An educational, humanistic episode exploring the hidden reality of balanced connections, grounded in evidence-based research

Most people hear the word transactional and picture money, goods, or contracts. But what if the quiet exchanges happening in your daily relationships, your time, your energy, your presence, are just as transactional, and just as vital? In this episode, we peel back the assumptions surrounding connection and explore the undeniable truth: all relationships involve exchange. Backed by social neuroscience and psychological theory, we’ll reframe what it means to give, receive, and find peace through balanced connection.

Whether you’ve called it love, support, loyalty, or service, maybe it’s time to call it what it is.

References

Cropanzano, R., & Mitchell, M. S. (2005). Social exchange theory: An interdisciplinary review. Journal of Management, 31(6), 874–900. https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206305279602

Holt-Lunstad, J., Smith, T. B., Baker, M., Harris, T., & Stephenson, D. (2015). Loneliness and social isolation as risk factors for mortality: A meta-analytic review. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 10(2), 227–237. https://doi.org/10.1177/1745691614568352

Lieberman, M. D. (2013). Social: Why our brains are wired to connect. Crown Publishers.

Porges, S. W. (2011). The polyvagal theory: Neurophysiological foundations of emotions, attachment, communication, and self-regulation. W. W. Norton & Company.