Melanie Joy is a social psychologist and author, primarily notable for coining the term carnism. She is the President of Beyond Carnism, a non-profit advocacy group which she co-founded in 2010 as well as a former professor of psychology and sociology at the University of Massachusetts Boston. Melanie is a recipient of the Ahimsa Award, an award previously given to the Dalai Lama and Nelson Mandela. She is also an internationally-recognized leader in nonviolence movements and social transformation.

In this episode of Intersections, Prof. Hitendra Wadhwa has a conversation with Melanie Joy on the topic “Building Rewarding Relationships (Even) in Strained Times”.‍

Relationships are at the heart of life and leadership – a boon or a bane for us, depending on how we maintain them. As the boundaries between home and work continue to blur, our relationship skills get put to the test. How do we nurture healthy relationships? What can we do to stay connected from a distance?

“To identify with others is to see something of yourself in them and to see something of them in yourself — even if the only thing you identify with is the desire to be free from suffering.”

Melanie Joy

The episode “Building Rewarding Relationships (Even) in Strained Times” offers key insights on:

• How professional literacy can bring fulfilment and joy in our relationships
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• Using appreciation and empathy to nurture our relationships
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• How to connect more authentically in a virtual world