[You need] eight hugs a day. You'll be happier and the world will be a better place.

Attributed to neuroeconomist Paul J. Zak, the line condenses a popularized claim from social neuroscience: frequent affectionate touch (here, “hugs”) can improve mood and social bonding, often explained via hormones such as oxytocin and stress reduction. The “eight a day” framing functions rhetorically as a memorable, quasi-prescriptive dose—turning a general idea (connection is good for you) into an actionable habit. The second sentence broadens the private benefit (“you’ll be happier”) into a civic one (“the world will be a better place”), implying that small, embodied acts of warmth can scale into greater trust, empathy, and prosocial behavior.