1 00:00:15,476 --> 00:00:15,916 Speaker 1: Pushkin. 2 00:00:22,916 --> 00:00:25,316 Speaker 2: I'm an only child, and my mother grew up with 3 00:00:25,676 --> 00:00:28,876 Speaker 2: four or five siblings, and so I remember from a 4 00:00:29,156 --> 00:00:31,276 Speaker 2: very young age my mother would always tell me that 5 00:00:31,556 --> 00:00:32,876 Speaker 2: your friends will be your family. 6 00:00:33,356 --> 00:00:35,036 Speaker 1: Meet Catherine, who she was. 7 00:00:35,076 --> 00:00:37,756 Speaker 2: Very worried about me growing up as an only child 8 00:00:37,796 --> 00:00:40,236 Speaker 2: and not having that sort of built in friendship that 9 00:00:40,316 --> 00:00:41,236 Speaker 2: she had growing up. 10 00:00:41,596 --> 00:00:44,596 Speaker 1: But Catherine's mom didn't need to be worried because Catherine 11 00:00:44,596 --> 00:00:46,996 Speaker 1: had a knack for connecting with others, and when she 12 00:00:47,036 --> 00:00:49,596 Speaker 1: started college, Catherine quickly got to know many of her 13 00:00:49,596 --> 00:00:50,636 Speaker 1: fellow students, like. 14 00:00:50,596 --> 00:00:51,756 Speaker 2: It was one of those things where you ran into 15 00:00:51,796 --> 00:00:53,876 Speaker 2: people all the time just by virtue of being on 16 00:00:53,876 --> 00:00:55,436 Speaker 2: campus and walking on the same places. 17 00:00:55,756 --> 00:00:57,876 Speaker 1: So when Catherine moved to DC to start her first 18 00:00:57,916 --> 00:01:01,396 Speaker 1: job after college, working for The Atlantic magazine, she assumed 19 00:01:01,436 --> 00:01:02,996 Speaker 1: it would be just as easy to make friends in 20 00:01:03,036 --> 00:01:06,396 Speaker 1: the office as it had been on campus. But it wasn't. 21 00:01:06,876 --> 00:01:10,596 Speaker 2: I felt really disillusioned with young adult life. I kind 22 00:01:10,636 --> 00:01:13,436 Speaker 2: of felt like I had been tricked that young adult 23 00:01:13,436 --> 00:01:15,836 Speaker 2: life was promised, and like pop culture and all these 24 00:01:15,876 --> 00:01:19,156 Speaker 2: TV shows as this wonderful thing. You're like finding yourself. 25 00:01:19,156 --> 00:01:21,676 Speaker 2: You're in this new city, you're starting to forge your path, 26 00:01:21,756 --> 00:01:23,796 Speaker 2: and I just felt really disappointed. 27 00:01:24,596 --> 00:01:27,556 Speaker 1: Catherine was experiencing a feeling she hadn't known in college. 28 00:01:28,036 --> 00:01:31,156 Speaker 1: She was feeling kind of lonely, and she wasn't alone. 29 00:01:31,756 --> 00:01:34,196 Speaker 1: As she spoke with friends in other cities, she learned 30 00:01:34,196 --> 00:01:36,556 Speaker 1: that many of them were in the same boat. They 31 00:01:36,556 --> 00:01:39,116 Speaker 1: two just weren't meeting people they felt close to in 32 00:01:39,156 --> 00:01:42,516 Speaker 1: their new jobs. Catherine wanted to figure out what was wrong. 33 00:01:43,076 --> 00:01:45,756 Speaker 1: Why wasn't she able to connect with new people, what 34 00:01:45,876 --> 00:01:49,116 Speaker 1: had changed. In the end, she decided the problem wasn't 35 00:01:49,116 --> 00:01:52,156 Speaker 1: with her or with moving to a new place. The problem, 36 00:01:52,196 --> 00:01:53,836 Speaker 1: Catherine decided, was work. 37 00:01:54,276 --> 00:01:58,116 Speaker 2: The work environment is one where you don't have control 38 00:01:58,196 --> 00:02:00,956 Speaker 2: over a lot of factors and is already a place 39 00:02:01,036 --> 00:02:01,996 Speaker 2: of a lot of stress. 40 00:02:02,356 --> 00:02:04,516 Speaker 1: Catherine began to see her time in the office not 41 00:02:04,556 --> 00:02:07,596 Speaker 1: as an opportunity to connect with like minded colleagues, but 42 00:02:07,636 --> 00:02:10,756 Speaker 1: as an opportunity cost. Being at work sucked up the 43 00:02:10,796 --> 00:02:13,516 Speaker 1: time she could be spending finding non work friendships. 44 00:02:13,716 --> 00:02:15,796 Speaker 2: I think we all have this urge to have something 45 00:02:15,876 --> 00:02:19,636 Speaker 2: more than just R nine to five. It's almost as 46 00:02:19,676 --> 00:02:22,236 Speaker 2: if I had to carve out time to live life. 47 00:02:22,356 --> 00:02:25,756 Speaker 1: Catherine became so disillusioned with the possibility of making connections 48 00:02:25,756 --> 00:02:29,236 Speaker 1: at work that she shared her experience publicly. She wrote 49 00:02:29,236 --> 00:02:32,076 Speaker 1: an article which ran in The Boston Globe entitled my 50 00:02:32,236 --> 00:02:35,236 Speaker 1: generation isn't looking to make friends at work and It's 51 00:02:35,276 --> 00:02:38,996 Speaker 1: better this way. Catherine argued that gen Z saw the 52 00:02:39,036 --> 00:02:43,036 Speaker 1: workplace primarily as a source of income, not companionship, and 53 00:02:43,116 --> 00:02:45,556 Speaker 1: her article maintained that it was healthier not to make 54 00:02:45,556 --> 00:02:48,396 Speaker 1: friends there anyway, since a boss who was also a 55 00:02:48,436 --> 00:02:50,876 Speaker 1: friend might guilt you into doing more work than you're 56 00:02:50,876 --> 00:02:54,236 Speaker 1: paid to do. The article painted a gloomy picture of 57 00:02:54,276 --> 00:02:58,596 Speaker 1: the modern workplace, one that really resonated with readers. The 58 00:02:58,636 --> 00:03:01,356 Speaker 1: op ed went viral. It became one of the Globe's 59 00:03:01,356 --> 00:03:04,716 Speaker 1: most read articles of that entire year, and the comments 60 00:03:04,716 --> 00:03:08,556 Speaker 1: section that followed exploded. Many readers left long accounts of 61 00:03:08,596 --> 00:03:13,196 Speaker 1: work frendships that felt unsatisfying, hollow, and even exploitive. Other 62 00:03:13,276 --> 00:03:16,996 Speaker 1: comments were more succinct. One reader responded to Catherine's attack 63 00:03:17,036 --> 00:03:22,636 Speaker 1: on work friendships with a single word, BINGO. I'm guessing 64 00:03:22,636 --> 00:03:24,556 Speaker 1: that at least some of you listening right now also 65 00:03:24,636 --> 00:03:28,036 Speaker 1: agree with Catherine that friendship and work don't really mix. 66 00:03:28,676 --> 00:03:30,636 Speaker 1: You might share the view that making friends at work 67 00:03:30,676 --> 00:03:33,076 Speaker 1: will be hard or awkward, or that it'll lead to 68 00:03:33,116 --> 00:03:36,756 Speaker 1: problems like favoritism or drama. You might tell yourself that 69 00:03:36,796 --> 00:03:39,716 Speaker 1: work is about being productive and getting paid, and that 70 00:03:39,796 --> 00:03:44,276 Speaker 1: time spent socializing is just an unprofessional distraction. But what 71 00:03:44,316 --> 00:03:46,916 Speaker 1: does the science say? Could we be missing out on 72 00:03:46,956 --> 00:03:50,356 Speaker 1: an important path to friendship and happiness, one that's available 73 00:03:50,436 --> 00:03:56,596 Speaker 1: at the very same time we're earning our paychecks. Our 74 00:03:56,636 --> 00:03:59,036 Speaker 1: minds are constantly telling us what's due to be happy. 75 00:03:59,476 --> 00:04:01,556 Speaker 1: But what if our minds are wrong? What if our 76 00:04:01,596 --> 00:04:04,036 Speaker 1: minds are lying to us, leading us away from what 77 00:04:04,036 --> 00:04:06,916 Speaker 1: will really make us happy. The good news is that 78 00:04:07,036 --> 00:04:09,236 Speaker 1: understanding the science of the mind can point us all 79 00:04:09,556 --> 00:04:12,836 Speaker 1: in the right direction. You're listening to the Happiness Lab 80 00:04:12,956 --> 00:04:23,396 Speaker 1: with doctor Laurie Santos. I came across Catherine's viral article 81 00:04:23,516 --> 00:04:26,076 Speaker 1: when we were planning this special season on Connecting Better, 82 00:04:26,716 --> 00:04:29,516 Speaker 1: But that wasn't the first time I'd encountered Catherine or 83 00:04:29,556 --> 00:04:31,796 Speaker 1: her work. I looked back and realized that we did 84 00:04:31,836 --> 00:04:33,796 Speaker 1: have a correspondence when you took the class. 85 00:04:34,036 --> 00:04:36,396 Speaker 2: Yeah, wow, I do remember emailing you. 86 00:04:36,476 --> 00:04:39,396 Speaker 1: Actually, you see, Catherine is one of my Yale students. 