Simon Sinek describes how he and a friend created a simple code: asking "Do you have eight minutes?" to signal when someone needs urgent support. Eight minutes of focused attention, he argues, can be enough to help someone through a crisis.
I have a dear, dear friend who is going through a very hard time. And she was telling about this awful time she went through. And I wanted to be sympathetic, but at the same time, I was really pissed off that she didn't call me. And I was like, I'm here. I love you. I support you. You're always there for me. Why wouldn't you let me be there for you? How selfish are you? Like, you wouldn't let me be there for you. She says to me, I did. I reached out to you a number of times. And I look at my phone, like, the text. She goes, want to come over? I'm like, how the hell do I know that that's a cry for help versus every other time you ask me over? Which sounds exactly the same. And so she read an article that says that when somebody's struggling, all they need is eight minutes of help or support from a friend to get them back on track. And so we came up with a code. We write to each other. Do you have eight minutes? It means I need you. And anybody can step out of a meeting for eight minutes to be there for a friend.
AI Won't Tell You the Full Truth | Arthur Brooks + Simon Sinek | A Bit of Optimism Podcast
How To Make the Best Decision | Arthur Brooks and Simon Sinek | A Bit of Optimism
