Why You Always Want More, And How To Fix It | Michael Easter
Jul 15, 2024
auto_awesome
Michael Easter, bestselling author, discusses the challenges of overconsumption, scarcity mindset, and practical ways to break the scarcity loop. He emphasizes embracing discomfort for personal growth and shares tactical tips for healthier living.
Understanding the evolutionary roots of overconsumption and the challenges posed by ancient instincts in a modern world.
Recognizing and breaking the scarcity loop by reducing opportunity and incorporating deliberate pauses into addictive behaviors.
Implementing tactics to rewire habits, emphasizing real-world experiences, social interactions, and physical movement for improved mental and physical health.
Deep dives
The Concept of Scarcity in Human Behavior
Humans have evolved with a tendency towards overconsumption due to an ancient drive for scarcity. This inclination is exemplified in various modern behaviors such as overeating, excessive possessions, and information overload. Examples include the average home containing 10,000 to 40,000 items, food wastage, and information saturation. The mismatch between ancient survival instincts and modern abundance poses challenges in moderating behaviors, leading to issues like obesity and overconsumption.
The Scarcity Loop and its Influence on Behavior
The scarcity loop, consisting of opportunity, unpredictable rewards, and quick repeatability, plays a crucial role in driving addictive behaviors like gambling and excessive phone usage. Slot machines are designed based on this loop to engage users. Strategies like reducing opportunity and slowing down behaviors can help in breaking the loop. Tools like apps with timers or adding deliberate pauses can aid in moderating addictive behaviors.
Bridging Ancient Instincts with Modern Practices for Well-Being
Various tactics can assist in rewiring habits to promote healthier and happier lives. Understanding the optimal stimulation theory, as seen in experiments with pigeons, emphasizes the importance of providing meaningful engagement to counter negative habits. Simple changes like reducing speed in behaviors, adding intentional pauses, and enhancing real-world experiences can foster moderation and overall well-being. Emphasizing natural activities, social interactions, and physical movement align with human evolutionary needs for better mental and physical health.
The Happiness of Benedictine Monks
Benedictine monks, despite living a simple and disciplined life involving manual labor, minimal social interactions, dietary restrictions, and isolation, surprisingly exhibit higher happiness levels than the general public. This finding challenges common perceptions and highlights the monks' contentment despite their restrictive lifestyle, emphasizing that happiness is a complex and individualized concept influenced by personal challenges and rewards.
Embracing Discomfort for Health and Happiness
The podcast delves into the 'Comfort Crisis,' highlighting how modern comforts have led to the absence of evolutionary discomforts that are essential for mental and physical well-being. Embracing discomfort, such as choosing physical activity over sedentary routines, facing boredom without immediate distractions like smartphones, and engaging in challenging tasks, can lead to long-term benefits and improved health. By advocating for gradual exposure to discomfort and expanding personal comfort zones, individuals can enhance their resilience, creativity, and overall quality of life.
Michael Easter is the New York Times bestselling author of Scarcity Brainand The Comfort Crisis. He travels the world to uncover practical ideas that help people live healthier, happier, and more remarkable lives. His ideas have been adopted by institutions ranging from the military to professional sports teams to Fortune 500 companies. He also shares his ideas on his popular newsletter, 2% with Michael Easter.
In this episode we talk about:
The evolutionary roots of overconsumption
The challenges of having an ancient brains in a modern world
The Scarcity mindset vs. the abundance mindset
Understanding what Michael calls the “scarcity loop” – and how to apply it to daily life
Tactical ways to work with habits and cravings
Understanding the scarcity loop, how it hooks us, and then how you can unhook using that same loop
And How’s Michael’s life changed after researching this book
Toward the end, we talk about Michael’s previous book, the comfort crisis—and some Practical steps for embracing discomfort