5 reasons why we need social connection in real life

Ben Rein is featured in Fast Company’s Next Big Idea Club, a nonfiction book club curated by Malcolm Gladwell, among others, that features 15-minute summaries of the best new nonfiction books, directly from the authors. Rein shares five key insights from his new book, “Why Brains Need Friends: The Neuroscience of Social Connection.” Our brains, Rein says, have built-in social reward systems. “That means when we connect with others, our brains send powerful signals involving neurotransmitters like dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin, which make us feel good and want to continue socializing. This was the glue that kept us together millennia ago and, therefore, kept us alive. Our brains still have these systems, which means we have a lot to gain from socializing. This is what it means to be wired for connection. Our brains literally reward us for being around each other.”