Empath Insights Lite- Cultivate Meaningful Connections

In trend: smart living as the new type of welfare

In trend: smart living as the new type of welfare

New trend in 2023, strong presence on the map promising to shape the world in the years to come. Our researches in 2022 indicate a fundamental transformation in the way people organise their life, where smart usage of resources play an important role. For people it becomes very important to feel they live in an intelligent way so as not to waste resources, to save as much as possible their internal energy. 2023 continue to collect interesting manifestations of this trend, announcing a new era when smart living will become mass behaviour

Conil: All the kids come in the world to teach us things, not the other way around

Conil: All the kids come in the world to teach us things, not the other way around

Amplified tolerance and empathy are two important trends in 2023, in a Romanian society that is continuously evolving at all levels and by the good-hearted spirit of Romanians. Conil school is an example of social evolution that happens when people gather around a goal and make the change all together, fighting the boundaries of human weaknesses

In trend: nostalgia or search for truth in our roots?

In trend: nostalgia or search for truth in our roots?

People and businesses are passing through a period of foggy transformation, thus information can play a clarifying role into setting a strategy forward and "feeling" the right direction. How people feel about their life today and how they make decisions? How they relate to past, present and future? What are the sources of creative energy? We selected below some research ideas, mainly focusing on the role of the past and what's lays beneath the apparent nostalgia.

The first study on gastronomic cultural identity: Romanian food has a great potential for reinvention

The first study on gastronomic cultural identity: Romanian food has a great potential for reinvention

The first study on Romania's gastronomic cultural identity offers an image of how the cuisine is perceived by current generations, but also a look at the future of Romanian dishes and ingredients. Herbs and cheeses are seen as among the healthiest foods, while Romanian spreads have international potential and great chances of reinvention, along with minced meat and potatoes. The study shows that Romanian cuisine has some obvious features: it is not very practical, it requires a lot of preparation time and it is cooked in peace, something that modern life lacks.

We need fresh leaders for Romania

We live in a society where values and social models change rapidly and the stability is difficult to create and maintain, which is why people feel insecure and look for success models which can inspire them confidence. The desire to have models to follow is needed more than ever and has an impact on the way Romanians live their lives, make daily choices and transmit behaviors and values to new generations. The question that is on everyone's lips is related to "where are our leaders?". What does it mean to be a leader in everyday life and what are the expectations that Romanians have from a leader?

Silvia Popa

Project Coordinator

Tell me who's your leader, to tell you who you are!?

Tell me who's your leader, to tell you who you are!?

Romanians have a really controversial relationship with the authority in general. Years of inconsistency in changing leaders have created that apriori mistrust in those that have authority over us. It is true that the toxic relationship has been designed both ways. Leaders as well chose rather to enjoy their status for their own benefits and planned to manifest their role for a short time, so as to meet their personal objectives. No consistent plan for the people, no bigger picture, no vision in generating consistent sustainable progress

"Stay Healthy" Gen Z, the paradox of youth today

"Stay Healthy" Gen Z, the paradox of youth today

Being young often means being careless. And free. However, recent studies show that the Gen-Z generation is more cautious than others, they tend to pay more attention to health, nutrition, sports, looks, and, not least, mental health. How far are we now in Romania?

Learn2Grow (Hong Kong) -technology for better education

Learn2Grow (Hong Kong) -technology for better education

Education, regardless age or any other criteria, must be a lovely fun process, engaging personal appetences and particular cognitive features in the process. We should not consider education as a segment independently built from what technology could offer but rather a process which integrated technology as a source of dissemination and empowerment.

Look4Loops (Canada) - the broad business opportunities of circular economy

Look4Loops (Canada) - the broad business opportunities of circular economy

Rethink business models? Rethink sustainability? Rethink the idea of growth? All of them and even something more: rethink the way we are understanding life and our impact on the environment. We are not suspended in time and space but anchored in nature. It is time to try making our world a more sustainable place for living, for us, and for the future.

Are Romanian entrepreneurs ready for growing with vision?

Are Romanian entrepreneurs ready for growing with vision?

Having a vision and making it happen, require more than just talent. It means stepping out of your comfort zone as often as needed so as to bridge your solutions with the needs of your customers. Otherwise, you might end up playing alone and wasting energy. How prepared are the Romanian entrepreneurs for this exercise?

