How to Get the Most Happiness from Your Social Life
Five takeaways:
- Useful research has shown that connections forged among different groups of people—what social scientists call “bridging social capital”—reliably enhance peace, prosperity, and social progress. Yet, we often group with those most like us.
- Diversity in a friend group can focus on any number of factors but can come down to cultivating a friend group with specific viewpoints, experiences, and perspectives.
- Management researchers have long found that diversity of ideas and ideology leads to better, more creative business outcomes. There are similar outcomes for one’s social life.
- Here are three tips for jumpstarting the diversity of perspective in your own social sphere:
- Talk to strangers: While only talking to trusted friends may seem safe, strangers are often more than happy to share their perspectives, and to hear yours.
- Become a social scientist: Be curious and solicit the views of others in a friendly way. Tactfully ask questions that may expose a healthy difference of opinion.
- Celebrate heresy: A rewarding social circle will discuss ideas far outside their comfort zone, politically, philosophically, and morally without fear of recrimination.
- Ideological and intellectual diversity will make social interaction much more thrilling.
From Arthur C. Brooks at The Atlantic:
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