Audio only
The Social Paradox
Autonomy, Connection, and Why We Need Both to Find HappinessBy William von HippelNarrated by Josh BloombergLength8h 36m
About this audiobook
A Next Big Idea Club Must Read of February 2025
From the author of The Social Leap comes this thought-provoking exploration into humans’ two core evolutionary needs, for connection and autonomy, how the modern world has thrown them out of whack, and how we can rebalance them to improve our lives.
Why do people who have so much—leading comfortable lives filled with unprecedented freedom, choice, and abundance—often feel so unhappy and unfulfilled? This phenomenon is a defining paradox of our time and one we endlessly seek to solve. In The Social Paradox, psychologist William von Hippel argues that we need to think about this problem in a new way. By changing our perspective, we might finally see the solution, bringing us greater happiness and more satisfying relationships.
The key is to understand the interplay between our two most basic psychological needs—for connection and autonomy. Evolution made us dependent on one another for survival, instilling in us a strong need to connect. It also made us seek autonomy, so our ancestors could distinguish themselves within their groups, improving their chances to procreate and gain status.
These two opposing needs are our most fundamental psychological drivers, and while our lives once ensured a happy balance between them, the opportunities of today’s world have thrown it out of whack. As von Hippel explains, our modern world no longer demands connection but it provides endless opportunity for autonomy; this lopsidedness lies at the root of many of our most intractable problems. Recognizing this imbalance and working to counter it can drastically change how we make decisions, spend our time, and find happiness.
The Social Paradox invites us to examine the fundamental building blocks of life and society—politics, religion, urban living, marriage—in a brand-new way. Once we understand the evolutionary forces driving us, we can begin to see how to counteract the emptiness and loneliness of contemporary life.
Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook.
Audiobook details
Rating★★★★ 3.8 (348)
Includes Goodreads, Amazon
GenrePsychology, Science and Nature
Length8 hrs 36 mins
Narrated byJosh Bloomberg
FormatAudiobook
Publish dateFeb 18, 2025
LanguageEnglish
More from William von Hippel
What to Make of a LifeJim Collins13h 31m4.4 (794)$33 · $0.00
Braving the TruthRachel Held Evans11h 31m4.7 (359)$29 · $0.00
Level UpRob Dial7h 42m4.6 (3.3K)$26 · $0.00
As a JewSarah Hurwitz8h 36m4.6 (1.2K)$26 · $0.00
Saint Joan (Annotated)George Bernard Shaw6h 20m4.6 (1.2K)$1.20 · $0.00
Burn the HaystackJennie Young, PhD9h 30m4.6 (543)$29 · $0.00
Woman and the New Race (Annotated)Margaret Sanger6h 30m4.6 (1K)$1.99 · $0.00
Good InsideBecky Kennedy9h 55m4.5 (59.3K)$29 · $0.00
The Mis-Education of the NegroCarter Godwin Woodson5h 4m4.5 (29.4K)$1.20 · $0.00
Du Bois: EssaysW.E.B. Du Bois6h 22m4.6 (1.5K)$1 · $0.00
The North American Indian (Illustrated Edition)Edward S. Curtis, Frederick Webb Hodge5h 59m4.6 (1.4K)$2 · $0.00
Valley of the BirdtailAndrew Stobo Sniderman, Douglas Sanderson10h 1m4.6 (2.4K)$29 · $0.00
Lies My Therapist Told MeGreg E. Gifford9h 3m4.6 (503)$29 · $0.00
Disturbed in Their NestsAlephonsion Deng, Judy A. Bernstein11h 22m4.6 (595)$23 · $0.00