The cure of Positive Energy

Romanian culture went through major changes in the last three years. Dealing with a lot of negativities in their life, has made Romanians understand that they are the only ones responsible with their happiness and wellbeing. They hold the control of it. This led to the search of positive solutions without expecting anything from others. The switch has been towards searching control on their own behavior in order to evolve and move away from toxicity

CoalitionWILD (USA): How can we protect the planet from us?

CoalitionWILD (USA): How can we protect the planet from us?

We should not talk about saving planet or nature, but we’d rather consider to save our own future on this planet. We need to ask ourselves: in which world we’d like to live in the future? Nature is not a 3rd party we just relate to, but it is the fundamental share of our origin. Reconnecting with nature prepare ourselves for a better reaction when it comes to manage our relationship with the environment.

Romania's hidden dragons: how normal we treat mental health

Romania's hidden dragons: how normal we treat mental health

Romanians are still struggling on how to accept and be compassionate with people that have mental health problems. The society has been cruel, intolerant, and judgmental, driven by fear and shame, whenever needing to relate to cases of mental instability. Yet, there is so much room for evolution at personal and societal level until one’s mental illness becomes accepted as a disease that requires treatment and acceptance as any other. After all, the world is shaped by people’s hearts & minds, so it is priority to take care of those first

World post pandemic: THE FAMILY becoming the center of the world

World post pandemic: THE FAMILY becoming the center of the world

A story about people personal discoveries during lockdown, as they revealed to us. A story describing the process in which THE FAMILY re-gain its original status of being the center of everybody's life, thus the world

How difficult is it to stay connected with immediate reality?

How difficult is it to stay connected with immediate reality?

Connecting with your own true self has gain more meaning today as people become more conscious on what their real feelings are. “Living the now” becomes priority as people re-value happiness as being more present in your life and your body

The challenge of deeper analysis and long term planning

The challenge of deeper analysis and long term planning

The Romanian history of cultural insecurities made people struggle in having an organized life as fearing the idea of taking risks. It was just very hard to get settled and be organized. The last years made people more focused on deeper analysis and getting control on their mind & body by setting up a list of good habits. Prevention and planning are seen today as key rule of a balanced life

Is not you, it's me! Me and my personal immunity

Is not you, it's me! Me and my personal immunity

Pandemic Crisis has made Romanians more confident in their power of making their life better. It made them aspire to freedom and liberation in a way they never did before, by using new tools such as planning and discipline. Preserving one’s immunity is the first step in becoming a more perseverant, stable and strong nation

"Who am I?" Romania sees healthy growth

Obviously Romanians today are very different from older generations. Once survival is no longer a constant struggle, people start asking themselves more rarely “what am I going to eat tomorrow?” and more often “who am I?”, “what is my life purpose?”, “how can I become happy?”. They look to define their values and priorities, are more inclined to be introspective and aspire more and more towards finding “meaning” in everything around them.

Anxiety or Wellbeing in Romania. What will win?

Anxiety or Wellbeing in Romania. What will win?

Hunters 2018: Being Romanian per se is accompanied by a huge disconnection between self and social corpus. You are forced to feel good with yourself (even if you don't) as a survival mechanism, while believing the threat comes from outside, from the others which are not good for you. Bad luck, we say. Poor you, so misfortunate. Latest years are however market by a revolution inside and outside, a quest for harmonising the two worlds with live in - me / we and them / us. And that comes with a struggle for choosing between staying in anxiety or winning wellbeing. We decide!

Trauma is the best teacher and healing the best road to evolution

Trauma is the best teacher and healing the best road to evolution

At the beginning of 2019 we were launching the second edition of Hunters and the seeds of evolution were already manifest. Data show people were mentally better prepared for change when the pandemic started. Probably that's why we say today that Romania has faced the latest crisis maybe better than more developed countries - we trained harder

Social change is here to stay

A summary of the second edition of Hunters (2019) showing Romanians were just starting their path to evolution, defending their common values and discovering how strong they can be together. It was just the beginning of their path to evolution.

