How Can Cognitive Therapy Help You?

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Werh, just weird, because often we don't have a choice in how i relate to thingsd one of the things i loved about your book is that, ah, you don't pretend that you have a magic formula. Ah, but i do think writing like yours, and you write beautifully, writing like yours reminds you t be aware of it. It may not solve it. So cognive therapy doesn't always work, but sometimes it does. And the reason it does is it's like saying, hey, knock it on the side of your head. Wake up. There's something else you can think about, try it, and maybe you can. Sometimes.

John Stuart Mill's midlife crisis came at 20 when he realized that if he got what he desired he still wouldn't be happy. Art and poetry (and maybe love) saved the day for him. In this week's episode, philosopher Kieran Setiya of MIT talks about his book Midlife with EconTalk host Russ Roberts. Setiya argues we can learn from Mill to help deal with the ennui to which so many midlifers succumb--along with regrets for roads not taken and wistfulness for what could have been. Setiya argues that a well-lived life needs fewer projects and more pursuits that don't have goals or endpoints. He explains why past mistakes can turn out to be good things and how lost chances can help us appreciate the richness of life.