Episode 168: Home Alone

“The general discourse around it is let’s all band together and support the mothers and fathers in this trying time. And not once has it been mentioned, let’s band together and support the people who are enduring this by themselves.”

— Susie

Photo by simonapilolla/iStock / Getty Images

“So much of what I’ve been reading about how to adjust in the pandemic is how to keep up social relationships. And that’s unquestionably important. But I think it’s also important to talk about the value of solitude.”

— Joan DelFattore

“It forces you to some personal growth whether you like it or not. When it’s not about survival you get to know yourself in a different way.”

— Magali Rozenfeld

Joan DelFattore

Being single is a lifestyle choice for some women and an unwelcome reality for others. In this episode we meet three women, each with different perspectives on living and working alone, especially during a pandemic.

Retired professor Joan DelFattore has been happily single for decades. Susie, a consultant, is mourning the lack of a husband and children. Her isolation during Covid just makes everything feel worse - particularly when HR seems fixated on families. And psychotherapist Magali Rozenfeld says being by yourself can provide unexpected opportunities for growth.

You can also read a transcript of the show.

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Further reading: This is the best piece on loneliness I’ve ever read, by Financial Times writer Claire Bushey.

Here’s Joan’s Washington Post piece, Singles Say They’re Better Prepared to Self-Quarantine, But Many Fear Getting Short-Changed in Medical Treatment.

Episode 167: Power and Body Language (re-release)

“You take a normal body and you make it even more compact and that’s a sign of “femininity”, and it’s also a sign of low power.”

— Prof. Marianne LaFrance

Photo: Stocksy

“Quite often I get pulled in for a kiss...I think some men find it awkward to shake a woman’s hand because they think a handshake is something you do with men, and kisses are something you do with women.”

— Elaine Moore

In this episode we re-visit the topic of body language in the workplace. We look at hunching, spread legs, eye contact, and kissing - all in a business setting.

I speak to Yale psychology professor Marianne LaFrance about how men and women play up their power, or lack of it, through non-verbal communication. And Financial Times journalist Elaine Moore talks about how she deals with unwanted male kisses at business meetings.

This show originally aired six years ago. I suspect a lot hasn’t changed, but some things have. After all, we’ve had both the #MeToo movement and a global pandemic. So much of our non-verbal communication today is being observed through a screen. I’d like to re-visit some of these themes again in 2021.

You can also read a transcript of the show.

Further reading: If you haven't seen it, here's Amy Cuddy's famous 2012 TED talk on body language shaping who you are.

Here's Elaine Moore's FT piece, A plea to high finance: Can we give kisses a miss?

Marianne LaFrance is the author of Why Smile - The Science Behind Facial Expressions.

And here’s the blog post I wrote about Marianne’s work on smiling, and how that intersects with power.