On friendship
💊 Quite possibly the ultimate bio hack
I listened to a conversation between two of my favorite people this week — Simon Sinek and Trevor Noah — that is the basis for this issue.
I wrote about Simon earlier this year:
I first saw Trevor live nearly a decade ago in 2016. Here is a picture I took that night:
On their respective About pages (linked above), Simon is described as a “a visionary thinker with a rare intellect” and Trevor is described as “one of the most successful comedians in the world.” What would they be doing on the same stage you might ask?
Well, as it happens, they are kindred spirits and this conversation — which sounds like it was kind of an impromptu thing at Brilliant Minds in 2024 — is really good. I think you’ll enjoy it.
🗣️Simon Sinek & Trevor Noah on Friendship, Loneliness, Vulnerability, and More
Here is the overview on YouTube:
Join Simon Sinek and Trevor Noah in this candid discussion where they dig into the critical role of friendships in mental health, success, and happiness. Simon argues that while we’re constantly improving ourselves as leaders and professionals, we neglect the deep, emotional bonds that help us thrive.
Simon and Trevor also discuss the loneliness epidemic among young men and its link to dangerous ideologies, and why teaching the value of true friendship could change society. Watch as they share stories and insights that will inspire you to nurture your friendships and live a more balanced life.
You can watch (or listen) to the conversation here (24 minutes):
If you are someone who usually skips over embedded content, I’d encourage you to pause and listen to this one. Or, if you don’t have the time right now (that’s okay), save it for later and come back when you do. Just promise yourself you’ll listen to Simon and Trevor sometime. I think you’ll be glad you did.
Your friends will be there for you; your work won’t.
-Simon Sinek
At one point in the conversation, Simon talks about how there is an entire industry around helping us to become better leaders, better parents, to exercise better — and yet, “there is barely anything on how to be a friend.” He goes on to mention mental health challenges — stress, depression, anxiety, obsession about longevity — concluding “friendship is the ultimate bio hack that fixes all of those things.”
It’s a striking moment. Okay, so, how does one be a friend?
A friend of mine,
, someone I’ve known since grad school (the first time), has actually been writing about this for the past few years. She posted about it on LinkedIn this week and you might appreciate knowing about it, too.✍🏻The Make Great Friends Project
She moved The Make Great Friends Project to Substack earlier this year and I’ve been enjoying her thoughts. If you’re intrigued, you can subscribe here:
The Make Great Friends Project also has a presence on Facebook and Instagram.
Have a tip to share on how to be a better friend? We’d love to hear your perspective.
🎵 We’re Going To Be Friends by Jack Johnson
We haven’t had a musical embed for a while. This week’s is an on-theme track from a Jack Johnson album that has long been a favorite. The track: We’re Going To Be Friends.
For some reason, embedding this song from Spotify doesn’t generate the right album art so I’m also including the full album below:
Wherever this message finds you, I’m wishing the best for you.
Be well,
-Bryce
Great blog. I hope you write more on male friendships. From this, I'm inspired to write more about how to strengthen friendships as an adult, how to find connections that fulfill you, even how to sustain a friendship over the years. There are far to many lonely people out there and I am hopeful that this is the start of something bigger. Oh, and thanks for the shout out! It means a lot.