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Plain English with Derek Thompson

Why the Cult of Achievement in Schools Is Making People Miserable

Plain English with Derek Thompson

The Ringer

News Commentary, News

4.81.8K Ratings

🗓️ 28 March 2023

⏱️ 48 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Today’s episode is about how we think about success—and how our high school and college systems might be teaching us the wrong lessons about achievement and personal progress. Our guest is Lisa Damour, a psychologist and the author of three New York Times bestsellers, including 'The Emotional Lives of Teenagers.' If you have questions, observations, or ideas for future episodes, email us at [email protected]. You can find us on TikTok at www.tiktok.com/@plainenglish_ Host: Derek Thompson Guest: Lisa Damour Producer: Devon Manze Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0

Rough year for your favorite NFL team?

0:02.6

Join me, Danny Heifetz alone with Danny Kelly Benzolak and Craig Kroldek on the

0:05.6

Ringer NFL Draft Show, where we talk about all things NFL Draft and more importantly,

0:09.4

how to fix your mediocre team.

0:10.9

Check out the Ringer NFL Draft Show every Tuesday and Thursday.

0:17.2

Today's episode is about how we think about success and how our school systems might be

0:22.6

teaching us the wrong lessons about achievement.

0:26.5

Last year, two professors at Korea University.

0:29.1

Derek Bethman and Robert Rudolph were doing a survey of international happiness data,

0:35.8

and they uncovered a bizarre, previously unreported finding.

0:40.0

Rich countries often have sadder adolescence than middle income or poor countries.

0:46.4

This finding runs counter to one of the most fundamental rules of economics.

0:52.8

Adults in richer countries tend to have higher subjective well-being than those in poorer

0:56.8

countries.

0:57.8

It's true almost any way you measure it.

1:01.5

It's true across time as a country gets richer.

1:04.0

Its citizens get richer.

1:05.5

It's true across space, richer countries tend to be happier than poorer countries.

1:11.3

But Bethman and Rudolph said there's actually a paradox of wealthy nations hiding behind

1:17.3

this obvious fact.

1:19.5

Advanced economies seem to have happier adults, but less happy teens.

1:27.2

How could that be?

...

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