{"podcast":{"title":"Behavioral Grooves Podcast","slug":"behavioral-grooves-podcast-226831","podcast_index_feed_id":226831,"rss_url":"https://behavioralgrooves.podbean.com/feed.xml","website_url":"https://behavioralgrooves.podbean.com","image_url":"https://pbcdn1.podbean.com/imglogo/image-logo/2137480/Behavioral_Grooves_-_Podcast_Final_Sq62qdx.png","author":"Kurt Nelson, PhD and Tim Houlihan","episode_count":500,"summary":"Stories, science and secrets from the world’s brightest thought-leaders. Behavioral Grooves is the podcast that satisfies your curiosity of why we do what we do. Explanations of human behavior that will improve your relationships, your wellbeing, and your organization by helping you find your groove.","last_synced_at":"2026-07-20T12:21:04.977698+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/behavioral-grooves-podcast-226831"},"episode":{"title":"Why We’re Lonely Together | Nick Epley","slug":"why-we-re-lonely-together-nick-epley","published_at":"2026-05-18T06:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/behavioral-grooves-podcast-226831/why-we-re-lonely-together-nick-epley","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/behavioral-grooves-podcast-226831","url":"https://behavioralgrooves.podbean.com/e/why-we-re-lonely-together-nick-epley/","audio_url":"https://mcdn.podbean.com/mf/web/uz7t7wg9wve943ab/BG_Nick_Eply_080526_AUDIOba5ri.mp3","summary":"Why do we avoid talking to strangers when connection is exactly what we need most? This week, Nick Epley returns to explore the psychology of “under-sociality” and why we consistently underestimate how rewarding social interaction can be. Nick explains why even small moments of openness, from conversations with strangers to deeper honesty with the people around us, can dramatically improve happiness, trust, and belonging. Turns out, the biggest social risk often isn’t reaching out, it’s staying quiet. Topics [0:00] Intro and Speed Round with Nick Epley [10:40] The Paradox of Being Social [19:12] Experiments and Findings [26:20] How Being Social Impacts Your Health [32:27] The Challenges of Being Social - Political Divides [46:00] Introverts, Extroverts, and What Maslow Got Wrong [54:30] Loneliness, Survival, and the Need to Belong [1:02:18] Grief, Adoption, and the Power of Connection [1:12:56] Desert Island Music [1:15:42] Grooving Session: Leadership, Conversation, and Connection ©2026 Behavioral Grooves Links About Nick A Little More Social by Nick Epley Join us on Substack! Join the Behavioral Grooves community Subscribe to Behavioral Grooves on YouTube Support Behavioral Grooves Musical Links Matt Kearney - Ships in the Night Rufus Wainwright - Across the Universe (Cover)","meta_description":"Why do we avoid talking to strangers when connection is exactly what we need most? This week, Nick Epley returns to explore the psychology of “under-socia…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":5782,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/behavioral-grooves-podcast-226831/episodes/why-we-re-lonely-together-nick-epley/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/behavioral-grooves-podcast-226831/why-we-re-lonely-together-nick-epley.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}