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The Power of Human Connection

Cassie S. Sheerin

ENGL 102: Dual Enrollment

Mrs. Maren Wenz

May 1, 2020
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The Power of Human Connection

A star, who’s being illuminates an entire night sky, is merely a large ball of bright,

glowing, hot matter in space. This fixed luminous point hanging in the sky, spends most

of its life tied by gravity to a companion star, forming what is called a star system. More

specifically, a binary star is a star system consisting of two stars who orbit around one

center of mass. In fact, recent studies suggest that these companion-made systems

create extremely high-mass stars, which are much greater in size and temperature than

that of the sun (Asociacion RUVID, 2014). This simple companionship, this little

community, of just two beings transcends into a powerful connection. In this way,

humans are very similar to stars; though the human race may not be a collection of

floating plasma balls, we each have the ability to illuminate the space we occupy, and

strengthen those around us. This ability is rooted in connection. A quote by Joe

Straynge reads, “Human connection is the most vital aspect of our existence, without

the sweet touch of another being we are lonely stars in an empty space waiting to shine

gloriously.”

It is this, this connection that a human spends their life cultivating. When referring

to the concept of connection, I mean the feeling that one belongs to a group allowing

one to feel close to other people. This desire for social interaction, for human

connection, is a core psychological need, and is certainly essential to one feeling

satisfied with their life. Moreover, the power of human connection exists in the very fiber

of our beings and is proved to play a vital role in our health, and must not diminish in a
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current digitally connected world. Quite frankly, human connection has the power to

control the very meaning of our lives.

Since the beginning of time, human beings have proved to be an inherently

social species. Our drive to connect with others is embedded in our evolutionary history

and biological makeup. As far back as it can be traced, humans have traveled, hunted,

and thrived in social groups. These social groups provide us with an important part of

our identity, they help us discover who we are, what we need, and how to live our lives.

Culturally, ethnic groups provide the same stability, the same foundation that provokes

our desire to connect. Moreover, the AmaZulu, also known as the Zulu people, a Bantu

ethnic group of Southern Africa, value connectedness wholeheartedly. Roche

Mamabolo in his Ted Talk entitled, Sawubona, we see you, brings to light the meaning

of the ancient Zulu greeting, “Sawubona”, which translates to “we see you”. Equivalent

to that of “hello”, in the English language, sawubona serves as a sign of welcome, of

recognition. In his thirteen minute speech, Mamabolo explains that in the Zulu tradition,

a single individual’s lineage is always with them, meaning one is never alone, they are

always connected and representative of their ancestors. Mamabolo explains that

“sawubona is more than just a greeting, it also means to acknowledge and to recognize

each other, to bring each other into existence in this space that we are living. It is an

invitation to a deep witnessing and presence.” Understanding, acknowledgment, and

connection between one another has been a crucial aspect of Zulu tradition since its

origins in the late 1600s (“Sawubona: Tribe’s Beautiful Greeting”, 2018). Today, most
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humans find tribes in family, or in religions, or in clubs. Social groups may be ever

changing, however this need to belong will forever remain. We are wired to connect.

The social aspect of our beings is not only ingrained in our history, but in our

biology. Matthew Lieberman, a social neuroscientist at the University of California, Los

Angeles studies the social aspect of human thinking. According to Lieberman, there are

neural networks within the brain that promote our social connection. These three

networks include our ability to feel social pain and pleasure, to read others’ emotions,

and to absorb cultural beliefs and values. In light of all his research, Lieberman is led to

believe that we can characterize evolution as designing our modern brains, that our

brains are wired for reaching out to and interacting with others. Lieberman admits that,

“... these social adaptations are central to making us the most successful species on

Earth” (Suttie, 2013). In addition to Lieberman’s research, scientists believe we are

essentially wired to connect with other people because natural selection favored

humans with a stronger propensity to care for their offspring and organize into groups

(“Social Connection”, n.d.). From our species arise, we have only been known to thrive

in groups. Our biological composition is not only responsible for this mentality to belong,

but it is nurtured by our interaction with other beings.

