Hi and welcome

your host, I'm your host Dr. Ellen Hendrickson.

And every week I'll help you meet life's challenges with evidence-based research, a sympathetic ear, and zero judgment.

This week we'll talk about how to talk to strangers and with us is the expert.

Brandon Stanton is the creator, photographer, and interviewer behind the acclaimed and wildly popular blog

Humans of New York.

His new book is Humans of New York stories.

Brandon, thank you so much for being on the show.

Thank you.

So people are truly moved by your work and so many people connect with it.

You have almost 16 million likes on Facebook,

and as of a couple weeks ago two number one New York Times

bestsellers. So why do you think humans of New York is so compelling?

You know I think there is a sort of paradox of one seeing a picture of somebody on the blog that you do not know and that you've never met before and represents a stranger to you.

But then at the same time you're hearing a story or a quote from them that is very intimate and very revealing

and is indicative of something that they might only tell their best friend or

someone very close to them. And so I think you know that combination of seeing a photo

of somebody that you know nothing about except for this you know one kind of very

vulnerable or intimate piece of information is you know a powerful combination.

Yeah I think you get the specific in the universal at the same time.

Right.

Now, usually getting to know someone happens one gradually

...