New Books Network Lorraine Besser, "The Art of the Interesting: What We Miss in Our Pursuit of the Good Life and How to Cultivate It" (Balance, 2024)
Oct 11, 2025
Lorraine Besser, a philosophy professor at Middlebury College and author of "The Art of the Interesting," explores the pursuit of a good life. She introduces the concept of psychological richness, emphasizing how it transcends mere pleasure. Besser discusses the power of engaging experiences and mindfulness in nurturing curiosity. She critiques how technology often distracts rather than enriches our lives. Additionally, she highlights the importance of interpersonal relationships in fostering meaningful moments and offers policy suggestions to enhance creativity and well-being.
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Psychological Richness Complements Happiness
- Lorraine Besser argues happiness and eudaimonia matter but are insufficient to capture the good life.
- She introduces psychological richness as a distinct, overlooked third aspect that adds depth to living well.
Personal Crisis Sparked The Project
- Lorraine Besser relates developing the idea during a difficult personal period after divorce and raising two young kids while getting tenure.
- That life moment helped her see how interesting experiences had been central yet sidelined in her life.
Value In Unpleasant Complexity
- Psychological richness often involves challenging, complex experiences that can be unpleasant yet valuable.
- Recognizing value beyond pleasant feelings broadens how we assess a good life.
