# Being social scares us. It also makes us happier.

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/it-turns-out-7561721/being-social-scares-us-it-also-makes-us-happier
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/it-turns-out-7561721/being-social-scares-us-it-also-makes-us-happier.md
Podcast: [It Turns Out](https://stenobird.com/podcast/it-turns-out-7561721)
Published: 2026-05-29T18:53:00+00:00
Episode link: https://itturnsoutshow.com/episode/being-social-scares-people-it-also-makes-them-happier
Audio file: https://episodes.captivate.fm/episode/2e8b1afe-0c74-41ec-882e-dfbe2bbcbfc6.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/it-turns-out-7561721/episodes/being-social-scares-us-it-also-makes-us-happier
Duration seconds: 2399

## Resource

What if being more social could change your life? University of Chicago behavioral scientist Nicholas Epley talks with Kara about the surprising bump in happiness we get from being a little more social. Being less lonely also has huge health benefits that often go unrecognized. But, as Epley points out, people routinely overestimate how unpleasant it will be to reach out to others. And they almost always underestimate how enjoyable the discussions will be. Why do we put up these barriers to our own happiness? And how can introverts and extroverts effectively change their behavior? Epley is the author, most recently, of A Little More Social (Knopf). Subscribe to our Substack for Kara's take on each show! Did you know you can also watch the show? Subscribe to the show on YouTube!

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## Transcript

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