Speaking of psychology is taking a summer break, so we're rerunning some of our favorite episodes from the past.

In 2022, I talked to Yale University psychology professor Paul Bloom about why people like to do scary and difficult things

from watching horror movies to running marathons and the connection between pleasure and pain.

I hope you enjoy this episode from the archives.

We'll be back with new episodes in two weeks.

What makes for a good life?

You might think that the best life would be one of unadulterated happiness

where moments of pain and suffering never intrude on your comfort and joy. But why then do people often seek out hardship?

Many of us like to watch scary movies or listen to songs that make us cry.

We choose to run marathons and to raise children, even though both of those pursuits inevitably come with struggle and pain.

Why do we do these things?

What do we get out of the pain and suffering that we choose to experience?

What does it add to our lives?

And what about pain that we don't choose?

Do illness, poverty, or the death of a loved one add meaning to our lives?

Does unchosen suffering make us better, stronger, or more moral? Or is it always a bad thing?

Welcome to Speaking of Psychology, the flagship podcast of the American Psychological Association

that examines the links between psychological science and everyday life. I'm Kim Mills.

Our guest today is Dr. Paul Bloom, a professor of psychology at the University of Toronto,

and the Brooks and Suzanne Reagan Professor Emeritus of Psychology at Yale University. His most

recent book is The Sweet Spot, The Pleasures of Suffering and the Search

for Meaning. More broadly, he studies how children and adults make sense of the world with a special

...