293. Why are we never happy with what we have?

The Psychology of your 20s

iHeartPodcasts

Mental Health, Self-improvement, Fitness, Education, Relationships, Science, Social Sciences, How To, Society & Culture, Health & Fitness

4.9 • 1.3K Ratings

🗓️ 6 May 2025

⏱️ 63 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Why does satisfaction always feel just out of reach? You get the job, then you want the promotion. You buy the item of clothing, then the buzz wears off. There is always something MORE on the horizon. In today’s episode, we explore the psychology behind our constant craving for more - more success, more validation, more things - and why what we already have never feels like enough. Things we discuss:

Why your brain is wired for "more, more, more"
The Hedonic Treadmill
The problem with "when...then" thinking
The success void that follows meeting our goals
The guilt spiral
Capitalism, consumerism, and curated online lives
What real, sustainable happiness looks like

If you’ve ever thought “I should be happy…so why am I not?”—this episode is for you. Listen now!

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The Psychology of your 20s is not a substitute for professional mental health help. If you are struggling, distressed or require personalised advice, please reach out to your doctor or a licensed psychologist.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	You're listening to an I-Heart podcast.
0:05.0	I'm Soledad O'Brien, and on my new true crime podcast, Murder on the Toe Path, I'm taking you back to 1964 to the cold case of artist Mary Pinch O'Meyer.
0:16.7	She had been shot twice in the head and in the back.
0:20.1	It turns out, Mary was connected to a very powerful man.
0:25.3	I pledge you that we shall neither commit nor provoke aggression.
0:29.7	John F. Kennedy.
0:31.6	Listen to Murder on the Toothatch with Soledad O'Brien on the Iheartio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.
0:43.6	We love learning about this extraordinary universe.
0:46.7	And we love sharing what we've learned.
0:48.4	And on our podcast, Daniel and Kelly's extraordinary universe, that's what we're going to do.
0:52.9	I'm Daniel. I'm a particle physicist, and I think our universe is absolutely extraordinary. I'm Kelly Weiner Smith. I study
0:58.7	parasites, and there's just endless things about this universe that I find fascinating. Basically,
1:03.7	we're both nerds. Each Tuesday and Thursday, we take an hour-long dive into some science topic.
1:08.5	Learn all about our amazing and beautiful universe on Daniel and Kelly's
1:12.9	extraordinary universe every Tuesday and Thursday on the IHeartRadio app, Apple
1:16.4	podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
1:19.3	Hey, I'm Dr. Maya Shunker.
1:21.4	I host a podcast called A Slight Change of Plans that combines behavioral science and
1:26.2	storytelling to help us navigate the big
1:28.6	changes in our lives. I get so choked up because I feel like your show and the conversations
1:34.5	are what the world needs, encouraging, empowering counter programming that acts like a
1:42.8	lighthouse when the world feels dark.
	...

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