We've all heard by now just how important strong relationships are to our health and well-being. But a lot of the common advice and conventional wisdom out there about how to build stronger relationships doesn't end up taking us closer to that goal.
My guest today has spent years sorting through what really builds better friendships, reignites love, and helps people get closer to others, and he shares these research-backed insights in his new book: Plays Well with Others: The Surprising Science Behind Why Everything You Know About Relationships Is (Mostly) Wrong. Eric shares what he's learned today on the show, beginning with why we're good at figuring out someone's personality from the moment we meet them, but bad at reading their thoughts and feelings, and how to get better at the latter by making other people more readable, as well as how to make a better first impression yourself. We then turn to what makes friendship a unique relationship that makes us uniquely happy, and the two "costly signals" that most develop friendship. We also get into why friends we feel ambivalent about are actually worse for us than outright enemies. We spend the last part of our conversation on how the modern age is both the worst and the best time for marriage, and how the key to ensuring that yours is one of the happiest in history is maintaining positive sentiment override.
Resources Related to the PodcastFuture-Proof Your Body by Practicing Good Posture
Developing the Warrior Within
Physical Benchmarks Every Man Should Meet, At Every Age [REBROADCAST]
Routines Are Overrated
Escape the Safety Trap
What Made JFK So Compelling?
The Philosophy of Self-Improvement
Life Lessons From the World's Greatest Negotiator
Building a Second Brain
What It's Like to Spend a Year in Space
How to Make a Good Argument
The Fascinating Life of America's Forgotten Founding Father
How to Develop Greater Self-Awareness
Chef-Vetted Answers to Your Cooking FAQs
The Secrets to Booking Cheap Flights
How to Turn a Boy Into a Man
Why We Like Puzzles, and What We Get From Them
What Nietzsche Can Teach Us About Joyful Living in a Tech-Saturated World
The Humble Heroics of Four of WWII's Most Decorated Soldiers
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
The Tucker Carlson Show