10% Happier with Dan Harris The Right Kind of Suffering | Paul Bloom
Nov 22, 2021
Paul Bloom, a Psychology professor at the University of Toronto and Yale, dives into the fascinating realm of chosen suffering. He explains how voluntary difficulty can enhance meaning in life, contrasting it with unchosen adversity. Bloom discusses benign masochism, where pain and pleasure intermingle. He also highlights the societal misconceptions surrounding post-traumatic growth and explores how media violence might prepare us for real-life fears. Ultimately, he advocates for chasing meaningful experiences over mere happiness.
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The Pleasures of Suffering
- Suffering can be good in two ways: it can give you pleasure, and it can give you meaning.
- Chosen suffering, like spicy food or endurance exercises, can enhance life.
Chosen vs. Unchosen Suffering
- Paul Bloom distinguishes between chosen and unchosen suffering.
- Unchosen suffering, like getting hit by a car, is generally bad.
Post-Traumatic Growth
- Post-traumatic growth, where suffering leads to positive change, is not guaranteed.
- People are often more resilient than they think, bouncing back without significant change.
