The Paradox of Happiness with Brock Bastian

In this episode of the 'Make Your Mind' podcast, Jess interviews Professor Brock Bastian, a social psychologist and author of 'The Other Side of Happiness.'

They explore the idea that the pursuit of happiness often leads to discontentment and discuss how embracing struggle and discomfort can be vital to a well-lived life.

Bastian delves into cultural narratives and how they shape our emotional perceptions, highlighting the importance of accepting pain as part of the human experience.

The episode also considers communal activities and rituals as pathways to genuine connection and fulfilment.

And the prompt that we'd like to leave you with today is this:

"How have the expectations of my life shaped the way that I feel, and in what ways has this helped me or hurt me?

The purpose of reflective prompts deepens our understanding. When we apply ideas to ourselves, we can think about concepts through a new lens. And if you want to take this one step further, use this question to spark a conversation with someone else. When we talk through ideas and concepts, we give ourselves a chance to reflect and to crystallise the wisdom that we've learned.

So it's a win-win. Not only are you passing the knowledge onto someone else, but you're also deepening your understanding.

Why we need pain to feel happiness | Brock Bastian | TEDxStKilda

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_x9cbrdgnw&t=724s&ab_channel=TEDxTalks