#54 Society & Happiness: Why happiness of society should matter to us with Jon Yates

As humans, we have a very strong need to belong because ultimately our connections we have with each other are the centre of our happiness. A multitude of studies confirm that those of us who have strong and broad social connections are happier, healthier and live longer. However, our strong need to belong can lead us to only surrounding ourselves with people who are exactly like us. This means we will end up in belonging bubble. We just hang out with like- minded people and follow their trends, for the sake of belonging, rather than because we truly want to or because they contribute to our happiness. And the belonging bubble prevents us from having diverse experiences. In this episode, Klaudia speaks to Jon Yates, an ex-government adviser, charity founder, and author of the book who wrote the book “Fractured”. They are discussing a deceptively simple idea: the more we spend time with people unlike ourselves, doing things together, the more understanding, tolerant, and even friendly we become, and ultimately we enrich our happiness. Support the showLearn more: https://thehappinesschallenge.co.uk/Get involved: 📨 Subscribe to Klaudia's Substack newsletter for further insights and updates: https://thehappinesschallenge.substack.com/📚 Grab a copy of The Alphabet of Happiness from Amazon, Guardian Bookshops, Blackwells, Waterstones, and more: https://thehappinesschallenge.co.uk/book⬇️ Download: 26 Science‑Backed Micro‑Habits You Can Try Next (Sleep, Movement, Mindfulness, Connection, Purpose — all under 60 seconds) https://thehappinesschallenge.co.uk/store📘 Get the E‑book on habit formation: Build One Life‑Changing Habit in 10 Days (10 minutes/day + printable tools + reflection prompts) https://thehappinesschallenge.co.uk/store🎟️ Join live: Happiness Webinars and Workshops: https://thehappinesschallenge.co.uk/webinars