Center for Relationships

11/24/2025

Podcast Episode · Hidden Brain · 04/28/2025 · 50m

11/24/2025

11/24/2025

Do you feel a longing to be known that is not being met? If so, you are not alone, Arthur Brooks writes: More than half of U.S. adults said in a 2018 poll that they always or sometimes felt that “no one knows them well.” But this longing to be known, Brooks says, often stems from the inattention we pay to those around us. https://theatln.tc/mQM6aLjP

The asymmetry between wanting to know others and being known by them is also known as “Poe syndrome,” a name attributed to the poet Edgar Allan Poe, who frequently wrote about his loneliness—yet, some evidence suggests, lacked interest in others. “Relationships require reciprocity,” Brooks explains. “If I don’t do the work to know you deeply, a relationship doesn’t form in which you will know me.” And Poe syndrome can be a vicious cycle: It gets worse when people are lonely to begin with.

Feeling isolated and lonely can make people more self-focused and less interested in others. But research suggests that a combination of active listening and mindfulness is central to improving the quality of relationships. To do so, there’s a simple solution: Proactively get to know people. “This trait does not come naturally to many of us,” Brooks writes, but one place to start is to be “persistently curious about others, ask questions, and listen to the answers.”

“I ask people a lot of questions about their life and their happiness. Invariably, what they tell me only brings up more things I want answers to,” Brooks continues. “By showing genuine curiosity about a person in this way, you might get a second date, repair a frayed marriage, or start a good friendship. You will also be on your way to being truly known yourself.”

Read more tips on how to foster meaningful conversations: https://theatln.tc/mQM6aLjP

11/24/2025

Sweeten your connection with the Magic Ratio. 🥧

Healthy relationships aren’t free from conflict. What matters is how you repair and reconnect afterward. Research shows that couples who stay strong have something in common, they balance one negative interaction with at least five positive ones. Think appreciation, laughter, affection, or simply listening when it matters.

This week, notice the little moments that tip the scale toward connection. What can you add to your 5:1 recipe today? 💛

Want to learn more? Click the link: https://bit.ly/44j9zRs

11/23/2025

11/23/2025

Gretchen Rubin has spent 12 years studying and writing about happiness. As a mother of two, she shares her short, simple rules for raising confident, happy kids who go on to live meaningful lives.

11/23/2025

11/15/2025

Experts answer audience questions about fielding unsolicited advice and prying questions, including what to say when people make uncomfortable comments about your body or your relationships. https://n.pr/4nSbnb5

11/15/2025

Starting over can feel terrifying. A blank page means uncertainty and the loss of the story you thought you’d be living.

But here’s the thing: you also get to be the author. You get to decide how the next chapter unfolds.

The blank page isn’t emptiness—it’s possibility.

👉 What chapter are you ready to write next?

🎥 Watch my TED Talk on changing your story ➡️ bit.ly/43kaOj4

11/15/2025

11/12/2025

“What keeps people in love is not what makes them fall in love in the first place.” Arthur C. Brooks on what qualities are most important for true, long-term companionship: https://theatln.tc/cukVIMOb

11/11/2025