The Science of Attachment

Editor's Note

Hello from London!

Thanks for your emails and replies of condolence from last week. A few of you asked for more information about Organisational Development (different from organisational design). So I'd point you to my late great mentor's well-researched, much-cited book on the topic. (UK, US)

I've started receiving a few books to review and I was lucky enough to receive an early copy of Platonic, a book about the culture of friendship, making friends and keeping friends. In the age that we are in - that's a tall order. The book is about being a better friend - or as the author puts it, a better human. Essentially in understanding the science of attachment, we can develop the key to building lasting friendships and finding the right friends in an ever-more-fragmented world.

I have always thought that our purpose defines us, but what is purpose without connection? And with knowledge, purpose and friendship, we can all evolve. I keep a very short list of true friends, old ones, new ones - and don't care much for the long wide network unless it's beneficial both ways, and this view is about digging deep into developing relationships in the right way, being human and, being trusting without being weak. I think we all need some of this ethos. And actually, with friendship, who is looking out for you when you are at your lowest? Who can you turn to when you have no one else to turn to? This is what this book is about it. Platonic, by Marisa Franco - I'd recommend it! It's out this month.

Stay Curious,

Onward! - Rahim

Classifieds

Classifieds support the running of Box of Amazing. Book your spot.

How do we make and keep friends in an era of distraction, burnout, and chaos, especially in a society that often prizes romantic love at the expense of other relationships? In Platonic, Dr. Marisa G. Franco unpacks the latest, often counterintuitive findings about the bonds between us—for example, why your friends aren’t texting you back (it’s not because they hate you!), and the myth of “friendships happening organically” (making friends, like cultivating any relationship, requires effort!). As Dr. Franco explains, to make and keep friends you must understand your attachment style—secure, anxious, or avoidant: it is the key to unlocking what’s working (and what’s failing) in your friendships.

Now

Feeling a bit tired recently? All a bit too much? Clinicians and researchers offer advice on how to tell the difference between burnout and depression and what to do about them both.

Can Facebook come back - or is it going the way of MySpace?

Not for me as tech too early doesn't sit well with me - but apparently it's a thing.

Remembering your life in the third person is a little creepy and surprisingly common.

Mental and physical pain share neurological roots. A simple painkiller can help with both.

Face masks remain ubiquitous in Japan, even outdoors on muggy 35C days. It takes some time to get used to a menthol and eucalyptus-based mask, and not only due to its cough drop smell.

Near

Which technology trends have the most momentum in an accelerating world? McKinsey ranked the top cross-industry trends that matter most for companies and executives.

Sincarnate’s name is Jason Allen, who is president of Colorado-based tabletop gaming company Incarnate Games. According to the state fair’s website, he won in the digital art category with a work called “Théâtre D'opéra Spatial.

Vitalik Buterin is one of the most well-known and best-loved figures in the crypto/blockchain world — well-known because Ethereum, the blockchain platform he co-created (with Gavin Wood) has become the platform for the entire web3 world.

Logs and records of its customers’ journeys fill out petabytes—and court case dockets

As we approach 60, it can be almost impossible to find a café or restaurant where we can meet people and hear what they have to say. Tom Austad experienced exactly this when he went to a bar with some colleagues in London in 2017.

End Note

Box of Amazing is made possible by some amazing advertisers. For more information and to secure a slot, fill in this form.

If you enjoyed this briefing, would you share this on LinkedIn, Whatsapp or email with your colleagues and friends?