87 00:04:39,836 --> 00:04:43,036 Speaker 1: She graduated back in twenty twenty one and like thousands 88 00:04:43,036 --> 00:04:45,796 Speaker 1: of her classmates, she chose to enroll in my famous 89 00:04:45,836 --> 00:04:47,996 Speaker 1: happiness class. So we don't have a word for the 90 00:04:47,996 --> 00:04:51,916 Speaker 1: opposite of loneliness, not feeling loneliness, But if we had one, 91 00:04:52,156 --> 00:04:54,076 Speaker 1: that's what I would want in life. I would want 92 00:04:54,076 --> 00:04:55,916 Speaker 1: to feel the opposite of lonely. A class, mind you, 93 00:04:55,996 --> 00:04:58,836 Speaker 1: that spent weeks and weeks talking about the happiness benefits 94 00:04:58,876 --> 00:05:01,636 Speaker 1: of social connection, I would charge you to find any 95 00:05:01,796 --> 00:05:05,836 Speaker 1: study in the history of psychology says shows that social connection. 96 00:05:05,596 --> 00:05:06,716 Speaker 3: Doesn't make you happier. 97 00:05:07,156 --> 00:05:10,156 Speaker 1: That's how profound these effects are. And that's why Catherine's 98 00:05:10,196 --> 00:05:13,436 Speaker 1: article affected me so deeply. Here was this hit article 99 00:05:13,596 --> 00:05:16,716 Speaker 1: that totally rejected the benefits of connection at work, and 100 00:05:16,796 --> 00:05:20,076 Speaker 1: it was written by somebody who had taken my happiness class. 101 00:05:20,996 --> 00:05:24,476 Speaker 1: Shouldn't my student have known better? Had Catherine totally missed 102 00:05:24,516 --> 00:05:27,916 Speaker 1: everything I taught her? I asked Catherine what she remembered 103 00:05:27,916 --> 00:05:31,076 Speaker 1: from the course. She quickly launched into a cherished memory 104 00:05:31,076 --> 00:05:34,196 Speaker 1: from class, a homework assignment in which I gave students 105 00:05:34,236 --> 00:05:36,916 Speaker 1: the opportunity to try out happier ways of spending their 106 00:05:36,956 --> 00:05:37,436 Speaker 1: free time. 107 00:05:37,796 --> 00:05:39,756 Speaker 2: You suspended class that day, and you were like, go 108 00:05:39,836 --> 00:05:42,636 Speaker 2: do something joyful. That makes you very happy. And it 109 00:05:42,676 --> 00:05:44,516 Speaker 2: was my friend Olivia who took the class, and it's 110 00:05:44,516 --> 00:05:47,036 Speaker 2: still one of my best friends. And she's like very outdoorsy, 111 00:05:47,036 --> 00:05:48,596 Speaker 2: and so she was like, we should go to East Rock. 112 00:05:49,076 --> 00:05:51,076 Speaker 1: East Rock is a state park a few miles from 113 00:05:51,156 --> 00:05:54,116 Speaker 1: Yale's campus. It's one of my absolute favorite spots. 114 00:05:54,356 --> 00:05:58,236 Speaker 2: We climbed it. It was beautiful and I still actually 115 00:05:58,276 --> 00:06:00,396 Speaker 2: have this photo that I took of her where she's 116 00:06:00,556 --> 00:06:03,396 Speaker 2: just kind of looking off into the distance. And then 117 00:06:03,436 --> 00:06:07,036 Speaker 2: afterwards we went to the East Rock Coffee shop and 118 00:06:07,036 --> 00:06:09,596 Speaker 2: we got a little coffee, we met up with some friends, 119 00:06:09,756 --> 00:06:13,556 Speaker 2: and it was one of those beautiful college days that 120 00:06:13,636 --> 00:06:14,596 Speaker 2: you don't really forget. 121 00:06:14,996 --> 00:06:17,556 Speaker 1: I listened to this sweet story feeling a little baffled 122 00:06:18,116 --> 00:06:21,236 Speaker 1: because Catherine had clearly recognized the value of connection while 123 00:06:21,276 --> 00:06:24,276 Speaker 1: she was in college, and not just on the unforgettable 124 00:06:24,316 --> 00:06:26,436 Speaker 1: day that she climbed to East Rock with her best friend. 125 00:06:26,956 --> 00:06:29,076 Speaker 2: I think Yale does a very good job when you 126 00:06:29,196 --> 00:06:32,836 Speaker 2: enter the college environment, of putting you in situations with 127 00:06:32,876 --> 00:06:36,636 Speaker 2: people you may not have naturally drifted towards. And I 128 00:06:36,796 --> 00:06:40,036 Speaker 2: feel like that helped me access parts of myself that 129 00:06:40,076 --> 00:06:43,196 Speaker 2: I didn't even realize existed, and I think that's a 130 00:06:43,196 --> 00:06:44,076 Speaker 2: really beautiful thing. 131 00:06:44,796 --> 00:06:47,756 Speaker 1: So what was behind Catherine's change of heart? Why was 132 00:06:47,796 --> 00:06:51,356 Speaker 1: she so down on the possibility of work friendships well 133 00:06:51,476 --> 00:06:54,676 Speaker 1: for starters. Catherine began her new job during the pandemic. 134 00:06:55,236 --> 00:06:58,796 Speaker 1: Like many recent college graduates, her introduction to work began 135 00:06:58,836 --> 00:06:59,636 Speaker 1: on a zoom screen. 136 00:06:59,756 --> 00:07:05,196 Speaker 2: It definitely amplified my feelings of disconnection at the time, But. 137 00:07:05,236 --> 00:07:09,076 Speaker 1: Rather than blaming remote working, Catherine began appreciating it's benefit, 138 00:07:09,956 --> 00:07:12,116 Speaker 1: like not having to worry about dressing up for work 139 00:07:12,516 --> 00:07:14,916 Speaker 1: or acting a certain way all day every day. 140 00:07:15,356 --> 00:07:18,956 Speaker 2: My physical body cannot be seen, my expressions can't really 141 00:07:18,956 --> 00:07:21,076 Speaker 2: be seen except for on zoom for maybe like thirty minutes. 142 00:07:21,076 --> 00:07:23,076 Speaker 2: It is really just based on the quality of my work. 143 00:07:23,276 --> 00:07:26,476 Speaker 1: Remote work also shifted Catherine's views about weaving together her 144 00:07:26,556 --> 00:07:29,556 Speaker 1: job and social life. When your work takes place in 145 00:07:29,636 --> 00:07:32,916 Speaker 1: literally the same physical space as your personal life, namely 146 00:07:32,996 --> 00:07:36,116 Speaker 1: your home, Catherine says, it's even more important to keep 147 00:07:36,156 --> 00:07:37,236 Speaker 1: the two realms separate. 148 00:07:37,516 --> 00:07:39,556 Speaker 2: It is a huge portion of our lives. Like sometimes 149 00:07:39,556 --> 00:07:41,236 Speaker 2: when I step back and like, it's shocking that this 150 00:07:41,396 --> 00:07:44,316 Speaker 2: is the norm of how we do the balance when 151 00:07:44,316 --> 00:07:45,676 Speaker 2: we work in life. I would actually say, it's not 152 00:07:45,716 --> 00:07:48,636 Speaker 2: a balance. It is very much teetered in one direction. 153 00:07:49,036 --> 00:07:52,996 Speaker 2: And so those boundaries become even more important because work 154 00:07:52,996 --> 00:07:55,116 Speaker 2: has already encroached upon life. 155 00:07:55,396 --> 00:07:58,236 Speaker 1: Catherine worries that the expectation to socialize at work can 156 00:07:58,276 --> 00:07:59,636 Speaker 1: further threaten those boundaries. 157 00:08:00,156 --> 00:08:04,316 Speaker 2: I definitely have friends who work at workplaces where they 158 00:08:04,356 --> 00:08:06,716 Speaker 2: tend to like ask you to go out to dinner 159 00:08:06,756 --> 00:08:09,236 Speaker 2: with the company after and then they go to drink, 160 00:08:09,316 --> 00:08:11,036 Speaker 2: and then they also want to see you on the 161 00:08:11,076 --> 00:08:15,356 Speaker 2: weekend for another event that is like kind of you know, optional, 162 00:08:15,436 --> 00:08:18,596 Speaker 2: but also really mandatory. And I think it gets into 163 00:08:18,596 --> 00:08:23,236 Speaker 2: this fuzzy space where like socializing becomes part of your 164 00:08:23,396 --> 00:08:26,556 Speaker 2: job and is tied to your job performance in a 165 00:08:26,596 --> 00:08:29,116 Speaker 2: way that is icky. And I do feel like gen 166 00:08:29,196 --> 00:08:31,356 Speaker 2: Z does not enjoy as much. 167 00:08:31,796 --> 00:08:34,356 Speaker 1: And if the reaction to Catherine's article is any indication, 168 00:08:34,876 --> 00:08:37,716 Speaker 1: some boomers and gen xers share this gen Z aversion, 169 00:08:38,356 --> 00:08:41,636 Speaker 1: older readers left comments like you work with your colleagues, 170 00:08:41,676 --> 00:08:45,316 Speaker 1: but you hang with your friends. One person was even blunter, 171 00:08:46,156 --> 00:08:48,036 Speaker 1: just let me do my job and leave me the 172 00:08:48,076 --> 00:08:48,756 Speaker 1: heck alone. 