Can the power of just hearing someone’s voice lead to a deeper connection? This is the question I obsessed over for most of 2020. I was laid off, single, and quarantining alone in New York City. In search of human connection, I decided to create an anonymous matchmaking experiment that unexpectedly became a year-long journey, which changed my life. This is not a love story that ends in a happily ever after, but a hopeful story around resilience that celebrates every ever after.

To learn more:

@itsnicetohearyou on Instagram and itsnicicetohearyou.com.

YVES & HEATHER: A lesson on reflection. The king asked, what is the hardest thing to look at? Meet me, the matchmaker and host, Yves D. Ropper. In March 2020, I was laid off and quarantining alone in a 1 bedroom apartment in Manhattan. In search of connection, I create an anonymous matchmaking experiment on a whim. The twist - no pictures, no names, no direct contact. They can only get to know each other by exchanging 1 voice memo a day, for 30 days. I solicit 100 strangers to participate and within just a couple days, people started sending 40 minute long voice memos to their matches. From behind the scenes, I listened to my participants. By the end of my experiment, I collected 100+ hours of audio from their voice memos. What I heard was empathy, acceptance, and real intimacy. They are all strangers to me, yet after listening to their voices, I feel connected to them. This story is as much about the experiment, its participants, and how it forced me to see myself. Listen to how Yves met Heather. 

3 things to explore after this:

1. Essay by Mandy Len Catron for the Modern Love column in the New York Times - “To Fall in Love with Anyone, Do This” https://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/11/style/modern-love-to-fall-in-love-with-anyone-do-this.html

2. Ted talk by Helen Fisher on the biochemical foundations behind love - “Why We Love, Why We Cheat” (23 min video) https://www.ted.com/talks/helen_fisher_why_we_love_why_we_cheat

3. The research paper behind the 36 questions by Professor Arthur Aron and colleagues - “The Experimental Generation of Interpersonal Closeness: A Procedure and Some Preliminary Findings https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/0146167297234003

ISABELLE & BRIAN: A lesson on compatibility. To be compatible with someone, how important is it to have things in common? Brian is from Montana and graduated from the Naval Academy. Isabelle lives in Atlanta and loves her dog more than anything in the world. Her favorite food is potatoes. He hates potatoes in every form. They “fall into like” within a couple days of exchanging voice memos. Over 30 days, Isabelle and Brian develop a deep connection, confess secrets, and are excited to finally meet each other in person and go on a real date after the experiment ends. Find out what I learn about compatibility from Isabelle and Brian. 

3 things to explore after this:

1. Founder of OK Cupid, Christian Rudder, shares what online dating data tells us about who we are - Presentation for Talks at Google (54 min video) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YX1gTVa1N78

2. Behavioral Signals CEO Raj Gujral on emotion detection through voice - Interview with Voice Tech Podcast

3. Professor Paul Eastwick on ideal partner preference matching - “Negligible Evidence that People Desire Partners Who Uniquely Fit their Ideals” in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology https://static1.squarespace.com/static/504114b1e4b0b97fe5a520af/t/5e4435dadb3f8f61938ad51f/1581528543753/SparksJESP_Final.pdf