“The Sweet Spot” by Paul Bloom

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Humans pursue pain to bring meaning to their joy
Persons kidnafpped by indigenous people in the “Wild West” would often go back to their kidnappers, but never the other way around
Pleasure and pain are not opposites
Horror junkies like feeling scared
The English word “happy” is broader than comparative words in other languages
More money brings more satisfaction but happiness plateaus
Thinking about the past and the present brings meaning but not happiness
We tend to try to balance hedonic experiences with pain
Thinking something is painful makes the actual pain less intense and we experience pleasure
- It has to be brief
- Not cause permanent damage
- (Surprises are painful)
“Expensive signaling” is a way to show you are serious and willing to “pay” the price
- Engagement rings are a good example, expensive and pointless
Boredom is pain signals for the mind
We get the same pleasure at watching people get justice as we do getting justice ourselves
Thinking hard does not burn any more glucose than thinking relaxing
The most taxing brain exercise is opening one’s eyes
Mental exhaustion is a way to help compel one to look for other things to do with one’s life
Most engaged people are clergy, military, librarians
Don’t focus on being happy to be happy

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