An Emotions Beat episode about why rituals work — and what they have to do with Proxy.

When Yowei first started pitching Proxy, ritual was part of the concept. Proxy conversations, proxy rituals, “proxuals” — it was a whole thing. She eventually ditched the ritual component because no one understood what she was talking about.

But after making a layoff music video in a Kleenex box costume, Yowei still had a hunch: maybe rituals and proxy conversations are doing something similar.

In this episode, Yowei talks with Mike Norton, author of The Ritual Effect, about why humans invent rituals when ordinary life doesn’t give us one, how rituals help move us from one emotional state to another, and whether a conversation with the right stranger can work like a ritual too.

From the episode:

— Michael Norton — author of The Ritual Effect: From Habit to Ritual, Harnessing the Surprising Power of Everyday Actions— more about his work:www.michaelnorton.com

— Yowei's unhinged grieving ritual for her layoff

New to Proxy? Try Bisexual Wife Guy for a classic case, or Yowei Can't Speak Bro for a funny investigation into male friendship, bro-speak, and emotional translation.

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