Liberman proposes that we are wired to be social, that interacting with others, mirroring them, and feeling their pain and our own are an integral part of our neural systems. He goes on to prove his argumentation through his studies and those done by others. Yet he doesn't give a one-sided argument. Instead, he considers studies that show we are wired differently.

Our brain to be wired socially makes sense if you consider the survival of the group. But we don't actually live anymore in hunter-gatherer societies or close farming communities. We live in big cities, where one has become somewhat faceless and power dynamics are far and obscure, yet our brains haven't changed. They still like to punish or, at least, frown upon those who take advantage of others. But sadly, as Liberman proposes, we are growing apart from each other. We value individuality and surviving on our own (even our building designs promote that) and at the same time, mental health issues and other social issues have skyrocketed. And it is not because of the failings of one person. It is because of our culture and its values and pursuits. And here, the book steps in. The last chapter handles how we should change our communities to cater to our socially wired brain that needs and feeds from social interactions. Even a simple thing, as looking at a boyfriend's photo in a painful situation makes us feel less pain. No duality here. We are social, and Liberman is set to prove and advocate for it.

I enjoyed the book enormously. So much that I want to reread it and remember all those things I somehow skipped or forgot. I have nothing to complain about. Okay, maybe I should say that some hypotheses were taken for granted along with basic assumptions. But this is not a scientific paper. This is a case for our societies to value and stress the importance of our social mind and use the information about how our brains work to better things, like our school system. (Liberman suggests how we should alter our education to engage our students and make them want to learn.) Wonderful book!

Thank you for reading! Have a beautiful day <3

When we look back on the pandemic and its longer lasting impacts, I believe one impact that will become more clear is the negative impact on our social connections and relationships. Which then impacts our health and our happiness according to this book. The first half really digs into some deeper neuroscience and the way our brains our wired as social creatures. We are built for connection and when we are not thinking about about other things, our default is to think about how we are fitting into the social norms around us. That was a little harder to follow but I really enjoyed the last half that talked about the implications of being social creatures. Fascinating book that include great insights for parents, teachers and government leaders.

This book was really interesting but unfortunately seemed to require you to remember a lot of technical names for parts of the brain, and other information that just didn't stick in my head. Some of the research done was really interesting though. I expected more on mirror neurons, but he mostly talked about other parts of the brain. I think some of them were two different names for the same region but I was never quite clear on what part of the brain was being talked about. Still it is interesting to think about being social being the most important thing about us and possibly a reason for the large brains to begin with.

Fascinating look at why we have a deep human need for connection. Your emotions impact your physical state, and your brain needs people. Even if you are an introvert (like me).

Lieberman shares his research and builds on the research of others. Using fMRI and other methods, they have been able to show how our brains relate to social situations - rejection, happiness, love, acceptance. He argues that the reason we have been able to survive, evolve, and grow as a species is due to our social communities. Social pain can be just as powerful as physical pain, and the brain shows this to be true.

There is an absolute need to build deeper connections with people and grow a sense of community. This book has valuable insights for leaders, parents, and anyone who wants to connect and live with purpose, because we are wired for this. I really enjoyed the book and highly recommend. 4 stars.

about how paint receptors in the brain respond similarlty during physical truama and social rejection.

the most interesting part i think is about education in which socializaiton is paired with learning, where older kids both learn and teach by inteacting with lower form kids and the like , its a slower process .

I really tried to enjoy this book, but it just fell short of its mark.
The author continually cites evolution for the reason our brains are "wired to connect," but never gave any real reasons. I would have liked a little of an anthropological perspective, or some evidence of why our brains have changed over time, rather than just "evolution made us this way."
I finally gained some interest around the tenth chapter (there are twelve in total) and will admit to using some of the information in conversation with friends and family. But all in all, I still don't really think I know why we are social beings.

I received this book for free as part of the Goodreads First Reads program.

Fun read even if you're not a brain or sociology nerd. The review of the different micro-regions of the brain and how they're used is fascinating. Much more in depth on the science than books like emotional intelligence, brain rules, grit, and so on. The comprehensive discussion though pairs nicely with books like those for a more robust understanding of how and why we consider our actions human.