Uploaded June 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
What if the antidote to loneliness isn’t technology, but ritual?
Traveling across 16 countries, author Bruce Feiler uncovered a quiet global movement helping people reconnect in an age of digital overload.
In this edition of Author Talks, the New York Times bestselling author gives us a look inside his latest book: A Time to Gather: How Ritual Created the World—and How It Can Save Us (Penguin Press / Penguin Random House, May 2026).
Feiler explains how, as digital saturation grows, people are creating new rituals to reconnect with one another. He argues gathering helps people navigate life’s transitions and why the future may be more human—and more communal—than we think.
Chapters:
00:00 - Intro
00:13 - Why do we need rituals now
03:30 - What's the difference between habits, rituals, and traditions?
04:02 - The original human algorithm
06:40 - The “Taylor Swift Divorce Party”
09:08 - Can we have too many rituals?
12:38 - How can rituals help organizations through uncertainty?
16:41 - The universality of successful gatherings
18:34 - Meeting the moment: Existential homesickness
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Comments and opinions expressed by interviewees are their own and do not represent or reflect the opinions, policies, or positions of McKinsey & Company or have its endorsement.
What if the antidote to loneliness isn’t technology, but ritual?
Traveling across 16 countries, author Bruce Feiler uncovered a quiet global movement helping people reconnect in an age of digital overload.
In this edition of Author Talks, the New York Times bestselling author gives us a look inside his latest book: A Time to Gather: How Ritual Created the World—and How It Can Save Us (Penguin Press / Penguin Random House, May 2026).
Feiler explains how, as digital saturation grows, people are creating new rituals to reconnect with one another. He argues gathering helps people navigate life’s transitions and why the future may be more human—and more communal—than we think.
Chapters:
00:00 - Intro
00:13 - Why do we need rituals now
03:30 - What's the difference between habits, rituals, and traditions?
04:02 - The original human algorithm
06:40 - The “Taylor Swift Divorce Party”
09:08 - Can we have too many rituals?
12:38 - How can rituals help organizations through uncertainty?
16:41 - The universality of successful gatherings
18:34 - Meeting the moment: Existential homesickness
Subscribe to our channel: mck.co/YouTube
Subscribe to our newsletters: mck.co/Subscribe
*Find us on:*
Facebook: mck.co/Facebook
Twitter: mck.co/Twitter
LinkedIn: mck.co/LinkedIn
Instagram: mck.co/Instagram
Comments and opinions expressed by interviewees are their own and do not represent or reflect the opinions, policies, or positions of McKinsey & Company or have its endorsement.
