How to Love Better: The Path to Deeper Connection Through Growth, Kindness, and Compassion

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of addiction and substance use.

Diego Perez, writing under the pen name Yung Pueblo, brings significant lived experience to his exploration of love and relationships in How to Love Better. Born in Ecuador and raised in Boston, Perez’s approach to relationships is deeply informed by his 12-year practice of Vipassana meditation in the S. N. Goenka tradition, including numerous extended silent retreats. His path to meditation came after a personal crisis involving substance use following his time at Wesleyan University, giving his work an authentic foundation in personal transformation. His extensive meditation practice—over 12,000 hours, according to his own estimate in How to Love Better—provides Perez with a distinctive lens that blends Eastern contemplative wisdom with practical relationship psychology, making his work accessible to readers regardless of spiritual background.

While Perez’s meditation-centered approach offers valuable insights into emotional patterns and mindful relating, it also reflects his particular path to relationship wisdom. His framework primarily emphasizes individual healing and personal responsibility, which may understate systemic factors affecting relationships. Additionally, his approach is most relevant to those with the privilege of time for introspection and emotional work. Nevertheless, Perez’s ability to translate complex contemplative concepts into practical relationship tools makes his guidance broadly applicable.