The Next Big Idea Daily Why We Click: The Surprising Science of Human Connection
52 snips
Jan 27, 2026 
Justin Blaney, a business professor and entrepreneur who studies how relationships shape outcomes, and Kate Murphy, a journalist who explores why people fall into sync, discuss interpersonal synchrony, biological mirroring, attraction and trust, the risks of negative social contagion, and how to deliberately model and join relationships that change your life.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Infants Favor In-Time Bouncers
- Even infants prefer experimenters who bounce in time with them versus out of sync.
- This simple experiment shows synchrony's effect appears very early in life.
Sync Can Spread Harmful Vibes
- Synchrony can spread negative moods and behaviors through groups (the 'bad apple' effect).
- At scale, this social contagion explains both coordinated progress and mass harms like riots or hysteria.
Notice And Question Your Feelings
- Notice your feelings and ask whether they come from you or someone else.
- Use awareness to disengage from harmful synchronies and reclaim your emotional state.
