A Stranger Approached Her at a Concert and Changed Her Night – Melissa Kirsch

A room full of people can still feel lonely when every face is turned toward a phone. Melissa Kirsch shares how an uncomfortable moment with strangers changed the way she thinks about connection. In this conversation, New York Times writer Melissa Kirsch joins host Julie Rose to explore the loneliness epidemic, social connection, smartphone habits, talking to strangers, and why in-person connection can feel harder than it should. ABOUT GUEST Melissa Kirsch is a writer-at-large for The New York Times, where she writes The Morning and The Good List newsletters (https://www.nytimes.com/by/melissa-kirsch). The Morning newsletter - https://www.nytimes.com/series/us-morning-briefing The Good List newsletter - https://www.nytimes.com/newsletters/the-good-list Subscribe to BYUradio for more conversations about connection, meaning, and navigating life’s uncomfortable moments. CHAPTERS (0:00) Intro (1:06) Concert Alone Moment (1:47) Phones and Rejection (3:06) Strangers Start Talking (5:04) Social Contract Gifts (8:16) A Meaningful Life (9:58) Happiness as Practice (10:45) Postcards and Space (12:35) Gratitude and Self Praise (14:26) Wrap Up and Credits (15:27) New Show, “Dispatches from the Divide” #Loneliness #SocialConnection #HumanConnection #MakeFriends #AdultFriendship #TalkToStrangers #DigitalWellbeing #MeaningfulLife #MelissaKirsch