Hi, Anis Cures. We're off for Thanksgiving weekend. So we're sharing one of our favorite

episodes from the show's archive. This episode originally aired in December 2020 when we were

second-tired of the global pandemic. A year later, surprise surprise, we're still second-tired

of the global pandemic. We'll be back next week with a brand new episode. But for now, we hope

this old favorite brings you some comfort and joy. Oh wait, someone had a question about something

shortly. 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 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. The bands I love, the books and movies of already read and seen, the poetry that

I love, et cetera. I wonder if there is existing research that explains whether that is common and

also whether the need to find comfort in the familiar increases with age. And conversely, whether

...