In the online Yale course “The Science of Well-Being”, Professor Laurie Santos presents the scientific data, interpretations and practical exercises about what is likely to make us happy. One key point is the amount of social interaction, with friends, family, or even casual conversations with strangers.
In many cases, there is an established protocol about how we interact with others. Depending on where you live, perhaps you never ask the clerk who scans your groceries how they’re doing. In Starbucks, they ask for your name to write it on the cup, but you might have never asked their name in return.
The moment we set the intention to interact more personably with strangers, and the moment we break that protocol, we just might find that we open the door to all kinds of possibilities.
