Speakers share stories of finding joy in discomfort, discussing the balance between seeking meaning and comfort in life. They delve into research on happiness and meaning across different countries, exploring the correlation between adversity and a sense of purpose. The chapter emphasizes the evolutionary need for challenges, acknowledging the importance of tolerating discomfort for personal growth and gaining new perspectives.
Are we using technology to make ourselves numb? What’s the downside of air conditioning? And was Angela the most annoying person in her college classes?
- RESOURCES:
- "World Happiness Report," (Gallup, 2024).
- "How Painful Should Your Workout Be?" by Alex Hutchinson (The New York Times, 2022).
- "Taylor Swift’s NYU Commencement Speech: Read the Full Transcript," by Hannah Dailey (Billboard, 2022).
- The Comfort Crisis: Embrace Discomfort to Reclaim Your Wild, Happy, Healthy Self, by Michael Easter (2021).
- The Sweet Spot: The Pleasures of Suffering and the Search for Meaning, by Paul Bloom (2021).
- "Residents of Poor Nations Have a Greater Sense of Meaning in Life Than Residents of Wealthy Nations," by Shigehiro Oishi and Ed Diener (Psychological Science, 2014).
- "Confusion Can Be Beneficial for Learning," by Sidney D’Mello, Blair Lehman, Reinhard Pekrun, and Art Graesser (Learning and Instruction, 2014).
- "Stranger Situations: Examining a Self-Regulatory Model of Socially Awkward Encounters," by Joshua Clegg (Group Processes & Intergroup Relations, 2012).