173 00:08:49,076 --> 00:08:51,196 Speaker 2: You know, it's actually easier now because I don't have 174 00:08:51,316 --> 00:08:54,116 Speaker 2: to do the schmoozing. I don't have to do the networking. 175 00:08:54,196 --> 00:08:56,796 Speaker 2: I can just be judged on the quality of my work, 176 00:08:56,796 --> 00:08:58,116 Speaker 2: and that is very refreshing. 177 00:08:58,876 --> 00:09:01,916 Speaker 1: Catherine doesn't claim to speak for her entire generation, but 178 00:09:01,996 --> 00:09:05,116 Speaker 1: she does think that gen Z's resistance to work socializing 179 00:09:05,356 --> 00:09:07,876 Speaker 1: is part of a broader shift in attitudes towards labor 180 00:09:07,996 --> 00:09:08,716 Speaker 1: and happiness. 181 00:09:09,276 --> 00:09:11,716 Speaker 2: Gen Z like work is important, and if they can 182 00:09:11,756 --> 00:09:15,476 Speaker 2: excel in it, it's great, but it does not affect 183 00:09:15,916 --> 00:09:19,556 Speaker 2: how highly they think of themselves in the same way 184 00:09:19,596 --> 00:09:22,396 Speaker 2: that maybe it does for other generations. It is an 185 00:09:22,396 --> 00:09:25,796 Speaker 2: important part of their lives, but it is still just a. 186 00:09:25,836 --> 00:09:27,356 Speaker 1: Part of their lives. 187 00:09:27,836 --> 00:09:31,436 Speaker 2: And I think that this younger generation also tends to 188 00:09:31,516 --> 00:09:35,276 Speaker 2: see the skeleton of what is really happening in a 189 00:09:35,316 --> 00:09:39,156 Speaker 2: workplace much more clearly. So, like, yes, your job does 190 00:09:39,276 --> 00:09:42,596 Speaker 2: give you a lot of belonging and identity and all 191 00:09:42,596 --> 00:09:44,596 Speaker 2: of these things, but at the end of the day, 192 00:09:44,756 --> 00:09:48,116 Speaker 2: it is still a job where someone pays you money 193 00:09:48,636 --> 00:09:52,116 Speaker 2: to come and perform a service, and if you don't 194 00:09:52,156 --> 00:09:55,236 Speaker 2: perform that service well enough, then they might decide that 195 00:09:55,236 --> 00:09:58,796 Speaker 2: they're not interested in paying you anymore or having you 196 00:09:58,836 --> 00:10:02,036 Speaker 2: at that company. It is still a financial transaction fundamentally. 197 00:10:02,236 --> 00:10:04,436 Speaker 2: If it can more than that, that's fantastic. But I 198 00:10:04,476 --> 00:10:07,716 Speaker 2: think that gen Z tends to not be able to 199 00:10:07,836 --> 00:10:09,636 Speaker 2: and doesn't want to ignore the f fact that it 200 00:10:09,716 --> 00:10:12,956 Speaker 2: is still a transaction in some form. 201 00:10:13,556 --> 00:10:16,476 Speaker 1: This might make gen Z sound a little mercenary, but 202 00:10:16,596 --> 00:10:19,196 Speaker 1: Catherine says there are pressing reasons her peers put this 203 00:10:19,236 --> 00:10:21,396 Speaker 1: transactional nature of work front and center. 204 00:10:21,676 --> 00:10:24,756 Speaker 2: I watched two thousand and eight happen when I was 205 00:10:25,036 --> 00:10:27,876 Speaker 2: pretty young, and I wasn't old enough to understand it, 206 00:10:27,916 --> 00:10:29,436 Speaker 2: but it was one of those things that I did 207 00:10:29,596 --> 00:10:33,196 Speaker 2: actually remember, and was in my psyche from a young age, 208 00:10:33,796 --> 00:10:36,796 Speaker 2: and then graduating in a pandemic and thinking that a 209 00:10:36,916 --> 00:10:38,796 Speaker 2: recession was going to happen, and we're still in a 210 00:10:38,876 --> 00:10:42,036 Speaker 2: very shaky place. I think that the economic history of 211 00:10:42,036 --> 00:10:46,756 Speaker 2: the last few decades has necessitated a generation that does 212 00:10:47,036 --> 00:10:51,676 Speaker 2: place the financial rewards of their labor a little more 213 00:10:51,716 --> 00:10:53,596 Speaker 2: first and foremost than some other things. 214 00:10:54,196 --> 00:10:57,156 Speaker 1: Fair and reliable paychecks in a time of economic flex 215 00:10:57,596 --> 00:11:00,956 Speaker 1: a healthy work life balance, having control over your working 216 00:11:01,036 --> 00:11:05,236 Speaker 1: environment and how your performance is evaluated. Catherine thinks these 217 00:11:05,276 --> 00:11:08,196 Speaker 1: things matter for happiness at work way way more than 218 00:11:08,236 --> 00:11:11,436 Speaker 1: having friends in the offe this, But is Catherine Wright, 219 00:11:11,876 --> 00:11:14,476 Speaker 1: what does the science say really matters for happiness on 220 00:11:14,516 --> 00:11:18,316 Speaker 1: the job and beyond. We'll get some surprising answers when 221 00:11:18,316 --> 00:11:20,516 Speaker 1: the Happiness Lab returns after the break. 222 00:11:28,236 --> 00:11:31,436 Speaker 4: You know all of us have stressors happening to us 223 00:11:31,436 --> 00:11:32,676 Speaker 4: often every day. 224 00:11:32,636 --> 00:11:34,796 Speaker 1: Right, this is Robert Waldinger, not a. 225 00:11:34,836 --> 00:11:38,316 Speaker 4: Problem as long as the body goes back to equilibrium 226 00:11:38,396 --> 00:11:42,236 Speaker 4: when the stress is removed. And what we think relationships 227 00:11:42,356 --> 00:11:45,676 Speaker 4: do so well for us is their stress regulators. Like 228 00:11:45,716 --> 00:11:50,116 Speaker 4: if something upsetting happens to me during the day, I 229 00:11:50,156 --> 00:11:52,756 Speaker 4: can go home and talk to my wife, or I 230 00:11:52,756 --> 00:11:55,796 Speaker 4: could call a friend and I can literally feel my 231 00:11:55,876 --> 00:11:56,956 Speaker 4: body calm down. 232 00:11:57,916 --> 00:12:00,996 Speaker 1: Robert is an expert on how relationships affect our physical health. 233 00:12:01,276 --> 00:12:04,196 Speaker 4: What we think happens is that people who are lonely 234 00:12:04,876 --> 00:12:08,436 Speaker 4: don't have those people to help them manage stress, that 235 00:12:08,516 --> 00:12:11,996 Speaker 4: they stay in a low level fight or flight mode, 236 00:12:12,116 --> 00:12:15,916 Speaker 4: you know, higher levels of stress hormones, higher levels of inflammation. 237 00:12:16,396 --> 00:12:18,276 Speaker 1: If you think this sounds like it'd be very bad 238 00:12:18,316 --> 00:12:22,036 Speaker 1: for your body, you'd be right. Regular Happiness Lab listeners 239 00:12:22,076 --> 00:12:25,676 Speaker 1: may remember that Robert directs the Harvard Study of Adult Development, 240 00:12:25,916 --> 00:12:28,036 Speaker 1: an epic project that followed a group of men for 241 00:12:28,116 --> 00:12:30,796 Speaker 1: decades to see what keeps people happy and healthy as 242 00:12:30,796 --> 00:12:32,716 Speaker 1: they go through life and reach old age. 243 00:12:33,036 --> 00:12:37,596 Speaker 4: The big surprise was that the people who had the 244 00:12:37,716 --> 00:12:41,516 Speaker 4: warmest connections with other people were the people who stayed 245 00:12:41,556 --> 00:12:42,716 Speaker 4: healthy longer. 246 00:12:43,356 --> 00:12:46,596 Speaker 1: So friendships don't just make you happier, they also help 247 00:12:46,676 --> 00:12:50,196 Speaker 1: protect you from stress related illnesses. Robert found that people 248 00:12:50,236 --> 00:12:53,956 Speaker 1: with super stressful jobs and tough life circumstances stayed healthier 249 00:12:53,996 --> 00:12:57,196 Speaker 1: through those challenges so long as they had enough social connections. 250 00:12:57,636 --> 00:13:02,596 Speaker 4: Friendships are stress regulators. People who had better relationships were 251 00:13:02,676 --> 00:13:06,876 Speaker 4: less likely to get heart disease or type two diabetes 252 00:13:06,996 --> 00:13:07,836 Speaker 4: or arthritis. 253 00:13:08,196 --> 00:13:10,316 Speaker 1: But just like Catherine, who some of the men in 254 00:13:10,396 --> 00:13:13,316 Speaker 1: Robert's study found themselves surrounded by friends at one stage 255 00:13:13,316 --> 00:13:16,156 Speaker 1: in life, but then suddenly struggling for companionship. 