The hidden power of social health, and how connection helps us thrive.

Whether you’re leading a team, building community, or simply craving deeper human connection, this conversation offers insights into building more connected, compassionate, and creative teams.

What if our social lives are as vital to our health as sleep or exercise?

In this episode of Collective Intelligence, Tracey Camilleri speaks with acclaimed science writer David Robson — author of The Intelligence Trap, The Expectation Effect, and The Laws of Connection — about the growing research around social health and its profound implications for how we live and work.

Together they explore how our connections shape not just our happiness but our physiology and longevity, and why modern work culture still undervalues this essential “third pillar” of wellbeing.

"Time spent forging bonds with others isn’t time away from work — it is the work.”

David explains the neuroscience of crating a shared reality — how two brains literally sync when people truly connect — and the traps that hold us back, from the “liking gap” that makes us underestimate how much others enjoy our company, to the fear of asking for help.

Tracey and David also bring in practical wisdom: how to become better conversationalists, how to give feedback that lands, how to bridge divides in a polarised world, and why singing, eating, or even walking together can spark what sociologist Émile Durkheim called 'collective effervescence' — that free energy of genuine belonging.

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The Collective Intelligence podcast is hosted by Tracey Camilleri and Sam Rockey, founders and directors of Thompson Harrison.

Contact details in the Links section below. David Robson on LinkedIn · David Robson's website · David's newsletter: 60-Second Psychology · The Laws of Connection book on Amazon · Website · LinkedIn · Follow on Instagram · Connect with Tracey Camilleri on LinkedIn · Connect with Sam Rockey on LinkedIn