Modern Wisdom

#438 - Michael Easter - Learn To Embrace Discomfort

Feb 21, 2022

Michael Easter, a contributing editor at Men's Health and author of "The Comfort Crisis," dives into the significance of discomfort for personal growth. He shares his transformative experiences during a month in the Alaskan Arctic, illustrating how facing challenges can enhance well-being. The conversation touches on why modern conveniences may hinder our development, the benefits of embracing boredom, and the concept of 'Masogi'—an annual challenge to push limits. Expect insights on how discomfort can lead to resilience and deeper fulfillment.

01:06:03

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Episode guests

Michael Easter

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Quick takeaways

Rites of passage are vital for personal growth and resilience in a comfortable world.

Engaging in masogi challenges can help individuals surpass perceived limits and expand potential.

Embracing discomfort privately can lead to profound personal insights and transformations.

Deep dives

The Significance of Discomfort in Health and Fulfilment

Discomfort plays a crucial role in enhancing health and fulfillment. Michael Easter emphasizes the importance of reintroducing discomfort into our lives, highlighting the loss of traditional rites of passage in modern society. He shares his experience of spending a month in the Alaskan Arctic, showcasing how facing discomfort can lead to personal growth and resilience.

The Importance of Signaling in Group Dynamics

00:57

The Impact of Challenges on Mental Health

00:35

The Evolutionary Purpose of Boredom

01:00

Possible Title: The Rise of Simple, All-Encompassing Lifestyle Changes

01:14

Intro

2min

Embracing Discomfort: Lessons from the Arctic

7min

Embracing Discomfort for Growth

14min

Contributions and Challenges: Navigating Personal Growth

18min

Exploring the Intriguing Approach to Discomfort and Nutrition

2min

Embracing Discomfort for Growth

23min

Embracing Discomfort for Personal Growth

3min

Michael Easter is a contributing editor at Men's Health magazine, columnist for Outside magazine and Professor at the University of Nevada.

The world is pretty comfortable right now. Between air conditioning, Amazon Prime, Deliveroo, Netflix, Google Maps, soft beds and automatic cars, you can get through big stretches of life without encountering any real discomfort. Michael has spent years researching why discomfort is so important to our health and fulfilment, and how to reintroduce it to your life.

Expect to learn why rites of passage no longer happening in modern life is a huge loss, how Michael survived an entire month in the Alaskan Arctic, how an annual challenge with a 50% chance of failure can change your life, what nosey airport security staff can teach us about human nature, why boredom is good for you, how to overcome trauma and much more...

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