256 00:13:16,316 --> 00:13:18,836 Speaker 4: And one of the things we saw in our study 257 00:13:19,076 --> 00:13:21,836 Speaker 4: was that people who were in their twenties and had 258 00:13:21,876 --> 00:13:25,076 Speaker 4: lots of friends would find that when they didn't take 259 00:13:25,116 --> 00:13:28,836 Speaker 4: care of their relationships over time, those relationships would just 260 00:13:28,956 --> 00:13:34,556 Speaker 4: wither away from neglect. Perfectly good relationships that eventually fell away, 261 00:13:34,676 --> 00:13:37,396 Speaker 4: so that people would wake up in their thirties or 262 00:13:37,436 --> 00:13:40,076 Speaker 4: forties look around and say, oh, my gosh, I don't 263 00:13:40,076 --> 00:13:40,836 Speaker 4: have any friends. 264 00:13:41,116 --> 00:13:43,836 Speaker 1: Adult friendships it seems take a lot more energy to 265 00:13:43,876 --> 00:13:46,596 Speaker 1: maintain than the ones formed in our younger years. If 266 00:13:46,596 --> 00:13:48,956 Speaker 1: we're not diligent and careful, any of us could see 267 00:13:48,956 --> 00:13:50,236 Speaker 1: our social circles dwindle. 268 00:13:50,556 --> 00:13:53,356 Speaker 4: It's a practice that you want to develop, this ongoing 269 00:13:53,436 --> 00:13:55,676 Speaker 4: practice of taking care of relationships. 270 00:13:56,476 --> 00:13:59,156 Speaker 1: Robert's book The Good Life Lessons from the World's Longest 271 00:13:59,196 --> 00:14:02,716 Speaker 1: scientific Study of Happiness explores why we often fail to 272 00:14:02,756 --> 00:14:05,876 Speaker 1: invest in social connection as we age. One reason, he 273 00:14:05,956 --> 00:14:08,396 Speaker 1: says is that people assume a good life stems not 274 00:14:08,436 --> 00:14:11,516 Speaker 1: from close relationships, but from high achievement. Many of the 275 00:14:11,516 --> 00:14:15,556 Speaker 1: men in Robert's studies spent their lives focused on accumulating money, accolades, 276 00:14:15,596 --> 00:14:16,356 Speaker 1: and promotions. 277 00:14:16,716 --> 00:14:20,116 Speaker 4: What we found in our study is that if people 278 00:14:21,036 --> 00:14:26,036 Speaker 4: sacrificed their well being to work, they ended up looking 279 00:14:26,116 --> 00:14:29,236 Speaker 4: back saying, gosh, that really wasn't worth it. When we 280 00:14:29,276 --> 00:14:31,996 Speaker 4: asked people once they got to their eighties to look 281 00:14:32,036 --> 00:14:35,716 Speaker 4: back on their lives and talk about what they regretted 282 00:14:35,796 --> 00:14:39,316 Speaker 4: the most, the thing that people named the most often 283 00:14:39,716 --> 00:14:41,876 Speaker 4: was I wish I had spent more time with the 284 00:14:41,916 --> 00:14:45,316 Speaker 4: people who mattered to me. Now that doesn't mean you 285 00:14:45,356 --> 00:14:48,796 Speaker 4: can't work hard. That doesn't mean you can't do meaningful work. 286 00:14:49,036 --> 00:14:51,876 Speaker 4: It's the sacrifice of your own well being and the 287 00:14:51,876 --> 00:14:56,236 Speaker 4: sacrifice of time with people you care about that turns 288 00:14:56,236 --> 00:14:59,036 Speaker 4: out to fill people with regret. 289 00:14:59,356 --> 00:15:01,436 Speaker 1: But the hard reality is that most of us do 290 00:15:01,516 --> 00:15:03,916 Speaker 1: need to work, and that's one of the reasons Robert 291 00:15:03,956 --> 00:15:06,596 Speaker 1: is such a big advocate of investing in work friendships. 292 00:15:07,076 --> 00:15:10,236 Speaker 4: Think about how much time we spend at work. It's enormous. 293 00:15:10,556 --> 00:15:15,796 Speaker 4: Why would you exclude interpersonal connections from that chunk of 294 00:15:15,916 --> 00:15:16,956 Speaker 4: time in your life. 295 00:15:17,356 --> 00:15:20,316 Speaker 1: I told Robert about Catherine who her lonely transition from 296 00:15:20,316 --> 00:15:23,076 Speaker 1: college life and her disinterest in finding new friends at 297 00:15:23,076 --> 00:15:23,836 Speaker 1: the office. 298 00:15:24,076 --> 00:15:26,276 Speaker 4: Many of us have been in situations where we could 299 00:15:26,356 --> 00:15:28,556 Speaker 4: take it for granted that be a lot of people 300 00:15:28,636 --> 00:15:32,196 Speaker 4: around our age, many times with similar interests. So let's 301 00:15:32,196 --> 00:15:34,956 Speaker 4: say in high school or college, and so we say, 302 00:15:35,116 --> 00:15:38,236 Speaker 4: I've got that covered. I never have to really make 303 00:15:38,276 --> 00:15:40,516 Speaker 4: an extra effort to make friends because we haven't been 304 00:15:40,556 --> 00:15:43,476 Speaker 4: in situations where it was difficult. So really, it's when 305 00:15:43,476 --> 00:15:45,676 Speaker 4: we get to the working world for the first time 306 00:15:45,716 --> 00:15:48,916 Speaker 4: that we say, oh my gosh, actually it's not so easy. 307 00:15:49,436 --> 00:15:51,756 Speaker 1: But Robert says that making friends at work really is 308 00:15:51,796 --> 00:15:54,276 Speaker 1: worth the effort. It has a host of benefits we 309 00:15:54,356 --> 00:15:55,316 Speaker 1: may not realize. 310 00:15:55,396 --> 00:15:57,716 Speaker 4: I'm going to quote a study that I'm sure you know, 311 00:15:58,036 --> 00:16:01,636 Speaker 4: which is from the Gallop organization that did a survey 312 00:16:01,676 --> 00:16:05,996 Speaker 4: of fifteen million workers and they asked the question do 313 00:16:06,076 --> 00:16:08,996 Speaker 4: you have a best friend at work? And what that 314 00:16:09,236 --> 00:16:12,396 Speaker 4: meant was somebody you can talk to about what's going 315 00:16:12,476 --> 00:16:14,916 Speaker 4: on in your life, in your personal life. 316 00:16:15,276 --> 00:16:17,956 Speaker 1: Gallup found that around thirty percent of people said Yeah, 317 00:16:18,036 --> 00:16:20,316 Speaker 1: I've got a best friend at work. And having that 318 00:16:20,396 --> 00:16:22,916 Speaker 1: best friend seem to have a huge effect on people's 319 00:16:22,916 --> 00:16:24,036 Speaker 1: performance on the job. 320 00:16:24,356 --> 00:16:28,076 Speaker 4: They did better work according to their supervisors. They were 321 00:16:28,156 --> 00:16:31,716 Speaker 4: less likely to jump around between jobs because they had 322 00:16:31,756 --> 00:16:34,836 Speaker 4: people they wanted to show up for. The people who 323 00:16:34,956 --> 00:16:38,396 Speaker 4: didn't have a best friend at work were much less 324 00:16:38,436 --> 00:16:43,796 Speaker 4: engaged in their jobs. Making social connection of priority is 325 00:16:43,876 --> 00:16:47,036 Speaker 4: not just good for our happiness, it's also good for 326 00:16:47,116 --> 00:16:49,956 Speaker 4: the bottom line of any work organization. 327 00:16:50,596 --> 00:16:53,276 Speaker 1: Making friends at work isn't a distraction or a waste 328 00:16:53,276 --> 00:16:56,116 Speaker 1: of time. The Gallup data show that all these water 329 00:16:56,196 --> 00:16:59,716 Speaker 1: cooler conversations may be the motivational engines that keep us 330 00:16:59,716 --> 00:17:00,596 Speaker 1: engaged at work. 331 00:17:00,876 --> 00:17:04,516 Speaker 4: That's also how new ideas get sparked, where you see 332 00:17:04,556 --> 00:17:07,916 Speaker 4: a coworker who works in a completely different area of 333 00:17:07,956 --> 00:17:11,156 Speaker 4: your workplace, who has a different take on things, and 334 00:17:11,236 --> 00:17:14,556 Speaker 4: suddenly you get a new idea that sparks your own creativity. 335 00:17:14,756 --> 00:17:16,956 Speaker 1: But Robert says that work friendships don't just make us 336 00:17:16,996 --> 00:17:20,516 Speaker 1: more creative. Close relationships with co workers also help us 337 00:17:20,516 --> 00:17:24,436 Speaker 1: handle problems more effectively, especially when our stress levels rise. 338 00:17:24,876 --> 00:17:27,876 Speaker 4: What we find is that if we're good at bringing 339 00:17:27,916 --> 00:17:31,596 Speaker 4: in other people to help us through difficulties and help 340 00:17:31,676 --> 00:17:34,556 Speaker 4: us solve problems, that we're much better at our work. 341 00:17:34,596 --> 00:17:37,996 Speaker 4: We're much stronger, both as people and as workers. 