Karen Armstrong once said, “We are meaning-seeking creatures and, unlike other animals, fall very easily into despair if we cannot find significance and value in our lives.”
But meaning is simply “connection” by another name. And we’re constantly searching for it.
Viktor Frankl knew this. Steve Jobs as well when he said that creativity is just “connecting things.” No magic. Just seeing what others miss.
Soldiers fight for their unit, not simply their orders. Employees perform far better when they see how and why their work matters. Our ancestors survived by connecting stars to seasons.
St. Paul said, “Without Love, I am nothing.” Without connection, we’re nothing.
This isn’t philosophical. It’s biological.
In ancient hunter-gatherer societies, not feeling deeply connected to your tribe meant death. Today, it’s the same thing just on a slower timeline.
This is why the isolated tend to die younger. Acquire more bad habits. Fall into despair. Meanwhile, those embedded in relationships—despite the obligations and burdens—report greater wellbeing than their “freer” neighbors. Connection may be one of the few things that trumps convenience.
We evolved oversized brains to make connections. Between past and future. Between actions and consequences. Between ourselves and others.
We tell stories to connect narrative to life. We seek altered states to feel connected to the universe. We form nations to feel connected to something larger.
As Author, E.M. Forster, put it: “Only connect.”
Not network. Not engage. Connect.
One genuine connection outweighs a thousand transactions.
Of all the nouns in the English language, “Connection” might matter most.
Our need for it is limitless. Both emotionally and practically. Without it, we literally die.
Not because we’re weak. Because we’re human.
