Ooh, I like it already.

I'm Angela Duckworth.

I'm Stephen Dobner, and you're listening to No Stupid Questions.

Today on The Show, why do we want what we can't have?

It's like envy quickly followed by self-loathing for feeling envy, so yay, this is really fun.

Also, can humans break from our tribalist instincts?

That's acknowledged that it exists and beat the crap out of the people who are doing the wrong stuff.

Angie, we have a question here from one Philip Paine who has a hotmail account in the UK.

I don't know if that's relevant.

We'll find out.

He says, hi, NSQ.

I think a lot, some say too much about everyday behaviors and why people do what they do.

I would say we in Philip have that in common then.

Yes, we do.

You do not have a hotmail account in common, but you do have this curiosity in common.

That's true.

Anyway, he writes, why do we want what we can't have?

Is it just a way of expressing autonomy, social signaling to our peers to show that we can

achieve things many don't?

Or is there some human need to be a completist and collect, do, learn everything?

Thanks, Phil Paine.

Is it true, Angie, as Phil writes that most of us do want what we can't have?

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