342 00:17:38,236 --> 00:17:41,076 Speaker 1: These stress busting effects of a work bestie can also 343 00:17:41,156 --> 00:17:44,236 Speaker 1: provide benefits to the people we care about outside the office. 344 00:17:44,436 --> 00:17:48,676 Speaker 4: Over work and the stress that comes from loneliness at 345 00:17:48,716 --> 00:17:51,716 Speaker 4: work means that we are more depleted when we go home, 346 00:17:51,876 --> 00:17:57,316 Speaker 4: whereas if we are emotionally nurtured at work, if we 347 00:17:57,396 --> 00:18:00,676 Speaker 4: take care of ourselves through connections at work, we've got 348 00:18:00,716 --> 00:18:03,916 Speaker 4: more energy when we go home. Makes a big difference. 349 00:18:04,636 --> 00:18:07,236 Speaker 1: A skeptic like Catherine, who might acknowledge some of these 350 00:18:07,276 --> 00:18:10,516 Speaker 1: findings that work friendships may help us feel less stressed 351 00:18:10,556 --> 00:18:14,116 Speaker 1: and perform more creatively. But Catherine might say, do these 352 00:18:14,156 --> 00:18:18,356 Speaker 1: benefits of office camaraderie really outweigh the risks? After all, 353 00:18:18,476 --> 00:18:21,156 Speaker 1: the core argument in Catherine's article was the becoming friends 354 00:18:21,196 --> 00:18:24,116 Speaker 1: with coworkers and managers can leave you open to exploitation. 355 00:18:24,916 --> 00:18:27,676 Speaker 1: It's harder, Catherine asserted, to ask a buddy for a raise, 356 00:18:28,116 --> 00:18:29,876 Speaker 1: or to tell a friend that the assignment they want 357 00:18:29,916 --> 00:18:32,796 Speaker 1: you to do falls outside your contractual duties. 358 00:18:32,756 --> 00:18:35,716 Speaker 2: Is still a financial transaction fundamentally. 359 00:18:36,556 --> 00:18:39,156 Speaker 1: Many of the readers who commented on Catherine's article agreed 360 00:18:39,716 --> 00:18:41,716 Speaker 1: work should be a place to make money and guard 361 00:18:41,716 --> 00:18:45,836 Speaker 1: your rights, unencumbered by any bonds of affection. Some readers 362 00:18:45,876 --> 00:18:49,716 Speaker 1: even doubted that genuine work friendships were possible. Work friends 363 00:18:49,796 --> 00:18:54,036 Speaker 1: end up screwing you over. One wrote, on balance, Catherine thinks. 364 00:18:54,036 --> 00:18:55,796 Speaker 2: You can still do a good job at your workplace 365 00:18:55,876 --> 00:18:58,796 Speaker 2: even if you're not best friends with your colleagues or 366 00:18:58,796 --> 00:18:59,436 Speaker 2: your manager. 367 00:18:59,916 --> 00:19:02,476 Speaker 1: But are we right to think of work fundamentally as 368 00:19:02,476 --> 00:19:05,836 Speaker 1: a financial transaction or does that miss an important part 369 00:19:05,876 --> 00:19:07,796 Speaker 1: of the sense of purpose we can get on the job. 370 00:19:09,156 --> 00:19:11,636 Speaker 5: Name is Jan Emmanuel Dedev and I'm a professor of 371 00:19:11,676 --> 00:19:14,036 Speaker 5: economics and behavioral science at the University of Axestor. 372 00:19:14,316 --> 00:19:17,116 Speaker 1: Yon just completed one of my favorite new studies, one 373 00:19:17,156 --> 00:19:19,796 Speaker 1: that upends many of our deeply held assumptions about the 374 00:19:19,836 --> 00:19:22,556 Speaker 1: factors that are important for work life balance and for 375 00:19:22,676 --> 00:19:25,716 Speaker 1: keeping us happy. Jan gave a huge sample of employees 376 00:19:25,756 --> 00:19:28,876 Speaker 1: and managers a long list of possible sources of happiness 377 00:19:28,876 --> 00:19:29,676 Speaker 1: at work, and we. 378 00:19:29,636 --> 00:19:32,436 Speaker 5: Asked people, can you rank order these what is most 379 00:19:32,436 --> 00:19:33,876 Speaker 5: important to you or your team. 380 00:19:34,116 --> 00:19:37,356 Speaker 1: Their top pick, as you might guess, was compensation. The 381 00:19:37,396 --> 00:19:40,356 Speaker 1: people he surveyed said salary was the most important thing 382 00:19:40,396 --> 00:19:44,276 Speaker 1: for their happiness at work. So far, so unsurprising. But 383 00:19:44,356 --> 00:19:47,236 Speaker 1: Jan wanted to test what really mattered for happiness at work, 384 00:19:47,676 --> 00:19:50,396 Speaker 1: so he partnered with the job website Indeed, which just 385 00:19:50,436 --> 00:19:53,196 Speaker 1: so happened to have surveyed actual work happiness in the 386 00:19:53,236 --> 00:19:56,356 Speaker 1: over fifteen million workers who use their site. And this 387 00:19:56,516 --> 00:19:58,716 Speaker 1: is where Yon's findings get kind of shocking. 388 00:19:59,236 --> 00:20:02,836 Speaker 5: I think the most surprising bit for most people would 389 00:20:02,876 --> 00:20:06,236 Speaker 5: have been the relative unimportance and income. 390 00:20:06,516 --> 00:20:09,116 Speaker 1: The Indeed data showed that fair compensation was a dry 391 00:20:09,316 --> 00:20:11,716 Speaker 1: of people's happiness at work, but it wasn't first on 392 00:20:11,756 --> 00:20:15,556 Speaker 1: the list. It was sixth, like one, two, three, four, five, six. 393 00:20:16,196 --> 00:20:19,396 Speaker 1: What was first on the list. It wasn't work life, flexibility, 394 00:20:19,556 --> 00:20:22,756 Speaker 1: or having good management. The biggest driver of happiness on 395 00:20:22,796 --> 00:20:25,036 Speaker 1: the job was having a sense of belonging at work, 396 00:20:25,516 --> 00:20:28,876 Speaker 1: a metric that included three parts. The first was believing 397 00:20:28,916 --> 00:20:31,156 Speaker 1: that there are people at work who care about you well. 398 00:20:31,156 --> 00:20:33,956 Speaker 5: The company treats me as a human being. They see 399 00:20:33,956 --> 00:20:35,956 Speaker 5: me as a human not just as an input in 400 00:20:35,996 --> 00:20:36,996 Speaker 5: the production process. 401 00:20:37,196 --> 00:20:39,356 Speaker 1: The second piece of having a sense of belonging was 402 00:20:39,396 --> 00:20:41,676 Speaker 1: the belief that the people in your company benefit from 403 00:20:41,716 --> 00:20:42,436 Speaker 1: the work that you do. 404 00:20:42,756 --> 00:20:46,236 Speaker 5: You're knowing what you mean to the others in the organization, 405 00:20:46,316 --> 00:20:48,316 Speaker 5: so your impact throughout the organization. 406 00:20:48,996 --> 00:20:50,996 Speaker 1: But the final part of having a sense of belonging 407 00:20:50,996 --> 00:20:54,196 Speaker 1: at work, this metric that mattered even more than salary 408 00:20:54,236 --> 00:20:57,716 Speaker 1: and flexibility and good management for happiness at work was 409 00:20:57,756 --> 00:20:59,236 Speaker 1: having an office best friend. 410 00:20:59,596 --> 00:21:01,676 Speaker 6: We know it's much more important that people tend to think. 411 00:21:03,276 --> 00:21:05,556 Speaker 1: John's indeed study shows that we have some pretty big 412 00:21:05,596 --> 00:21:08,396 Speaker 1: misconceptions when it comes to the importance of social connection 413 00:21:08,476 --> 00:21:11,356 Speaker 1: at work. Having friends at work is more critical for 414 00:21:11,396 --> 00:21:14,396 Speaker 1: our happiness and performance than our lying minds usually assume. 415 00:21:14,836 --> 00:21:17,036 Speaker 1: So if you're convinced by the data, how can you 416 00:21:17,076 --> 00:21:19,716 Speaker 1: find that ride or Die office buddy, And how can 417 00:21:19,756 --> 00:21:22,596 Speaker 1: you make that connection while still avoiding the pitfalls that 418 00:21:22,636 --> 00:21:25,676 Speaker 1: worried Catherine so much. How can we get the benefits 419 00:21:25,676 --> 00:21:29,636 Speaker 1: of work friendships and set healthy boundaries. We'll find out 420 00:21:29,756 --> 00:21:31,836 Speaker 1: when the Happiness Lab returns in a moment. 421 00:21:37,276 --> 00:21:39,916 Speaker 3: I am somebody who just loves relationships. I've been studying 422 00:21:39,956 --> 00:21:41,436 Speaker 3: relationships for fifteen years. 423 00:21:41,676 --> 00:21:44,516 Speaker 1: Shasta Nelson is the author of the Business of Friendships. 424 00:21:44,676 --> 00:21:47,116 Speaker 1: Making the most of our relationships where we spend most 425 00:21:47,156 --> 00:21:49,996 Speaker 1: of our time. Shasta helps companies find ways to get 426 00:21:49,996 --> 00:21:53,516 Speaker 1: their employees to build more social connections. Time and again. 