A Tech Billionaire Says Friendships Were the Key

And How a National Survey Is Fighting Friendship Recession

Author

Chris Miller
June 05, 2023

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Read Time: 3 minutes

Hello! & welcome to another day of opportunity where people are recognizing the importance of friendships in… wait for it… India 🪷

Let’s get straight to it. Here’s what’s on the menu today:

🪷 News: Indian billionaire tweets about one precursor to happiness

📰 The U.S. Surgeon General’s media tour all about loneliness

💡 One trick to help you ask better questions

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🪷 News: Indian billionaire’s friendship tweet

Indian tech billionaire, Nikhil Kamath, tweeted that the biggest precursor to happiness is friendship and community. Sharing infographics from the 2021 American Perspective Survey, he urged his 247K followers to think about this more seriously.

The American Perspective Survey was done in 2021 by the Survey Center on American Life and looked at the changing friendship realm in the United States. Namely, stating that:

  • Americans report having fewer close friendships than they once did

  • Americans are talking to their friends less often

  • People are relying less on their friends for personal support

📰 The U.S. Surgeon General’s media tour all about loneliness

Dr. Vivek Murthy, is masterfully summarizing why people are dealing with loneliness throughout the United States. It seems like he is putting this at the forefront of his effort. In the month of May alone he’s been featured in several large publications, including (I’ve linked them here):

The cherry on top though, and this can’t be understated, is an 82 page document that was released by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, titled Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation.

This is a long document, but if you’re wanting to better understand loneliness, learn how to foster a community, or learn how to create a connected culture, I’d encourage reading a little of it.

💡 One Tip to Help You Ask Better Questions

Be a conversational curator.

At an art gallery:

  • There are several pieces of art available to display.

  • The curator chooses what to hang on the walls and what gets seen.

  • If the curator decides not to hang a piece of art, then it will not be enjoyed, appreciated, or hated.

A question functions similarly - questions curate conversation.

  • What you ask determines what gets brought forth, and each person is a gallery full of potential art to display.

  • When you ask about a person's childhood, you are showcasing what they used to be like as a kid and bringing that to light.

  • But, there is a trade off. We only have limited time and we can only bring so much to light.

Think of yourself as a curator when you're in conversation and let that guide your choice of questions. What you ask determines what gets showcased.

👨‍💻 I Got You Covered!

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See you next time!

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