Simon says the pleasure he gets from his young children now is spectacular. Looking at old photos of them produces a bitter sweetness, which is part of your point. Major theme of my book is about the importance of chosen suffering. If you do it right, these creatures that you love and devote your life to will leave you anaction. It's such a perverse project. Iring is, it's a very human one.
Author and psychologist Paul Bloom of the University of Toronto talks about his book, The Sweet Spot, with EconTalk host Russ Roberts. Bloom argues that suffering is underrated--suffering is part of happiness and meaning. This is a wide-ranging discussion of popular culture, religion, and what we hope to get out of life.