i think that ancient art is overwhelmingly bleakla bom, macbeth, romeo and juliet. It doesn't end with the triumphant overcoming of obstacles. Its just one last obstacle, and it's often death. But in modern art, occasionally will get a modern piece of modern art that has an upbeat ending. We like to seek out negative futures, to bring our imagination to dark places. And i find self drawn to movies that show things that i would not want to happen to me.
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.