Oh, wait, someone had a question about something. Surely I have the answer to it.

I'm Angela Duckworth. I'm Stephen Dubner. And you're listening to No Stupid Questions.

Today on the show, how much is your mood driven by the media you consume?

You've never seen Love Actually? I've heard you consume? You've never seen love actually?

I've heard of it.

You've never seen love actually?

Also, is a little knowledge worse than complete ignorance?

I told them to turn right and it should have been left.

Oh, God, you are going to hell.

Angela, I've got a question for you here from a listener today. Her name is Masha Yoveva,

and she writes to say, I, like most people these days, have been feeling a bit down, tired.

I don't mean to laugh at you, Masha, demotivated and easily depleted, though not depressed.

So, first of all, before we get into

Masha's question, Angie, do you think most people are feeling a bit down tired, demotivated and

depleted? I think there's actually pretty good data on the fact that, yes, absolutely.

Now that we're grinding into month nine of the pandemic, at least the United States, yes, people are really, really tired.

So Masha should not be feeling out of step with general sentiment.

No.

Okay.

So now we'll get to her question.

She writes, I am squarely in my most productive years.

I'm 39, but I've noticed that whenever I feel particularly tired, I turn to the comfort of familiar things.

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