Free course · Relationships and social skills

People & Relationships Academy — communication, connection and the people in your life

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Communication, conversation, emotional intelligence, friendship, family, conflict and boundaries, networking, influence and leadership, in 144 lessons across 15 modules — including how to recognise manipulation and protect yourself. Each lesson ends with a real-life challenge.

Foundations

Yourself, communication, conversation, emotions

• Module 1 · Understanding yourself — Before understanding other people: your values, patterns and footing. You will know your own patterns, values and limits well enough to stay yourself around anyone — grounded, not dominant. (8 lessons)
• Module 2 · Communication — The core human skill: being understood, and understanding others. You will say what you mean more clearly, listen in a way people can feel, and give and take feedback without damage. (10 lessons)
• Module 3 · Conversation mastery — Starting, keeping and deepening real conversations with anyone. You will start conversations with less dread, keep them going naturally, and move from small talk to something that matters. (10 lessons)
• Module 4 · Emotional intelligence — Noticing feelings — yours and theirs — and responding rather than reacting. You will name what you feel, steady yourself when it runs high, and read other people with curiosity rather than assumption. (9 lessons)

Relationships

Building them, adapting, handling conflict

• Module 5 · Building relationships — How relationships begin, deepen and last — the heart of this page. You will understand how trust is built and kept, and have concrete ways to deepen the relationships that matter to you. (10 lessons)
• Module 6 · Adaptability & different people — People differ. Observe the individual and adapt how you communicate. You will adjust how you talk to fit the person in front of you — their age, background, style and confidence — without stereotyping them or losing yourself. (8 lessons)
• Module 7 · Conflict, boundaries & difficult situations — Disagreeing, saying no, apologising and repairing — without damage. You will handle disagreement, set and respect boundaries, and repair relationships when things go wrong. (11 lessons)

Influence & reach

Persuasion, networking, presence

• Module 8 · Influence & persuasion — Carnegie, Cialdini and negotiation — influence that respects people. You will understand why people say yes, use that honestly, and negotiate toward outcomes both sides can live with. (11 lessons)
• Module 9 · Networking — Meeting people, introducing yourself, following up — and giving first. You will build a professional network that is mutual rather than transactional, online and in person. (9 lessons)
• Module 10 · Social presence — Calm confidence, clear speech and character — capability, not dominance. You will carry yourself with calm confidence, speak clearly, handle awkward moments and be someone people trust and respect. (11 lessons)

Close circles

Friends, community and family

• Module 11 · Friendship & community — Making friends, being a good one, and building belonging. You will make and keep friendships on purpose, handle the hard parts of friendship, and help build a community around you. (9 lessons)
• Module 12 · Family & close relationships — Communicating, disagreeing and staying close with the people nearest you. You will communicate more openly at home, handle disagreements and expectations with care, and stay connected across distance and generations. (7 lessons)

Leading & protecting

Leading people, and spotting manipulation

• Module 13 · Leadership & people management — Leading people well — trust, delegation, feedback, and teams that work. You will lead and manage people in ways that build trust, get work done, and leave people better than you found them. (12 lessons)
• Module 14 · Influence & manipulation awareness — Understand how pressure works, recognise it, and protect yourself. You will recognise manipulative and coercive behaviour, understand why it works on everyone, and know how to protect yourself — without becoming suspicious of everyone. (11 lessons)

Wisdom

What thinkers and books teach about people

• Module 15 · Social wisdom — What philosophy, psychology, history and literature teach about people. You will draw on long traditions of thinking about people — and hold every framework as an idea to examine, not a rule to obey. (8 lessons)

How each lesson works

Every lesson has three steps. Learn explains the idea, why it matters with real people, and shows the same moment read twice — the first reaction, and the same moment with the idea. Try gives you a short exercise and a few private questions. Live gives you one real-life challenge for the week.

Nothing here scores or ranks you or anyone else. Frameworks are presented as ideas to examine, with the case against them, and the module on manipulation is written to help you recognise it and protect yourself — never to use it.

Practise

• Practice labs — Rehearse real conversations: saying no, giving feedback, repairing a rift, meeting new people.
• Real-life challenges — Small social challenges to try this week, each tied to a lesson.
• The seven-stage path — An ordered route through the curriculum, from yourself outwards.
• Great books & ideas — Influential books on people — the ideas, the criticism, and how to practise them.