427 00:21:53,556 --> 00:21:55,916 Speaker 1: The managers and work as she spoke with, mentioned two 428 00:21:56,036 --> 00:21:57,876 Speaker 1: big challenges affecting their happiness. 429 00:21:58,436 --> 00:22:00,476 Speaker 3: People were like, I don't have time to make friends. 430 00:22:00,476 --> 00:22:03,196 Speaker 3: Like that becomes the number one excuse, Like people don't 431 00:22:03,196 --> 00:22:06,076 Speaker 3: have close friends. The second complaint I kept hearing over 432 00:22:06,116 --> 00:22:08,476 Speaker 3: and over and over was our employees have lots of 433 00:22:08,516 --> 00:22:10,916 Speaker 3: turnover and they're not happy, and our mental health is 434 00:22:10,916 --> 00:22:12,956 Speaker 3: an issue, and we don't know how to help people 435 00:22:12,996 --> 00:22:15,396 Speaker 3: feel like they belong at work. And I was like, 436 00:22:15,676 --> 00:22:18,716 Speaker 3: friendship and relationships at work is the answer. And yet 437 00:22:18,796 --> 00:22:22,956 Speaker 3: I can attest that very few employers are googling friendship experts. 438 00:22:23,156 --> 00:22:25,716 Speaker 1: Shasta argues that the only way our society will be 439 00:22:25,756 --> 00:22:28,556 Speaker 1: able to fight the loneliness crisis is by finding more 440 00:22:28,596 --> 00:22:29,716 Speaker 1: companionship on the job. 441 00:22:29,996 --> 00:22:32,596 Speaker 3: It's almost virtually impossible for us to get our social 442 00:22:32,636 --> 00:22:36,516 Speaker 3: needs met during the day if we aren't taking advantage. 443 00:22:35,996 --> 00:22:36,836 Speaker 6: Of work hours. 444 00:22:37,036 --> 00:22:39,116 Speaker 3: This is the place in life where we are spending 445 00:22:39,156 --> 00:22:41,396 Speaker 3: the most time and the place where we have our 446 00:22:41,436 --> 00:22:44,116 Speaker 3: passion or are making our contribution in the world. So 447 00:22:44,196 --> 00:22:47,356 Speaker 3: those are things that really help create friendship and create 448 00:22:47,396 --> 00:22:50,396 Speaker 3: bonding and help us want to be supported in those areas. 449 00:22:50,676 --> 00:22:52,516 Speaker 3: And I think it's so funny because we send our 450 00:22:52,596 --> 00:22:55,276 Speaker 3: kids to school and we never say to them, Okay, now, 451 00:22:55,316 --> 00:22:57,316 Speaker 3: when you're at school, you are there to learn, and 452 00:22:57,356 --> 00:22:59,796 Speaker 3: so that means don't talk to people there's too much drama, 453 00:23:00,196 --> 00:23:02,676 Speaker 3: don't have friends because that will interfere with your learning. 454 00:23:02,956 --> 00:23:06,076 Speaker 3: Like we understand, and that the more connected our kids 455 00:23:06,076 --> 00:23:08,036 Speaker 3: feel at school and the safer they feel, the more 456 00:23:08,076 --> 00:23:10,716 Speaker 3: relationships they have, the more likely they are to thrive 457 00:23:10,796 --> 00:23:11,316 Speaker 3: at school. 458 00:23:11,596 --> 00:23:13,916 Speaker 6: And the same is true for adults in the workplace. 459 00:23:14,236 --> 00:23:16,716 Speaker 3: Yes, you may not be there to make friends, but 460 00:23:16,796 --> 00:23:18,316 Speaker 3: you are actually better off. 461 00:23:18,276 --> 00:23:20,596 Speaker 6: Doing your work and being more engaged. 462 00:23:20,196 --> 00:23:23,076 Speaker 3: And being more productive, and being happier and being healthier 463 00:23:23,116 --> 00:23:25,396 Speaker 3: if you have friends when you're doing it. So it's 464 00:23:25,636 --> 00:23:29,556 Speaker 3: really an outdated idea that we should not be using 465 00:23:29,716 --> 00:23:32,276 Speaker 3: our workplaces to be a place of friendship. 466 00:23:32,676 --> 00:23:36,116 Speaker 1: And her consulting work, Shasta often hears arguments against friendships 467 00:23:36,116 --> 00:23:39,636 Speaker 1: in the workplace, worries just like those voiced earlier by Catherine, 468 00:23:39,676 --> 00:23:40,276 Speaker 1: who what. 469 00:23:40,316 --> 00:23:42,196 Speaker 3: If it gets in the way of like if you 470 00:23:42,236 --> 00:23:44,516 Speaker 3: have to discipline in your friend So we start naming 471 00:23:44,556 --> 00:23:46,676 Speaker 3: all these like awkward things that could happen. 472 00:23:46,956 --> 00:23:50,276 Speaker 1: People worry that friendships fuel favoritism or prompt the spread 473 00:23:50,276 --> 00:23:52,996 Speaker 1: of rumors. We assume that buddies at work lead to 474 00:23:52,996 --> 00:23:55,996 Speaker 1: clicks and drama, the sort of unhealthy behaviors that are 475 00:23:55,996 --> 00:24:00,316 Speaker 1: emotionally draining and the opposite of happiness inducing. But Shasta says, 476 00:24:00,316 --> 00:24:01,956 Speaker 1: our intuitions here are wrong. 477 00:24:02,236 --> 00:24:05,516 Speaker 6: Those aren't things associated with friendship. Those are things associated 478 00:24:05,556 --> 00:24:08,116 Speaker 6: with interaction. And I would actually state. 479 00:24:07,956 --> 00:24:10,436 Speaker 3: That those things go down down in a workplace where 480 00:24:10,436 --> 00:24:13,596 Speaker 3: we're actually teaching people, inspiring them, and fostering them to 481 00:24:13,596 --> 00:24:14,916 Speaker 3: have healthy relationships. 482 00:24:15,196 --> 00:24:18,236 Speaker 1: One reason we get work friendships wrong, says Shasta, is 483 00:24:18,236 --> 00:24:20,756 Speaker 1: that we have some pretty mistaken notions about what healthy 484 00:24:20,796 --> 00:24:22,316 Speaker 1: work friendships really entail. 485 00:24:22,396 --> 00:24:24,916 Speaker 3: But what we want at work are people who actually 486 00:24:24,956 --> 00:24:26,956 Speaker 3: feel like we have each other's backs, that we feel 487 00:24:26,996 --> 00:24:28,756 Speaker 3: like we can show up as who we are. And 488 00:24:28,796 --> 00:24:31,356 Speaker 3: the truth of the matter is when asked, every single 489 00:24:31,396 --> 00:24:33,316 Speaker 3: one of us wants to feel liked. We want to 490 00:24:33,356 --> 00:24:35,276 Speaker 3: feel loved, we want to feel appreciated, we want to 491 00:24:35,276 --> 00:24:38,596 Speaker 3: feel known, and those are building healthy relationships. 492 00:24:38,876 --> 00:24:41,916 Speaker 1: And Shasta says those healthy relationships don't need to involve 493 00:24:41,996 --> 00:24:44,236 Speaker 1: the kind of people we think. We really don't have 494 00:24:44,316 --> 00:24:46,396 Speaker 1: to be twins to be close and to bond with 495 00:24:46,436 --> 00:24:49,076 Speaker 1: each other. The powerful thing about the research is it 496 00:24:49,156 --> 00:24:51,276 Speaker 1: showing that we don't have to have the things in 497 00:24:51,276 --> 00:24:53,276 Speaker 1: common with each other that we think we have to 498 00:24:53,316 --> 00:24:56,236 Speaker 1: have in common. Commonalities are not what bonds us with 499 00:24:56,276 --> 00:24:59,676 Speaker 1: each other, spending consistent time with each other, having positive feelings, 500 00:24:59,716 --> 00:25:03,156 Speaker 1: and sharing with each other. So I call that positivity, consistency, 501 00:25:03,156 --> 00:25:05,276 Speaker 1: and vulnerability. Those are the three things that we know 502 00:25:05,516 --> 00:25:07,636 Speaker 1: have to be present to bond and we can do 503 00:25:07,716 --> 00:25:12,236 Speaker 1: that with way more people than we think we can. Positivity, consistency, 504 00:25:12,316 --> 00:25:15,876 Speaker 1: and vulnerability. These are the three factors Shasta says are 505 00:25:15,996 --> 00:25:18,836 Speaker 1: essential for not just forming but also for deepening social 506 00:25:18,916 --> 00:25:22,996 Speaker 1: bonds at work. So let's take a look at what positivity, consistency, 507 00:25:23,076 --> 00:25:28,636 Speaker 1: and vulnerability actually mean in practice. First, positivity, which contrary 508 00:25:28,636 --> 00:25:31,076 Speaker 1: to what you might think, is not about being optimistic 509 00:25:31,116 --> 00:25:33,916 Speaker 1: all the time or making only pleasant statements to the 510 00:25:33,916 --> 00:25:34,996 Speaker 1: folks in the office. 