Michael Easter, bestselling author and expert on human behavior, discusses his new book, Scarcity Brain. He explores the evolutionary backdrop of scarcity contrasted with the modern era of abundance and its impact on addictive behaviors. Topics covered include the hunter-gatherer diet, effects of ultra-processed food, the scarcity loop, addiction models, Instagram's suggestion algorithm, the downside of continuous buying, exploration capacity of homo sapiens, the revolution of the newspaper industry, the impact of negativity bias on social media, and the definition of happiness.

In this podcast, Steven Bartlett sits down with bestselling author Michael Easter to discuss the impact of seeking comfort in our lives, the benefits of getting out of our comfort zones, the difference between being alone and lonely, the negative impacts of loneliness, the connection between status and long life expectancy, the prevalence of problems in our mindset, the importance of exercise and evolutionary fitness, the manifestations of modern lifestyle, the rising global sadness and how to combat it, the ethics of corporations, and the significance of understanding our brain and embracing discomfort.

Michael Easter discusses the impact of the 'Scarcity Brain' on addictive behaviors and technological compulsions, offering strategies for achieving balance. Exploring gratitude, discomfort, and embracing challenges, the conversation delves into breaking addictive patterns and navigating modern technology addiction. Understanding scarcity loops can transform relationships with digital media and promote personal growth through creative adventures.

Our world has never been more convenient and comfortable. With just a few taps of our fingers, we can order food to our door, access endless entertainment options, and keep our climate at a steady 72 degrees. We don't have to put in much effort, much less face any risk or challenge, in order to sustain our daily lives. In some ways, this quantum leap in humanity's comfort level is a great boon. But in other ways, it's absolutely killing our minds, bodies, and spirit.My guest says it's time to reclaim the currently-hard-to-come-by but truly essential benefits of discomfort. His name is Michael Easter, and he's a writer, editor, and professor, and the author of The Comfort Crisis: Embrace Discomfort to Reclaim Your Wild, Happy, Healthy Self. Michael first shares how his experience with getting sober helped him discover the life-changing potential of doing hard things, before digging into what fleeing from discomfort is doing to our mental and physical health. We then discuss the Japanese idea of misogis, which involves taking on an epic outdoor challenge, and why Michael decided to do a misogi in which he participated in a month-long caribou hunt in the backcountry of Alaska. Michael shares what he learned from the various challenges he encountered during his misogi — including intense hunger, boredom, solitude, and physical exertion — as well as what research can teach all of us about why we need to incorporate these same kinds of discomforts into our everyday lives.Resources Related to the EpisodeRelated AoM Articles:A Few Lessons From Beating the BottleHow I Learned to Be Comfortable Being UncomfortableShadow Work and the Rise of Middle-Class SerfdomHow the Hero's Journey Can Help You Become a Better ManBe a Time Wizard: How to Speed Up and Slow Down TimeTake the One-Month "Do Something New Every Day" ChallengeLessons on Solitude From an Antarctic ExplorerFasting as a Spiritual DisciplineDon't Just Lift Heavy, Carry HeavyCardio for the Man Who Hates CardioRelated AoM Podcasts:Are Modern People the Most Exhausted in History?Why Are We Restless?Wish You Had More Time? What You Really Want Is More MemoriesThe Psychology of BoredomWeird and Wonderful Ways to Get Comfortable Being UncomfortableWhat You Can (Really) Learn About Exercise From Your Human AncestorsBuilding Better Citizens Through RuckingConnect With Michael EasterMichael's WebsiteMichael on InstagramMichael on Twitter

View the Show Notes Page for This Episode Become a Member to Receive Exclusive Content Sign Up to Receive Peter’s Weekly Newsletter Michael Easter is the author of the bestseller, The Comfort Crisis. He’s also a journalist, Professor of Journalism at UNLV, and a leading voice on how humans can integrate modern science and evolutionary wisdom for improved health, meaning, and performance in life and at work. In this episode, Michael first talks about his upbringing, including his parents' struggle with alcoholism, his father leaving when he was young, and how these things impacted Michael's own struggle with alcoholism. He explains what led to his realization that we are in a “crisis of comfort” and how the removal of many of life’s discomforts through advancements in modern society may actually be a leading contributor to many of our most urgent physical and mental health issues. He explains the benefits of challenging oneself and the immense positive carryover which can come from doing things we find difficult. He describes the consequences of technology like smartphones, which have effectively eliminated boredom—a discomfort that comes with many benefits. He tells the story of a profound experience at an elk hunt that changed Michael’s thoughts around life and death, how happiness can thrive in places without all of the modern comforts of the West, and why we’re hardwired for stress and what to do about it. They conclude with a conversation around rucking, an activity with many physical and mental benefits. We discuss: The value in doing something difficult [2:30]; Michael’s upbringing with a single parent and alcoholism [5:45]; Michael’s battle with alcoholism and his experience with quitting drinking [10:00]; Origin of the idea that we are in a crisis of comfort [20:30]; The death of boredom in modern society [28:45]; The benefits of boredom [36:00]; The value of disconnecting and being in nature [39:15]; Changing the dynamic of how we think about food and the story of Peter’s daughter’s first hunt [43:45]; How a profound experience at an elk hunt changed Michael’s thoughts about life and death [49:15]; How happiness can thrive in places without all of the modern comforts of the West [57:15]; Why we’re hardwired for stress, and the responsibility that comes with our level of comfort [1:05:30]; How perspective on the timescale of our lives in relation to history can impart positive changes [1:14:00]; The benefit of challenging oneself and the positive carryover it can have [1:19:45]; The many benefits of rucking [1:28:45]; Tips for rucking: ideal load, type of pack, and other considerations [1:38:00]; Parting thoughts on the downside of comfort and benefits of difficult things [1:43:00]; and More. Connect With Peter on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube

Michael Easter, a professor, journalist, and author, explores the difficulties of achieving moderation and the impact of the scarcity loop on our behaviors. Topics include flow state and compulsive behaviors, dependence on certainty, the Zygonic effect and status, balancing hidden and observable metrics for fulfillment, and the impact of ultra-processed foods on overeating and disease risk.

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.

Author Michael Easter discusses overcoming the scarcity mindset inherited from ancestors. Topics cover breaking the scarcity loop, impact on behavior, desire for influence and authentic pride, dietary shifts, managing information overload, embracing solitude for happiness, and upcoming book reviews.

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...Sponsors:Get 10% discount on your first month from BetterHelp at https://betterhelp.com/modernwisdom (discount automatically applied)Extra Stuff:Buy The Comfort Crisis - https://amzn.to/3umNyQBFollow Michael on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/michael_easter/ Get my free Reading List of 100 books to read before you die → https://chriswillx.com/books/To support me on Patreon (thank you): https://www.patreon.com/modernwisdom-Get in touch.Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chriswillxTwitter: https://www.twitter.com/chriswillxYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/modernwisdompodcastEmail: https://chriswillx.com/contact/  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Guests including psychologists, an author, a journalist, and Taylor Swift discuss embracing discomfort for personal growth, the downside of air conditioning, and finding joy in challenges. They touch on societal numbness, air conditioning impact, and the correlation between adversity and meaningful living. The podcast also features fact checks, listener stories, and a teaser for a future discussion on the importance of physical touch.