Sean Carroll's Mindscape: Science, Society, Philosophy, Culture, Arts, and Ideas 340 | Rebecca Newberger Goldstein on What Matters and Why It Matters
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Jan 12, 2026 
Rebecca Newberger Goldstein, a renowned philosopher and novelist, delves into the concept of 'mattering' in her latest work. She explores how our desire to matter shapes our lives, motivating both great achievements and conflicts. Goldstein discusses the tension between self-attention and social validation, highlighting different strategies to fulfill our mattering instinct. Through compelling stories, including transformations and the dangers of universalizing one's mattering, she reveals the complexities of finding purpose in a chaotic world.
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Mattering As Deserving Attention
- Mattering is best defined as being deserving of attention, combining normative justification with personal valuation.
- Rebecca Newberger Goldstein argues this capacity to demand deserved attention is a core human trait shaped by biology and reflection.
Self-Reflection Creates The Mattering Gap
- Humans uniquely apply theory of mind to themselves, creating a gap between how much attention they need and what they objectively deserve.
- Goldstein calls the resulting drive to close that gap the mattering instinct.
Kevin Bacon’s Experiment With Anonymity
- Kevin Bacon disguised himself to experience anonymity and found ordinary life unsatisfying.
- Goldstein uses this story to show fame can fail as a way to satisfy mattering.
