Braden Hall

I'd say start small.

I mean, it could mean just going out in public and giving a nod to somebody else, smiling at them.

These sorts of cues may seem trivial, but they actually matter tremendously in terms of our feeling connected to something larger than ourselves.

And in fact, I would encourage all of your listeners to talk to everybody.

And every context, cashiers, baristas, people you encounter along the sidewalk when you're on a walk, these all make a difference in terms of just, again, exercising that social muscle, getting comfortable talking to people and feeling good about making connections with other people.

Yeah, absolutely.

Social infrastructure refers to the networks, institutions, spaces that all facilitate or afford that sort of social connection.

And they become really important because they help facilitate those interactions.

So the more that we can invest as a society in social infrastructure, the more likely we're going to address the problem of social isolation and loneliness.

I think that's a great idea.

Anything that you can do to motivate yourself and push yourself to be more social, the better it is for you and for everybody else, including your community.

Acknowledge people you encounter through smiles, nods, or just pleasant comments.

Yeah, I think a lot of people take it for granted.

I don't think people necessarily realize that this goes all the way back to ancient Persia.

So for me, it's fascinating to look at things that are deeply embedded in our daily lives and stop and think, well, how do we get here?

How did this happen?

And then I sort of pull on that thread of the sweater and it unravels and unravels and unravels.

And then suddenly it's 550 BC and I'm looking at a huge dome-shaped structure in ancient Persia that was used to make ice cubes.

Yeah, absolutely.

Your Korean grocer doesn't necessarily have it.