The Yale University cognitive psychologist, Professor Paul Bloom, always has such truly clear and direct insights. I always appreciate very much his conversations with Sam Harris, where I first discovered his work.

Apparently, according to peer-reviewed research, whatever doesn’t kill you does not necessarily make you stronger. He argues that “chosen“ suffering is nearly always better for us than the kinds of catastrophes and pains of “unchosen“ or accidental suffering (i.e., getting cancer, suffering the loss of a child, enduring a bad accident or an unwanted breakup, etc.).

This short snippet from a recent podcast is such a jewel of a more data-based view into Nietszche’s over-worn dictum (full disclosure: I would also seem to have abused this too-easy truthism, in Bloom’s view).

I will definitely seek out the entire podcast where this conversation takes place.

Share this on: