What we can all do to build a more connected community
Because we are social creatures, we are ‘hardwired’ for kindness and cooperation. It’s our natural state. The sense of ‘belonging’ is therefore essential to our mental and emotional health.
But the social changes of the past 30-40 years have been pushing us in the opposite direction. We’ve become more socially fragmented, less cohesive, and more isolated. The consequences are obvious: epidemics of loneliness, anxiety and depression.
In this presentation (which was recorded during our 2021 Get That Good Life! virtual conference), Hugh will help us reconnect with the magic of kindness. He’ll explain how building connections can start with small acts of kindness in your neighbourhood. We hope you’ll be motivated to use these techniques in your own life.
About Hugh Mackay AO
Hugh Mackay is a Canberra-based social psychologist and researcher and the bestselling author of 22 books, including eight novels. His latest book, The Kindness Revolution, was published in 2021.
He has had a 60-year career in social research and was also a weekly newspaper columnist for over 25 years. He is currently an honorary professor in the Research School of Psychology at ANU and a patron of the Asylum Seekers Centre. Among other honorary appointments, he has been deputy chairman of the Australia Council for the Arts, the inaugural chairman of the ACT government’s Community Inclusion Board and an honorary professor at Macquarie, Wollongong and Charles Sturt universities.
Hugh is a Fellow of the Australian Psychological Society and the Royal Society of NSW. In recognition of his pioneering work in social research, he has been awarded honorary doctorates by Charles Sturt, Macquarie, NSW, Western Sydney and Wollongong universities. He was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia in 2015.