Made up of more than one-hundred billion nerves, responsible for our need to

connect, the most complex yet significant organ in our body requires extensive

nourishment to cultivate our mental well-being. The brain, the very being that allows our

body to function must be carefully taken care of for us to survive. Developing

relationships, creating friendships, and building bonds with one another comes with a
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number of mental health benefits. In making an effort to connect, one is to experience

an increased level of feelings of belonging, of purpose, of happiness, of self-worth, and

a reduced level of stress, and of sadness. A study conducted in Buffalo, New York found

that respondents with insufficient social support were most likely to suffer from anxiety

and depression (“Importance of Social Connection”, 2019). Moreover, in taking care of

our brains, social and human connection is vital. In fact, one landmark study showed

that lack of social connection is a greater detriment to health than obesity, smoking and

high blood pressure (Seppala, 2017). Making an effort to connect not only nourishes

your brain, but has also proved to impact physical health. Furthermore, research has

shown that the power of human connection is effective in longevity. In a review of 148

studies, consisting of 308,849 participants, indicated that the individuals with stronger

social relationships had a 50% increased likelihood of survival. This statistic remained

true across a number of factors being age, sex, health status, and cause of death

(“Importance of Social Connection”, 2019). Additionally, a former surgeon, General

Vivek H. Murthy and author of Together: The Healing Power of Human Connection in a

Sometimes Lonely World studies loneliness, and identifies it as a major public health

risk. By drawing on current research and on personal experience as a physician, Murthy

shows how social isolation can exacerbate ailments such as heart disease, as well as

mental health issues. In addition, he demonstrates that human connection is an innate

need. Social isolation is dangerous to our health, and even our lives. Especially now, in

a world in which technology is growing rapidly, and we are seemingly much more

connected than ever, it is important that we maintain connection in its purest form.
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We must not forget about the human connection as the world becomes a much

more digital place. Dr. Brian Primack, PhD is the director of the Center for Research on

Media, Technology and Health at the University of Pittsburgh, and co-author of a study

published by the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, which shows that those who

spend the most time digitally connecting on social media had more than twice the odds

of feeling socially isolated and lonely. Counter to that, real life face-to-face social

connectedness seemed to be strongly associated with feelings of well-being. The study

shows that this naturally expected outcome seems to change when our interactions

happen virtually (Rose, 2017). As our society rapidly approaches full virtual integration,

it is important to understand the consequences of being connected virtually, and

whether it is worth the risk of becoming disconnected physically.

As air is to our lungs, connection is to our heart. Brene Brown, a professor at the

University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work specializes in social connection.

In an interview, Brown shared that “a deep sense of love and belonging is an irresistible

need of all people. We are biologically, cognitively, physically, and spiritually wired to

love, to be loved, and to belong. When those needs are not met, we don't function as

we were meant to” (Brown, 2018). At the root of our most wanted desires is a need to

belong, to be accepted, to connect with others and to be loved. The power of human

connection is wired within us, has serious effects on our health, and must be treasured

more so now as technology is on the rise.

It is unclear whether the universe, with its infinite amount of galaxies, or planets,

or stars has a deeper meaning. It is unclear to us, as humans, if we can find our fate in
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the stars. However, what is clear is that human beings are put on Earth for a purpose.

This purpose so happens to be finding happiness within ourselves and within our lives.

With that, our quest, our earth walk, is about discovering what will bring out the greatest

degree of happiness. The companion-made systems created by the two stars who

connected with one another, who reached their maximum potential in size, and greatest

degree in temperature were only able to do so through their companionship, through

their connection. Therefore, it is the connections we discover that will lead us to

experience the highest degree of happiness. It is the power of human connection.

References

Asociacion RUVID. (2014, December 5). Astronomers observe two stars so close

to each other that they will end up merging into a supermassive star.

https://phys.org/news/2014-12-astronomers-stars-merging-supermassive-

star.html
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Brown, D. P. (2018, April 27). The power of human connection.

https://www.liherald.com/stories/the-power-of-human-connection,102632

Rose, M. (2017, October 5). The Science Of Human Connection And Wellness In

A Digitally Connected World.

https://medium.com/thrive-global/the-science-of-human-connection-and-w

ellness-in-a-digitally-connected-world-611eb8c1b51

Sawubona: An African Tribe's Beautiful Greeting. (2018, October 1).

https://exploringyourmind.com/sawubona-african-tribe-greeting/

Seppala, E. (2017, June 28). Connectedness & Health: The Science of Social

Connection.

http://ccare.stanford.edu/uncategorized/connectedness-health-the-science

-of-social-connection-infographic/

Social Connection Definition: What Is Social Connection. (n.d.).

https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/topic/social_connection/definition#what-is

-social-connection

Suttie, J. (2013, December 2). Why Are We So Wired to Connect?

https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/why_are_we_so_wired_to_co

nnect

Tedx Talks. (2019, September 23). Sawubona, we see you [Video]. Youtube.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xpqU9MtL8MI
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The Importance of Social Connection. (2019, February 19).

https://www.mindwise.org/blog/uncategorized/the-importance-of-social-con

nection/

Together: The Healing Power of Human Connection in a Sometimes Lonely

World. (2020, February 24). Publishers Weekly, 267(8), 65.

https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A615911632/GPS?u=azstatelibdev&sid=GP

S&xid=18b3c3e5