The Courageous Life

The Missing Ingredient to 'The Good Life' | Dr. Lorraine Besser

Nov 20, 2024

55:39

What does it mean to live a 'good life'?

For centuries philosophers, theologians, and psychologists have explored this question.

Arguing primarily that there are two distinct paths to living well.

The first might be casually thought of as sex, drugs, and rock and roll.

Choosing pleasure as our primary pursuit - building our life around a simple equation:

The more pleasant experiences we have, the better life is.

The second path is the pursuit of a meaningful life. Choosing to craft our lives, and our work in ways that lead to a greater sense of purpose, and fulfillment.

The reality is, there are strong arguments behind the benefits of taking either path,

And when you combine the two it may be an even more potent recipe for a life well lived.

But what if these answers are incomplete?

If all we need is more happiness or meaning, why aren’t more of us achieving that truly “good” life?

Today's guest, Philosopher and popular Middlebury professor Dr. Lorraine Besser is shedding light on the missing third piece in our search for the Good Life—

what researchers refer to as psychological richness.

And what Lorraine calls The Interesting.

In today’s conversation we will take a deep dive into Lorraine’s work and her beautiful new book - The Art of the Interesting: What We Miss in Our Pursuit of the Good Life and How to Cultivate It,

We’ll explore how interesting experiences captivate our minds, engage our thoughts and emotions, and often change our perspective.

And how ultimately when we choose to take the path of interesting experiences we live a fuller and more satisfying life.

For more on Lorraine, and The Art of the Interesting, please visit Lorrainebesser.com

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