Being interconnected binds us to one another and all living beings, which can enhance our quality of life and foster collaborative efforts to establish conditions conducive to the well-being of all – a factor discussed with IntraConnected author Dr Daniel J. Siegel. While being interconnected means that different parts, elements, or components are linked, associated, or mutually dependent on each other, it also implies a network of connections or relationships where actions or changes in one part can have consequences or impacts on other parts of the system.

Interconnectedness can be observed in various contexts:

1. Technology
2. Ecology
3. Business
4. Social networks
5. Global affairs
6. With one another
7. With the world around us

Read: How do we build our communities? – with Unbound author Verlaine-Diane Soobroydoo

The concept of interconnectedness underscores the idea that everything is part of a larger system, and changes or actions in one part can have repercussions throughout that system. Understanding these connections is important for managing and addressing complex issues in various domains, from environmental conservation to business strategy to international relations.

So how can we become more interconnected?

Thanks to the following author for participating:

Dr Daniel J. Siegel, M.D. is a graduate of Harvard Medical School and completed his postgraduate medical education at UCLA with training in paediatrics and child, adolescent, and adult psychiatry. He is currently a clinical professor of psychiatry at the UCLA School of Medicine, founding co-director of UCLA’s Mindful Awareness Research Center, founding co-investigator at the UCLA Center for Culture, Brain and Development, and executive director of the Mindsight Institute, an educational centre devoted to promoting insight, compassion, and empathy in individuals, families, institutions, and communities.

Dr. Siegel’s psychotherapy practice spans thirty years, and he has published extensively for the professional audience. He serves as the Founding Editor for the Norton Professional Series on Interpersonal Neurobiology which includes over 70 textbooks. Dr. Siegel’s books include five New York Times bestsellers such as “Aware: The Science and Practice of Presence,” and “Brainstorm: The Power and Purpose of the Teenage Brain.” He has been invited to lecture for the King of Thailand, Pope John Paul II, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Google University, and TEDx. We talked about his 2022 book “IntraConnected: MWe (Me + We) As the Integration of Self, Identity, and Belonging.”

Other wonderful guests who took part:

Jock Brocas, author of “Deadly Departed” and editor-in-chief of Paranormal Daily News.

Emma Starrs, creative director at Kenland Media Relations in the UK.

Juliet Owen-Nuttall, a fertility wellbeing practitioner and the cofounder of The Non Invasive Method.

Here are some of the resources from the show:

Mungi Ngomane is the author of ‘Everyday Ubuntu’ and talks about how her book promotes how to live life well with 14 lessons from South Africa.

Books looked at this week:

Dr. Daniel J. Siegel, M.D.: IntraConnected: MWe (Me + We) as the Integration of Self, Identity, and Belonging

Mungi Ngomane: Everyday Ubuntu: Living Better Together, The African Way

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Transcription