No Name in the StreetJames Baldwin5h4.5 (8.5K)$20 · $0.00
Narrative of the Life of Frederick DouglassFrederick Douglass4h 13m4.5 (309.9K)$1.20 · $0.00
Magic SeasonWade Rouse6h 41m4.6 (855)$24 · $0.00
Consent Laid BareChanel Contos7h 11m4.5 (1.7K)$24 · $0.00
The Big RevealSasha Velour6h 15m4.5 (2.1K)$24 · $0.00
EssaysGeorge Orwell26h 38m4.5 (8.4K)$4 · $0.00
A Brief History of IntelligenceMax S. Bennett12h 18m4.6 (6.6K)$29 · $0.00
The Story of BirdsSteve Brusatte11h 49m4.6 (401)$29 · $0.00
Craig & FredCraig Grossi8h 6m4.5 (9.6K)$26 · $0.00
Celebrating BirdsNatalia Rojas, Ana Maria Martinez6h 47m4.6 (330)$24 · $0.00
Saving JemimaJulie Zickefoose4h 59m4.5 (749)$20 · $0.00
Will's Red CoatTom Ryan8h 23m4.5 (2.3K)$26 · $0.00
Of Time and TurtlesSy Montgomery10h 34m4.5 (5K)$29 · $0.00
Zen and the Art of Saving the PlanetThich Nhat Hanh9h 20m4.5 (3.9K)$29 · $0.00
BLACK BEAUTY (With Original Illustrations)Anna Sewell7h 31m4.5 (1.3K)$1.99 · $0.00
Bottle of LiesKatherine Eban14h 25m4.4 (12K)$33 · $0.00
IngrainedCallum Robinson8h 10m4.5 (1.1K)$26 · $0.00
The Lion Tracker's Guide To LifeBoyd Varty3h 1m4.4 (4.8K)$18 · $0.00
Born for LoveBruce D. Perry, Maia Szalavitz11h 42m4.4 (4K)$29 · $0.00
The Mountains of California (With Original Drawings & Photographs) (Annotated)John Muir11h 35m4.5 (1.1K)$2 · $0.00
The New GuysMeredith Bagby16h 50m4.4 (1.2K)$40 · $0.00
Blue PasturesMary Oliver3h 23m4.4 (3.8K)$18 · $0.00
The Rise and Reign of the MammalsSteve Brusatte13h 26m4.4 (11.1K)$33 · $0.00
VaccinatedPaul A. Offit8h 30m4.4 (3.7K)$26 · $0.00
The Light EatersZoë Schlanger10h 57m4.4 (22.8K)$29 · $0.00
Where the Lost Dogs GoSusannah Charleson11h 7m4.5 (699)$23 · $0.00
You may also like
13 Things Mentally Strong Parents Don't DoAmy Morin10h 10m4.2 (4.7K)$29 · $0.00
John Lennon 1980Kenneth Womack10h 32m4.4 (925)$20
This Is Your Brain on DepressionFaith G. Harper PhD1h 49m3.9 (1.4K)$15
But You Seemed So HappyKimberly Harrington7h 10m3.9 (2.1K)$24 · $0.00
Why Mars and Venus CollideJohn Gray3h 48m3.9 (2.2K)$20 · $0.00
Breakup BootcampAmy Chan8h 44m4.2 (1.7K)$26 · $0.00
The Year of the HorsesCourtney Maum6h 50m4.0 (1.4K)$17 · $0.00
What Your Mother Couldn't Tell You and Your Father Didn't KnowJohn Gray14h 33m3.8 (1.1K)$33 · $0.00
Essays in medical sociology, Volume 1Elizabeth Blackwell8h 11m$1 · $0.00
Avoidant Attachment: Overcoming Avoidant Attachment for Healthier Relationships (A Guide to Transforming Fear Into Intimacy and Creating Secure Connections in Thriving Relationships)Carlos Cambell2h 27m$3.50 · $0.00
Highly Sensitive People: Easy Strategies to Achieve Physical and Emotional Well-being (Learn the Best Techniques and Methods to Thrive as a Highly Sensitive Person)Jerrold Pfeffer2h 9m$3.50 · $0.00
Trauma Bonding: Understanding Trauma Bonding and Finding Freedom (A Guide to Breaking Free and Healing From an Abusive Relationship)Curtis Marquez1h 34m$3.50 · $0.00
How to Pick a Mate: The Guide to a Happy MarriageClifford R. Adams, Vance Packard7h 26m$2 · $0.00
Harmony Within SelfElijah C.4h 7m$6.40 · $0.00
EDMR TherapySamantha Hartwell5h 25m$17 · $0.00
Postpartum Care: A Postpartum Essential for the Self-care of New Moms (A Complete Guide to Looking and Feeling Great After Delivery and Beyond)Robert Collier3h 33m$3.50 · $0.00
Emotional Intelligence At WorkDalip Singh5h 28m4.0 (218)$24 · $0.00
Marriage After ChildrenDr. Marcus Fenwick8h 24m$7
Meet Your Genes!Jasmin Sarif1h 25m$6.80 · $0.00
LoveSteve Pavlina2h 10m4.1 (21)$10 · $0.00