Susan Pinker: If You Want to Live Longer, Maintain a Strong Social Life

Susan Pinker, born in 1957, is a psychologist and author; she has been a columnist for a variety of well-known periodicals. In 2010, her book The Sexual Paradox received the William James Book Award. The Village Effect, her recent work, has become a best-seller. Pinker is the sister of renowned cognitive psychologist, linguist, and popular science writer Stephen Pinker, who has been featured on this website previously.
 
Her Ted Talk about the importance of a robust social life, which is linked below, may seem like an odd choice during this time of pandemic isolation. Perhaps, but it is important to keep in mind for after COVID-19 is over. Maybe even more important until then: developing and maintaining a strong virtual social life!
 
Quote: “Just as blueprints don’t necessarily specify blue buildings, selfish genes don’t necessarily specify selfish organisms. As we shall see, sometimes the most selfish thing a gene can do is build a selfless brain. Genes are a play within a play, not the interior monologue of the players.”
 
Sources: Wikipedia, Goodreads.com
 
Learn more about Susan Pinker on Wikipedia. >>
 
Watch “Susan Pinker: The secret to living longer may be your social life” [15:52] >>
 
Photo: Ted Talks