Passion Struck with John R. Miles
Could the Human–Dog Bond Be the Antidote for Loneliness? w/ John R. Miles | EP 690
14 Nov 2025
Chapter 1: What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
Coming up next on Passion Struck. Revolution I began 14,000 years ago in Germany, where archaeologists found the oldest known grave of humans and dogs together, a quiet pact of protection and belonging. Revolution II sparked when Darwin realized that our expressions connect us with animals, reaching back further than writing or the wheel.
Chapter 2: What ancient bond between humans and dogs is explored in this episode?
Revolution 3 is playing out now in our tech-driven world, co-working, silent Slack channels, and Zoom grids, where connection fades into loneliness. but every dog already knows. Connection isn't a luxury. It's our original operating system. Today, we script a counter-revolution. Welcome to Passion Struck. I'm your host, John Miles.
This is the show where we explore the art of human flourishing and what it truly means to live like it matters. Each week, I sit down with changemakers, creators, scientists, and everyday heroes to decode the human experience and uncover the tools that help us lead with meaning, heal what hurts, and pursue the fullest expression of who we're capable of becoming.
Whether you're designing your future, developing as a leader, or seeking deeper alignment in your life, this show is your invitation to grow with purpose and act with intention. Because the secret to a life of deep purpose, connection, and impact is choosing to live like you matter. Hey friends, welcome to episode 690 of Passion Struck.
I'm your host, John Myles, and this is the place where science meets soul, where data becomes devotion, and where we turn the invisible threads of human connection into superpowers you can feel in your bones. Last week, we kicked off a brand new series called The Irreplaceables, the human capacities no algorithm can touch. We started with emotional self-regulation and presence, the quiet art,
of showing up as you are without letting the moment hijack you. This week, we zoom out from the self to the system, the relational web that decides whether we thrive or just survive. If you missed it, we already had two powerhouse conversations this week. The first was with Elias Wise Friedman, or as millions know him, the doggist.
And he walked us through New York City streets with a camera in a rescue pup, proving that a three-legged pit bull can teach empathy faster, than any TED Talk. Then yesterday, Amina Altai flipped the script on modern work, showing how purpose, well-being, and contribution aren't perks. They're the new KPI.
Today, in my solo deep dive, we're stitching their wisdom into a three-act relationship revolution. We'll travel from prehistoric caves to mirror neuron labs to your next one-on-one meeting and we'll leave with a toolkit so practical your dog will high-five you. Here's the map. First, we'll go through Revolution 1 and we'll explore the co-evolution contract.
Then we'll step inside Revolution 2 and we'll discuss the empathy gem. And then we'll dive into Revolution 3, where I will expose you to the purpose-aligned tribe and woven throughout the belonging equation, the two variables that turn strangers into a pack. If this podcast has ever inspired you or helped you live and lead more intentionally, here are two quick ways to help it grow.
First, share this episode with someone who matters to you, a teammate, a partner, a friend. who could use a reminder that connection is still our greatest strength. Second, leave a five-star rating or review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
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Chapter 3: What are the three revolutions in human connection discussed?
But today you decide to do something different. You make eye contact with someone you met a couple of days ago and you use their name. Next, you give them a micro compliment. Luna Zoomies are legendary. Later on, you create a future pact. You tell them, I'll see you on Thursday. Then seven interactions later, You've created your own micro tribe with no app required.
Or as Elias puts it, before you get a dog, you know your neighbor. After you get a dog, you know your entire neighborhood. Now the counter example.
Chapter 4: How did the human-dog relationship evolve over 14,000 years?
What happens when belonging fails? A 2023 Nature Human Behavior Meta-analysis found that zero micro belonging moments per week resulted in a 38% cortisol spike and a 31% drop in creative problem solving. Now let's take this to the workforce. According to a 2025 Gallup report, hybrid workers averaging less than three name uses per day report 79% higher emotional exhaustion.
This is social famine, but dogs, they're the antidote. Let me tell you about the story when Elias met Milo, a shelter dog who flinched at shadows. When Elias met the owner, he told him Milo is unadoptable. But Elias decided to take matters into his own hands. He crouched. Three second pause. Milo froze. Then army crawled forward. One nose bop, one photo, one adoption the next day.
Sometimes a photograph is a kind of healing, Elias told me. He went on to say when someone sees their dog through someone else's eyes, it reminds them that love is visible. That's the empathy gym in action. Here's the parallel in humans. Service dog training at Canine Companions. handlers learn the three-second vulnerability window. Hold eye contact. Name the emotion aloud. I see you're anxious.
I'm here. The result? According to a 2024 report in the Journal of Traumatic Stress, PTSD veterans report a 42% drop in hypervigilance within 90 days. Research shows that frequent positive social encounters reduce stress, boost immunity, and sharpen cognition. The exact seven moments equals a 42% cortisol drop isn't in one paper, but the directional truth is ironclad across over 40 studies.
What this tells us is that dogs have been running this experiment on us for 14,000 years. Every time you linger with a stranger's pup, every time you send, I noticed you crushed that presentation. You're flexing the empathy muscle evolution built. You see, the gym is open 24 by 7, but how do you use the equipment, your eyes, your voice, your willingness to be seen, Connection isn't fluffy.
It is the original operating system, the one that turned caves into villages, strangers into allies, and loneliness into legacy. So step inside, hold the gaze, speak the name, offer the micro affirmation. The revolution starts with three seconds, one heartbeat, one dog at a time. But connection isn't only something from our past.
It's what we're all trying to find again, even now in moments that look nothing like community. It's 9.07 AM on a Tuesday. Your laptop glows like a campfire you no longer gather around. Slack fires up. 47 unread messages scroll by. updates, pings, and that endless streak of just circling back. But how many of those messages use your name? How many ask about you, not just your output?
Welcome to Modern Work. Gallup's 2025 State of the Global Workplace paints the picture in drastic terms. 25% of fully remote workers experience daily loneliness. That's nearly double the 16% for onsite teams. The water cooler? Gone. Replaced by emoji reactions. How are you? Shrunk to circle back. In a world with more tools but less touch, how do we find our tribe?
One that fights for us, not just with us. Today, we're diving into what it means to build a purpose aligned tribe in a disconnected world. Yesterday on the show, we were joined virtually through Wisdom Not Wires by Amina Altai. She's a career alchemist, a burnout whisperer, and a woman who learned the hard way that chasing success without belonging will break the body before it builds the dream.
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