World Radical Restaurative Action

The pandemic crisis did not change only people's lives, but the global order as well. World problems changes their status from being acknowledged to becoming urgencies. The Economist predicts 9 trends to shape the world in near future

2020 gave us back the space for self reflection

2020 gave us back the space for self reflection

Beginning of 2020 came in calmness and was guided by people spiritual awakening. We were lucky to have these two ingredients as bases for fighting the crisis we further faced. All the changes that came after were already present before the pandemic. The crisis just amplified them, they did not come out of the blue

Take your time to think and choose what's best for you

Take your time to think and choose what's best for you

We had time in 2020. We cannot complain on this. And life had a different rhythm. We learned that all this global trauma that it’s not over yet helped us eventually to evolve. And that time is sometimes the most valuable resource we have

The world will never be the same, but better

The world will never be the same, but better

As 2021 rolls in, it becomes clearer and clearer that the world may never fully go back to how it was before Covid-19. The paradox might be that this “revised reality”, in itself, could bring about some positive changes in human society.

Why a critical consumer is a blessing for business?

Why a critical consumer is a blessing for business?

Companies going out of pandemic crisis and entering a new era complain about not understanding customers anymore and dealing with over-criticism. Criticism of the masses is like pain for the body - it represents a warning signal you need to take action, understand the problem and find solutions to the "screaming" needs

The contract between the untamed Romania and its Bear King

The contract between the untamed Romania and its Bear King

One of the unique characteristics of Romania, often called as too wild for the modern world, is its untamed nature and extraordinary landscapes. Romania is not just wild, but naturally rich and fascinating, while Romanians have had through generations a specific connection with nature which seems embedded in their DNA. As much pressure the modern world has put on us, we proudly managed to preserve the biosphere. The Carpathian Bear is the King of Romania's fauna and lately he has sent us signs he is not feeling well. It is not just because climate change, it is also caused by us, humans!

Silvia Popa

Project Coordinator

“The awakened self” 2023. What comes next?

“The awakened self” 2023. What comes next?

Hunters 2023 is the story of people in Romania entering the next year in calmness and balance, despite the worrying news of an energetic and financial crisis. This comes as a consequence of the last 3 years of consequent shocks and trauma which triggered a next level of maturity of the overall population. To many of us, people might seem disconnected and detached, while in reality they are busy working on their inner system to align their priorities in a correct and natural manner. This is to them the main coping strategy for gaining balance and stability whatever they might face in the outside world

Women feel better with stress than men, once again

Women feel better with stress than men, once again

The pandemic crisis generated an amplification of deep-seated truths across all the layers of society. Regardless of age, gender or social status, people felt the pressure of the national and global difficulties, as well as the sharp and abrupt changes in lifestyle that were generated.

Forced anxiety: being young & single during lockdowns

Forced anxiety: being young & single during lockdowns

The lockdown was a difficult period for almost everyone, regardless of age or status. While families found themselves under the heavy pressure of managing complex schedules and juggling with all sorts of activities across what seemed to be a too short 24h day, others faced the difficulty of suddenly having too much time alone on their hands.

2021, the year everything changed

Re-setting is a time of unsettling. Repetitive crisis have built a unique mood which is also a state of overcompensation in a space of uncertainty, in Romania and elsewhere. What is important to retain is that the same feelings and desires acquire a variety of expressions, and that sometimes consumers will discover what they truly desire only once they experience it. For those who prepare new products to be launched in Romania, I would say: Reset, and dare vulnerability. It will be rewarded in the long term.

2020, switching from plans to actions

The third Hunters edition finds the Romanian society in a quite sensitive spot. In the past years we could see an exceptional dynamic in everything relating to mental progress, world understanding, values and principles, while this year is surprising mainly through its calmness. It is not about resignation, people are just busy to transform their vision in actions

Meet the colors of the Romanian mind

We see colors everyday but what do they mean to us? Are they just colors or is there something more to learn from them? The way people refer to colors says a lot about the values and norms that their culture is made of; they talk about emotions, feelings, doubts, deeper associations, positive or negative

Avenor College: redesign the educational process to prepare for the future

Avenor College: redesign the educational process to prepare for the future

In a century of a well highlighted social development and visible personal self-awareness, education process must focus on freedom of expression and critical thinking. Changing the paradigm of educating people, will change the quality of educational process. Investing more in a tailored education, accustomed to individual needs and profiles, would eventually provide a more dense and resourceful input over generations to come.

Mindvalley (Kuala Lumpur): the key to any type of learning is to know yourself

Mindvalley (Kuala Lumpur): the key to any type of learning is to know yourself

Education is the main process of shaping human being nature. It is a design tool which not only affects the appearance but also the inner layers, the fundamental meaning, the interior structure. The dynamic of human’s evolution was tuned and refined by our capacity of overcoming our instincts and give them a new meaning and purpose shaped by education and assessing knowledge.