511 00:25:35,156 --> 00:25:38,796 Speaker 3: It's about leaving both people feeling better for having interacted. 512 00:25:39,156 --> 00:25:42,236 Speaker 3: And sometimes that means empathy and validation to hard feelings, 513 00:25:42,236 --> 00:25:45,196 Speaker 3: and that's an act of positivity. Sometimes it's leaving each 514 00:25:45,236 --> 00:25:48,756 Speaker 3: other more hopeful, more grateful, more inspired. Sometimes it's words 515 00:25:48,796 --> 00:25:52,116 Speaker 3: of affirmation or a smile or a hug. So there's 516 00:25:52,276 --> 00:25:57,836 Speaker 3: thousands of ways to practice adding positive emotions into a relationship. 517 00:25:57,476 --> 00:26:00,116 Speaker 1: And Shasta is quick to point out that positivity doesn't 518 00:26:00,156 --> 00:26:03,476 Speaker 1: mean avoiding negative emotions in our work friendships. Times get 519 00:26:03,476 --> 00:26:06,356 Speaker 1: tough and emotions get frayed in all relationships, and that's 520 00:26:06,396 --> 00:26:08,836 Speaker 1: okay in work friends too, so long as the negative 521 00:26:08,836 --> 00:26:11,556 Speaker 1: exp experiences get balanced out by the positive ones. 522 00:26:11,716 --> 00:26:13,956 Speaker 3: So we always have options about how can I either 523 00:26:14,036 --> 00:26:17,596 Speaker 3: decrease the negative things with forgiveness or having a conversation 524 00:26:17,676 --> 00:26:21,076 Speaker 3: about boundaries or naming my needs. We can always figure 525 00:26:21,076 --> 00:26:23,556 Speaker 3: out what can I do to decrease me feeling negative 526 00:26:23,876 --> 00:26:26,636 Speaker 3: and what can I do to bring more positive emotions. 527 00:26:26,996 --> 00:26:29,596 Speaker 1: The second of Shostas three step path to work friendships 528 00:26:29,756 --> 00:26:32,556 Speaker 1: is what she calls consistency. We need to have enough 529 00:26:32,596 --> 00:26:35,876 Speaker 1: repeated interactions in order to turn a casual acquaintance into 530 00:26:35,956 --> 00:26:38,796 Speaker 1: a friend. We need enough of a shared history together 531 00:26:38,956 --> 00:26:39,916 Speaker 1: to trust one another. 532 00:26:39,996 --> 00:26:42,076 Speaker 3: We start feeling like we can rely on each other 533 00:26:42,156 --> 00:26:44,556 Speaker 3: because of how you've acted in the past. I feel 534 00:26:44,556 --> 00:26:46,236 Speaker 3: like I can predict how you're going to act in 535 00:26:46,276 --> 00:26:46,796 Speaker 3: the future. 536 00:26:47,636 --> 00:26:50,036 Speaker 1: And the wonderful thing about making friends at work is 537 00:26:50,036 --> 00:26:53,396 Speaker 1: that we're there on a daily basis. Our jobs automatically 538 00:26:53,436 --> 00:26:56,396 Speaker 1: provide a consistent, shared context for social connection. 539 00:26:56,556 --> 00:26:58,676 Speaker 6: And that's why work is so important. 540 00:26:58,716 --> 00:27:02,596 Speaker 3: Because it gives us hours together, it gives us experiences together. 541 00:27:02,716 --> 00:27:03,636 Speaker 6: It gives us an. 542 00:27:03,516 --> 00:27:06,556 Speaker 3: Opportunity to get to know each other without having to 543 00:27:06,596 --> 00:27:07,316 Speaker 3: schedule it. 544 00:27:07,236 --> 00:27:09,516 Speaker 6: On our own, which is hard to do these days. 545 00:27:09,996 --> 00:27:12,396 Speaker 1: The third step in Shasta's three step path to work 546 00:27:12,436 --> 00:27:14,756 Speaker 1: friends is the one she thinks is the most important 547 00:27:15,156 --> 00:27:18,316 Speaker 1: and also the most misunderstood, vulnerability. 548 00:27:18,716 --> 00:27:21,596 Speaker 3: Vulnerability is where we reveal a little bit about who 549 00:27:21,596 --> 00:27:23,996 Speaker 3: we are. We start knowing each other's opinions and ideas. 550 00:27:24,036 --> 00:27:26,796 Speaker 3: We feel safe problem solving and brainstorming, and we can 551 00:27:26,796 --> 00:27:29,156 Speaker 3: be authentic and then we can be curious. And so 552 00:27:29,396 --> 00:27:34,316 Speaker 3: our vulnerability is so important for us feeling known and appreciated. 553 00:27:34,596 --> 00:27:38,636 Speaker 1: Vulnerability isn't about sharing your deepest, darkest secrets. It's about 554 00:27:38,716 --> 00:27:42,276 Speaker 1: demonstrating the softness and openness that pave the way for intimacy. 555 00:27:42,516 --> 00:27:45,316 Speaker 3: So when people are uncomfortable with vulnerability, I ask them, 556 00:27:45,716 --> 00:27:48,276 Speaker 3: do you want a team to feel comfortable brainstorming and 557 00:27:48,316 --> 00:27:51,956 Speaker 3: problem solving? Well, yes, okay, that takes vulnerability. Do you 558 00:27:51,996 --> 00:27:54,836 Speaker 3: want employees who apologize and forgive each other? 559 00:27:54,996 --> 00:27:58,156 Speaker 6: Yes, that takes vulnerability, saying I don't know, can you 560 00:27:58,236 --> 00:27:59,596 Speaker 6: help me? Vulnerability? 561 00:27:59,756 --> 00:28:02,556 Speaker 3: It is the soul and the heartbeat of what you're 562 00:28:02,556 --> 00:28:04,836 Speaker 3: trying to create on a team and with your product. 563 00:28:05,116 --> 00:28:07,876 Speaker 3: But Shasta says, we also need to find the opportunities 564 00:28:07,916 --> 00:28:10,756 Speaker 3: in time needed to open up. We have this belief 565 00:28:10,796 --> 00:28:12,716 Speaker 3: that we need to come into a team meeting and okay, 566 00:28:12,716 --> 00:28:15,396 Speaker 3: get through the agenda and not waste anybody's time. And 567 00:28:15,436 --> 00:28:18,356 Speaker 3: we treat agenda items as though they're the whole point 568 00:28:18,356 --> 00:28:21,316 Speaker 3: of why we're gathering. But it's amazing, it's not that 569 00:28:21,436 --> 00:28:24,076 Speaker 3: hard to take five minutes and say, share a little 570 00:28:24,076 --> 00:28:25,836 Speaker 3: bit of a highlight from your weekend. I mean it 571 00:28:25,836 --> 00:28:27,236 Speaker 3: can be as easy as that, or it could be 572 00:28:27,276 --> 00:28:28,956 Speaker 3: as big of let's share with each other one thing 573 00:28:28,956 --> 00:28:30,476 Speaker 3: that we are really proud of that we're doing at 574 00:28:30,476 --> 00:28:31,116 Speaker 3: work right now. 575 00:28:31,436 --> 00:28:33,476 Speaker 1: You might predict that sharing in this way would feel 576 00:28:33,476 --> 00:28:36,956 Speaker 1: awkward or uncomfortable, or that if your boss use this strategy, 577 00:28:37,116 --> 00:28:40,076 Speaker 1: you'd roll your eyes and withdraw. But Shasta says that 578 00:28:40,156 --> 00:28:42,196 Speaker 1: will help you get all the benefits that come from 579 00:28:42,196 --> 00:28:45,476 Speaker 1: feeling connected. Like most good things in life, opening up 580 00:28:45,636 --> 00:28:48,076 Speaker 1: does take a bit of effort and initial discomfort. 581 00:28:48,316 --> 00:28:51,276 Speaker 3: We understand on a physical health level that when we 582 00:28:51,356 --> 00:28:53,636 Speaker 3: go to the gym or when we go running, that 583 00:28:53,716 --> 00:28:55,396 Speaker 3: we need to sweat, and in fact, when we lift 584 00:28:55,396 --> 00:28:58,276 Speaker 3: weights our muscles actually tear a little bit. We actually 585 00:28:58,396 --> 00:29:01,316 Speaker 3: understand that physical health is on the other side of 586 00:29:01,356 --> 00:29:04,356 Speaker 3: exertion and sweat and muscle tearing. And yet when it 587 00:29:04,356 --> 00:29:06,436 Speaker 3: comes to our social health, I feel like as soon 588 00:29:06,476 --> 00:29:09,116 Speaker 3: as we kind of start socially sweating, so to speak, 589 00:29:09,236 --> 00:29:12,796 Speaker 3: or feel uncomfortable or get nervous, or get insecure or 590 00:29:12,836 --> 00:29:15,596 Speaker 3: get worried about rejection, well we think this isn't good. 591 00:29:15,636 --> 00:29:17,116 Speaker 3: I just need to go back to where it felt 592 00:29:17,116 --> 00:29:20,316 Speaker 3: convenient and safe. But we forget that social health is 593 00:29:20,356 --> 00:29:21,636 Speaker 3: on the other side of that. 594 00:29:22,756 --> 00:29:26,156 Speaker 1: When Catherine, whose Boston Globe article came out damning work friendships, 595 00:29:26,476 --> 00:29:29,076 Speaker 1: it caused quite a stir. She seemed to be saying 596 00:29:29,116 --> 00:29:31,036 Speaker 1: out loud something that a lot of people had been 597 00:29:31,076 --> 00:29:34,636 Speaker 1: thinking privately. But while many praised her candidness, lots of 598 00:29:34,636 --> 00:29:37,756 Speaker 1: people didn't agree with her extreme position. As I scrolled 599 00:29:37,756 --> 00:29:40,116 Speaker 1: through the comment section, I found more and more readers 600 00:29:40,156 --> 00:29:43,596 Speaker 1: who doubted that Catherine's strong stance against work friends would last. 601 00:29:43,916 --> 00:29:45,596 Speaker 1: And it turns out they were right. 