Episode

Why being ‘a little more social’ makes us happier than we expect, with Nicholas Epley, PhD

Podcast
Speaking of Psychology
Published
May 20, 2026
Duration seconds
2396
Processing state
not_requested
Canonical source
https://traffic.megaphone.fm/AMERICANPSYCHOLOGICALASSOCIATION6998977840.mp3?updated=1779114649
Audio
https://traffic.megaphone.fm/AMERICANPSYCHOLOGICALASSOCIATION6998977840.mp3?updated=1779114649
JSON
/v1/public/podcasts/speaking-of-psychology-169410/episodes/why-being-a-little-more-social-makes-us-happier-than-we-expect-with-nicholas-epley-phd
Markdown
/podcast/speaking-of-psychology-169410/why-being-a-little-more-social-makes-us-happier-than-we-expect-with-nicholas-epley-phd.md

Actions

  • POST https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/speaking-of-psychology-169410/episodes/why-being-a-little-more-social-makes-us-happier-than-we-expect-with-nicholas-epley-phd/transcription-requests
    Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode.
  • GET https://stenobird.com/podcast/speaking-of-psychology-169410/why-being-a-little-more-social-makes-us-happier-than-we-expect-with-nicholas-epley-phd.md
    Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource.

Summary

From chatting with a stranger on the train to reaching out to an old friend, everyday social interactions make us happier than we realize. Yet many people avoid these moments because they expect them to feel awkward or uncomfortable. Nicholas Epley, PhD, author of ‘A Little More Social,’ discusses why people consistently underestimate how much they’ll enjoy all kinds of social interactions; the psychology behind small talk and deep conversations; how technology is changing the way we connect; and why even brief moments of connection can improve our happiness, health and well-being. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices