Dr. Hanson and Forrest begin a new strength, Intimacy, with a discussion focused on how to balance two seemingly conflicting goals: maintaining our independence from other people while also forging emotionally intimate relationships with them.

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The material in this podcast comes in large part from our book Resilient: How to Grow an Unshakable Core of Calm, Strength, and Happiness. If you like the podcast, you'll love the book!

Timestamps:

1:40: How does intimacy support autonomy?

3:50: What does appropriate autonomy look like?

5:30: How does autonomy support intimacy?

8:50: The importance of choice.

10:25: Is there a biological basis for preferences for intimacy or autonomy?

12:35: The ways we inhibit ourselves.

16:10: Where do our inhibitions come from?

19:15: How issues with autonomy can disguise themselves as problems with intimacy.

21:55: The oppression of the internalized audience.

24:45: Focusing on your own experience.

26:20: How to build healthy emotional boundaries.

29:00: Remembering when things went well.

30:30: Asserting your autonomy inside your own mind.

34:15: The importance of balance.

35:20: Recap

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