Explore More: The Ignited Life Newsletter
“The real question for the future isn’t efficiency, it’s meaning. How do we give people meaning when machines outperform us? That’s the challenge of our century.”
Bruce Miller & Virginia Sturm
The Social Brain Explained: Empathy, Creativity, and the Future of Human Connection
In this thought-provoking episode of Passion Struck, John R. Miles dives into the science of empathy, creativity, and human connection with neuroscientists Bruce Miller and Virginia Sturm. The conversation unpacks how the social brain influences our ability to care, create, and connect—and what happens when neurological changes disrupt those functions.
From case studies of lost empathy to surprising bursts of creativity following brain decline, the episode shines a light on the brain’s remarkable adaptability and its role in shaping who we are. Along the way, the discussion explores mattering as a fundamental human need, the impact of sleep and lifestyle choices on Alzheimer’s risk, and how educators and families can nurture the social brain in children.
In This Episode You’ll Learn:
- Empathy is biological — it is not a soft skill but a brain-based system as fundamental as memory or language.
- Creativity can bloom from loss — neurological decline in one area may unlock hidden talents in another.
- Mattering is essential — beyond belonging, we all need to feel seen, valued, and recognized.
- Sleep protects the brain — deep sleep is critical for clearing toxic proteins that contribute to Alzheimer’s.
- Early signs of dementia — mood changes, anxiety, or sudden shifts in behavior can precede memory loss.
- Education must evolve — schools should nurture emotional intelligence and creativity, not just academics.
WHY IS THIS EPISODE A MUST-LISTEN?
This episode goes beyond neuroscience to answer timeless human questions: Why do we care for others? How does the brain fuel creativity and meaning? And what can we do to protect these vital capacities in ourselves and our communities? Whether you want to understand empathy at a deeper level, prevent cognitive decline, or discover how to help the next generation thrive, this conversation offers practical insights and a hopeful vision for the future of human connection.
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Empathy, Brain Injuries, and Why Mattering Defines Us
One of the most powerful parts of this conversation was when Dr. Bruce Miller and Dr. Virginia Sturm shared stories from their decades of work at UCSF. In their book Mysteries of the Social Brain: Understanding Human Behavior Through Science, they illustrate how changes in the brain can fundamentally alter our ability to connect with others.
Take Thomas, for example—a man who lost both cognitive and emotional empathy after damage to his right anterior temporal lobe. Once a loving husband and father, he suddenly became incapable of responding to his wife’s pain or showing compassion to his community. His story was a striking reminder that empathy is not just a personality trait—it’s a biological circuit. When those circuits are disrupted, the very foundation of who we are can shift.
On the other end of the spectrum, Bruce and Virginia explained how traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) can also silence the systems that enable us to resonate with others. Because empathy networks lie near bone structures in the brain, they are highly vulnerable to concussions and trauma. The result can be a subtle but devastating change in how someone perceives and responds to others’ emotions. Rehabilitation for empathy, unlike memory or motor skills, remains underdeveloped, though early research—like trials using oxytocin—offers some hope.
From there, the conversation turned to the broader question of mattering. John shared his perspective that mattering is different from belonging: it’s not just being on the team, it’s feeling that your presence counts. Virginia expanded on this, noting that mattering is wired into us from our earliest days—through the way parents hold their infants, through validation from teachers, through the affirmations of friends and family. Bruce pushed the conversation further, pointing out that in an age where machines can outperform humans at many tasks, the central question for our future will be how we give people meaning.
What became clear is that mattering is not a luxury. It is a biological and social necessity. Without it, people fall into loneliness, hopelessness, and burnout. With it, individuals and societies thrive. As Bruce emphasized, the teachers and mentors who leave the deepest impact aren’t the ones who taught skills, but the ones who made us feel we mattered.
This dual lens—on the fragile circuits of empathy and the universal need for mattering—underscores just how much the social brain shapes our humanity. And it invites us to ask: How can we nurture these traits in ourselves and others, so that no matter the challenges, we remain deeply connected to what makes life meaningful?
Thanks, Bruce Miller & Virginia Sturm
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RESOURCES FROM THE SHOW WITH DR. BRUCE MILLER & DR. VIRGINIA STURM
Please note that some of the links on this page (books, movies, music, etc.) lead to affiliate programs for which The Passion Struck podcast receives compensation. It’s just one of the ways we keep the lights on around here. Thank you so much for being so supportive!
- Virginia Sturm’s Instagram
- BUY Bruce and Virginia’s book ‘Mysteries of the Social Brain’
- APA’s recognition of mattering as critical to child mental health
- Passion Struck Core Value System: https://passionstruck.com/the-passion-struck-core-belief-system/
- Listen to Passion Struck’s interviews with New York Times bestselling authors Gretchen Rubin and Seth Godin.
- Check out Passion Struck’s Episode Starter Packs on Spotify or Passion Struck starter packs to get started with the podcast.
About Today’s Guests, Dr. Bruce Miller & Dr. Virginia Sturm
Bruce L. Miller, MD, is the A.W. and Mary Margaret Clausen Distinguished Professor of Neurology and Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). He is the founding director of the UCSF Memory and Aging Center and the Global Brain Health Institute. A world-renowned neurologist, Dr. Miller has dedicated his career to understanding dementia, empathy, creativity, and the intricate relationship between brain and behavior.
His groundbreaking research on frontotemporal dementia has revealed how neurological decline can lead to surprising bursts of creativity, reshaping how we view the brain’s potential. Author of numerous scientific works, including The Human Frontal Lobes and The Behavioral Neurology of Dementia, he has received some of the highest honors in neurology for his contributions to science and patient care.
Virginia Sturm, PhD, is the John Douglas French Alzheimer’s Foundation Endowed Professor at UCSF and a leading affective neuroscientist and neuropsychologist. She directs the Clinical Affective Neuroscience (CAN) Laboratory at the UCSF Memory and Aging Center, where her research focuses on the brain systems that govern empathy, emotion, and social behavior in neurodegenerative and neurodevelopmental disorders. With a background in clinical psychology from UC Berkeley and extensive training at UCSF, Dr. Sturm’s work has advanced our understanding of how the brain circuits that underlie compassion, altruism, and mattering shape both individual lives and societies. Her pioneering studies bridge neuroscience and human connection, highlighting the vital importance of the social brain.
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