And that involves, really,
just tuning in and saying,
"OK, I'm energized
by being with a lot of people,
so I'm going to do that,"
or "No, I'm exhausted
by being with a lot of people.
For me, you know, a quiet
conversation with one person
is the most energizing thing
I can do in the interpersonal realm."
And so it's really a matter of discerning
what's right for each person.
WPR: And what factors
have you found contribute to that?
Maybe things from early
in life or childhood
that might actually shape our ability
to make these connections later in life?
RW: Yes, so, many of our social skills
we learn when we're growing up.
We learn it in our families,
we learn it at school
and on the playground.
They can be learned,
and they can be improved
as we get into adulthood.
They’re not set in stone
once we’re done with childhood.
So it's really important to see
the ways that, you know,
just like some of the suggestions I made,
ways that you can practice
getting better at this,
because it really pays off.
But some people are not so good at this.