Chronic illness doesn't just affect your body — it systematically dismantles your social world. Here's the science behind why that happens, why it's more dangerous than most people realize, and a practical framework for staying connected when your life looks nothing like it used to.
Jules Nakamura·
Fandom gets dismissed as parasocial noise — but the science says something different. Here's what happens in a crowd of people who love the same thing, and why your fellow fan might be the most underrated connection opportunity in your life.
Dani Okafor·
Your rec league isn't just a workout. Here's the science behind why group physical activity is one of the most powerful community-building tools available — and a practical checklist for turning sweat sessions into actual belonging.
Mika Torres·
You could have grabbed takeout alone. Instead, you stayed. Here's why eating together does something to humans that no other shared activity quite replicates — and how to use it deliberately.
Dani Okafor·
Most people invest in friendships and family — and overlook the one developmental relationship research says shapes us most. Here's the science behind mentorship bonds, and five practical moves to build yours.
Jules Nakamura·
You don't need to be funnier. You need to laugh more — and with intention. Here's the evolutionary science behind laughter as a bonding mechanism, plus three practical levers to put it to work.
Ren Castillo·
Your chosen family might matter more than your biological one — and the science agrees. Here's how chosen families actually form, why they work, and how to deliberately build yours.
Jules Nakamura·
Your long-distance friends aren't lost — they're waiting. Here's a practical, science-backed framework for maintaining the friendships that matter most, no matter the miles.
Ren Castillo·
There's a quiet friendship recession among men — and it's well-documented by science. Here's what research reveals about why it happens, and four evidence-backed moves to fix it.
Jules Nakamura·
Everyone's obsessed with their attachment "type" — but the science says those styles are far more changeable than you think. Here's how adult security actually develops, and four evidence-backed pathways to get there.
Jules Nakamura·
Your barista probably liked that conversation more than you think — and the science backs it up. Here's what research on weak ties and the "liking gap" means for your Tuesday morning routine.
Jules Nakamura·
Coffee catch-ups feel safe, but science says they're the wrong format for deepening bonds. Here's why shared activity triggers bonding chemistry — and five simple moves to put it to work.
Jules Nakamura·
You moved, retired, or started over — and your social calendar went blank. Here's a 5-step framework for rebuilding your social world from scratch, backed by science.
Ren Castillo·
You feel it. You just don't say it. Here's what research says about why the appreciation gap exists — and what actually happens to a relationship when you close it.
Sage Lindgren·
The "social media ruins everything" panic isn't well-supported by the science. What matters isn't how much tech you use to connect — it's what kind. Here's the research, plus a 3-step audit to fix your digital social diet.
Ren Castillo·
Feeling disconnected? The most evidence-backed fix isn't another networking event — it's structured volunteering. Here's exactly how to use it as a connection strategy, with the science to back it up.
Ren Castillo·
Why empathy builds social bonds that actually last — and why the key to unlocking it is simpler than you'd expect. Here's the neuroscience, plus three moves you can try tonight.
Jules Nakamura·
Most apologies don't actually repair anything. Here's a 4-step framework rooted in Nonviolent Communication to turn conflict into genuine reconnection — in one conversation.
Ren Castillo·
Your neighborhood is packed with connection infrastructure — parks, clubs, events, and programs. Here's a practical framework for actually plugging in and using it.
Ren Castillo·
Deep adult friendships don't happen by accident. Here's what the research says about why they're so hard to build — and the specific moves that actually make them real.
Dani Okafor·