Do People Still Need People?

Jul 23

There are some remarkably interesting people in our neighborhood. We’d meet in passing, and exchange a few words about the kids, chat about their dogs, or about world news. But it usually felt like we were skimming the surface.
So, we started something new: a mix a local think tank, literary club, and a salon of a sort. We called it The Idea Circle.

About 10 of us gathered for our first meeting. The goal wasn’t to debate or solve, but to ask better questions together and dive deeply into a topic. We picked an opening topic: Do people still need people? (The back-up topic was “What’s worth paying attention to?”).

Almost every need these days can be met without speaking to a human. Food can arrive to our doorstep through an online order. Advice can often be given by AI. Even “community” can be simulated by skillfully designed AI agents.

So, what’s lost when we opt out of each other?

As we shared our stories of needing blood from a donor during a surgery, co-experiencing a live concert together, caring for a beloved family member, feeling the energy of engaging human interactions, something shifted.

We didn’t just exchange information. We exchanged presence.

It was more than learning new facts and nodding thoughtfully. It was the warmth of shared deep genuine attention, the nuances of translating ideas from different languages, being present with each other, sharing food, laughing together, and feeling inspired to have more conversations with each other and with others.
We experienced a genuine reminder that the connection is the point.

So, let me ask you: Do people still need people in your family, in your friend circle, in your organization?

Does it matter if the future generations lose this visceral sense for needing people? Should we intentionally preserve this need in our circles?

To our Idea Circle the answer was clear: even as AI gets progressively better, talking about what matters with caring people who matter still matters.

I would love to hear what surfaces in your circles. What do your teams, families, friends, and neighbors say when you ask? By the way, our next topic is: Must we be happy?

Forward this to someone, and let me know how the conversation goes!

With gratitude,

Alina
Dr. Alina Bas, PCC
Executive Coach & Strategist
Adjunct Professor, NYU Graduate School of Arts and Science
https://AlinaBas.com/schedule
Alina@AlinaBas.com

NEWS & UPDATES

What are you doing next Monday, 7/28/25 at 6:30pm? There may still be a couple of spots left in this free workshop that I'm offering in NJ/NYC area (the workshop is free, but registration is required by the library - our host).

Workshop: "Intuition: Myths, Science, and Practice". As you know from my past classes on intuition and sensory-based knowledge, even when the title remains the same, the content always changes. If you're interested in the topic, I'd love to see you at the workshop.
Date: Monday, July 28, 2025
Time: 6:30pm – 8pm
Location: Maurice M. Pine Public Library, 10-01 Fair Lawn Ave, Fair Lawn, NJ
Registration: https://bccls.libcal.com/event/14765637

On a corporate side, I am presenting an iteractive workshop, Emotional Intelligence in Action: Cultivating Awareness and Executive Presence, as a part of the Emerging Leader Program for geographically distributed managers within the transportation industry. Could emerging leaders in your organization benefit from a similar program? Let's discuss what may work for your company.

This summer, I've been reading a lot and listening to some great podcasts. Here are some of my favorites:

- Hidden Brain podcast, Your Life 2.0: What Is Your Life For? There is no preaching, just awe of the beauty and unpredictability of life. Listen, from the beginning to the end, don’t get a “3 bullet point summary” of it. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/you-2-0-what-is-your-life-for/id1028908750?i=1000715183323
- TED Tech podcast, Can AI Companions Help Heal Loneliness? Excellent conversation with Eugenia Kuyda, the founder of Replika. My favorite take-away is her message to AI makers along the lines of: focus on engagement that helps people thrive in their tangible lives, not the "engagement" that keeps people addicted to the technology. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ted-tech/id470624027?i=1000714749766
- I'm really enjoying "The Little Book of Hygge" by Meik Wiking. It offers well-researched, practical ideas for adding coziness to our daily lives at the time when the world seems to be going crazy.
- For a deeper dive into the nature of our connections with each other, with our environment and with the universe, try "I and Though" by Martin Buber. If you love John O'Donnohue's work, you will love this one as well.
- Alison Pugh's message in "The Last Human Job" also deeply resonated with me: our presense with each other, genuine and engaged attention that we can give each other don't have equivalents and substitues, despite rapid AI developments. Many of us are still excellent at telling the difference between genuine and performative attention, and it makes all the difference (not for everyone, but for many of us).

Would you like to host workshops like this for your group of friends or for your team? Let's talk about it.