Relearning How To Connect with Each Other

23 Oct 2026 · 1 min

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In this keynote excerpt, the speaker argues that humans are inherently social and that genuine, in‑person interaction is essential for building empathy and understanding. He warns that physical separation and digital distraction (e.g., phones) foster an us‑vs‑them mindset, blame, and protective behavior. The gathering of 2,000 attendees is presented not as a platform for speakers but as an opportunity for the audience to connect face‑to‑face. The speaker urges participants to leave phones aside, be present, converse, share meals, and meet colleagues they don’t know, emphasizing that these relationships become crucial when problems arise because personal connections enable quicker, more empathetic resolution.

Chapters

We're social animals, and the more we interact, the better we will understand each other. When we are physically separated and we don't talk, it becomes us and them. We blame the other side for all the problems, and we entrench in ourselves, and we become protective. And so one of the things that I think is super valuable, like this meeting, is it's bringing 2,000 people together. The most valuable thing about this meeting is not you and me speaking. The most valuable thing about this meeting is not anybody on the stage. It's the people in the audience who are physically together, you know? And what a tragedy if they're only sitting together in the room while there's content on the stage, and then as soon as there's a break, they all go off and look at their phones. Leave your phone away. Turn it off. Be present with each other. Talk to each other. Have dinner with each other. Drink with each other. Meet people you don't know across the company. Because when things go wrong or there's misunderstandings, you can pick up the phone and call somebody you know. It's always when we physically connect with people that we start to have empathy.