In this episode of the Being Well Podcast, Forrest is joined by journalist and author Michael Easter to discuss how we can make our lives better by making them (the right kind of) harder. They start with one of modern life’s paradoxes: things have gotten much easier, but this hasn’t led to more happiness or fulfillment. Michael talks about how our biological wiring backfires in today’s world of abundance, why humans need a mission, and the vital experiences we’ve lost. Other topics include problem creep, how everything has become a slot machine, rucking, and the “super medium” body.
About our Guest: Michael Easter is a professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, journalist, and best-selling author of The Comfort Crisis, Scarcity Brain, and Walk with Weight. Michael is also the author of the #1 Substack in the Health & Wellness category, Two Percent.
Key Topics
- 0:00: Intro
- 2:10: How our world became engineered for comfort
- 7:39: Problem creep
- 10:49: Michael’s experience with sobriety
- 15:00: Abundance in today’s world: the industrial revolution, social media, and slot machines
- 21:17: Why we need a mission
- 25:31: Building resilience in a world of comfort and abundance
- 29:30: Personal agency vs systemic forces
- 38:09: The lost experience of boredom
- 48:19: Walking with weight
- 1:00:46: Getting back into nature
- 1:10:41: Recap
Forrest is now writing on Substack, check out his work there.