602 00:29:45,916 --> 00:29:49,076 Speaker 2: It really started by just us all getting lunch at 603 00:29:49,076 --> 00:29:50,876 Speaker 2: the same time, Like if we were going to eat lunch, 604 00:29:50,876 --> 00:29:52,196 Speaker 2: we might as well all eat it together. 605 00:29:52,596 --> 00:29:56,836 Speaker 1: Catherine was an outspoken advocate for keeping office relationships purely professional, 606 00:29:56,996 --> 00:29:59,316 Speaker 1: but as she returned to an in person office, she 607 00:29:59,436 --> 00:30:01,916 Speaker 1: began more consistently hanging out with the folks she worked 608 00:30:01,956 --> 00:30:06,036 Speaker 1: with and having more and more positive experiences. Over time, 609 00:30:06,116 --> 00:30:10,396 Speaker 1: she began opening up, especially with one coworker in particular, MATEO. 610 00:30:10,716 --> 00:30:12,476 Speaker 2: I think at some point we just sort of sat 611 00:30:12,516 --> 00:30:15,836 Speaker 2: down and I was like, I really think we've transcended 612 00:30:16,356 --> 00:30:19,076 Speaker 2: being work friends, Like I think we are just really 613 00:30:19,156 --> 00:30:21,316 Speaker 2: close friends now, and I think that's kind of beautiful. 614 00:30:21,676 --> 00:30:24,036 Speaker 2: So for me, it was really just like being honest 615 00:30:24,076 --> 00:30:24,476 Speaker 2: about it. 616 00:30:24,836 --> 00:30:27,396 Speaker 1: So Catherine now has a bestie at work, and the 617 00:30:27,436 --> 00:30:32,036 Speaker 1: benefits Mateo's friendship brought quickly began outweighing the problems she'd anticipated. 618 00:30:32,116 --> 00:30:35,036 Speaker 2: There's no one else that really kind of understands that 619 00:30:35,236 --> 00:30:37,596 Speaker 2: level of what you're going through in that amount of 620 00:30:37,636 --> 00:30:39,916 Speaker 2: detail as someone else who's literally going through it as well. 621 00:30:40,036 --> 00:30:42,756 Speaker 2: So yeah, it has been really lovely. 622 00:30:42,756 --> 00:30:46,116 Speaker 1: And just as psychologist Robert Waldinger would have predicted, having 623 00:30:46,116 --> 00:30:48,156 Speaker 1: Mateo as a best friend on the job was a 624 00:30:48,236 --> 00:30:49,076 Speaker 1: huge stress reliever. 625 00:30:49,276 --> 00:30:53,316 Speaker 2: And you can talk about work together and sort of 626 00:30:53,436 --> 00:30:57,276 Speaker 2: have that safe space to like process and vent and 627 00:30:57,356 --> 00:31:00,396 Speaker 2: discuss things and then have that as a space where 628 00:31:00,436 --> 00:31:02,396 Speaker 2: it can allow you to come back to work happier 629 00:31:02,436 --> 00:31:06,156 Speaker 2: and healthier. It allows me to be more professional and 630 00:31:06,236 --> 00:31:08,436 Speaker 2: other aspects of my job too, because I know I 631 00:31:08,436 --> 00:31:11,196 Speaker 2: can process these things with someone who also got it. 632 00:31:11,236 --> 00:31:14,756 Speaker 2: You know, even my partner doesn't understand the exact contact 633 00:31:14,876 --> 00:31:17,556 Speaker 2: through which I go through forty hours of my week. 634 00:31:17,956 --> 00:31:21,036 Speaker 1: The pair now shares a great deal, but not everything. 635 00:31:21,876 --> 00:31:25,316 Speaker 1: Before our interview, Catherine hadn't really mentioned her previous and 636 00:31:25,356 --> 00:31:27,836 Speaker 1: well publicized rejection of work friendships. 637 00:31:28,076 --> 00:31:30,276 Speaker 2: When I got the email from you, he said, well, 638 00:31:30,276 --> 00:31:33,276 Speaker 2: if you're going to do the podcast, then I want 639 00:31:33,276 --> 00:31:35,876 Speaker 2: to read the article. And so I was like, okay, fine, 640 00:31:36,036 --> 00:31:37,676 Speaker 2: you can read it. It was time. 641 00:31:37,756 --> 00:31:39,036 Speaker 1: It was time. What did he say? 642 00:31:39,436 --> 00:31:42,236 Speaker 2: He, you know, is very kind about and he was like, 643 00:31:42,396 --> 00:31:45,116 Speaker 2: it is kind of funny now to read in hindsight, 644 00:31:45,276 --> 00:31:46,916 Speaker 2: but he also was very kind about and was just like, 645 00:31:46,996 --> 00:31:48,756 Speaker 2: it is really well written. You should be proud of. 646 00:31:48,716 --> 00:31:49,796 Speaker 1: The thoughts that you put out. 647 00:31:50,156 --> 00:31:53,436 Speaker 2: And you know, it was really nice to have that 648 00:31:53,476 --> 00:31:54,396 Speaker 2: sort of affirmation. 649 00:31:54,796 --> 00:31:56,756 Speaker 1: So he didn't feel like dis or anything. 650 00:31:56,836 --> 00:32:00,196 Speaker 2: But no, no, not at all, not at all, which 651 00:32:00,236 --> 00:32:00,556 Speaker 2: is great. 652 00:32:00,556 --> 00:32:04,556 Speaker 1: I'm very glad. Catherine still stands by the core thesis 653 00:32:04,556 --> 00:32:07,836 Speaker 1: of her viral article that work and work friendships don't 654 00:32:07,836 --> 00:32:10,676 Speaker 1: need to be your whole life, but she now recognizes 655 00:32:10,716 --> 00:32:12,756 Speaker 1: that what she learned in my Happiness class back in 656 00:32:12,756 --> 00:32:15,596 Speaker 1: the day was right that taking time to invest in 657 00:32:15,636 --> 00:32:18,356 Speaker 1: social connection on the job can offer more benefits than 658 00:32:18,396 --> 00:32:22,156 Speaker 1: she realized. Work friendships do have their challenges, but we 659 00:32:22,236 --> 00:32:25,516 Speaker 1: can't get the benefits without the drawbacks. So why not 660 00:32:25,596 --> 00:32:28,356 Speaker 1: take advantage of getting the happiness boost of social connection 661 00:32:28,556 --> 00:32:30,916 Speaker 1: at the same time as you get your paycheck. To 662 00:32:30,996 --> 00:32:33,876 Speaker 1: do so, I'd suggest, following the advice of a recent 663 00:32:33,996 --> 00:32:35,716 Speaker 1: convert to the cause, I think I. 664 00:32:35,716 --> 00:32:39,716 Speaker 2: Would really recommend that you go in with a level 665 00:32:39,756 --> 00:32:43,356 Speaker 2: of vulnerability that allows for you to get something real 666 00:32:43,516 --> 00:32:45,436 Speaker 2: out of a friendship and see if this is a 667 00:32:45,476 --> 00:32:49,636 Speaker 2: friendship that you have chemistry in, for instance, but to 668 00:32:49,676 --> 00:32:54,276 Speaker 2: also still balance that with protecting yourself and not oversharing 669 00:32:54,476 --> 00:32:57,756 Speaker 2: until you feel that you're ready, because you know, at 670 00:32:57,796 --> 00:32:59,836 Speaker 2: the end of the day it is a workplace. If 671 00:32:59,876 --> 00:33:03,356 Speaker 2: you can make a friend at work that becomes an 672 00:33:03,356 --> 00:33:05,996 Speaker 2: outside of work friend, that is a really beautiful thing. 673 00:33:17,196 --> 00:33:19,436 Speaker 1: The Happiness Lab is co written and produced by Ryan 674 00:33:19,476 --> 00:33:22,996 Speaker 1: dilly Our. Original music was composed by Zachary Silver, with 675 00:33:23,036 --> 00:33:27,156 Speaker 1: additional scoring, mixing and mastering by Evan Viola. Jess Shane 676 00:33:27,236 --> 00:33:30,956 Speaker 1: and Alice Fines offered additional production support. Special thanks to 677 00:33:30,996 --> 00:33:33,236 Speaker 1: my agent, Ben Davis and all of the Pushkin group. 678 00:33:33,516 --> 00:33:36,036 Speaker 1: The Happiness Lab is brought to you by Pushkin Industries. 679 00:33:36,196 --> 00:33:43,716 Speaker 1: Any Doctor Laurie Santos