Nick Epley launched his new book, A Little More Social, this week with a series of high-profile appearances, including a keynote at Culver Academies and a book launch event at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.
Andrew Huberman hosted Nick Epley on Huberman Lab to dissect the behavioral science behind social anxiety. Huberman framed the discussion around the utility of small talk, noting that the guest is an "expert researcher on the science of social connection."
During the conversation, Nick Epley pushed back against the idea that social caution is always rational. He told listeners, "our data suggests that your sense about risk is off a little bit." He argued that by avoiding strangers, people remain trapped in a feedback loop of pessimism, adding that if you are "really pessimistic about other people, it never gets corrected."
The advice moved from theory to practice, with Nick Epley emphasizing that personal habits act as a signal to others. He noted that "those little things that you think aren't that important are what folks are paying attention to." As his book enters the market, the focus remains on whether these small, intentional social nudges can meaningfully shift collective mental health outcomes.
