Emotions are biological signals designed to nudge you in the direction of beneficial change?, asks Mark Manson, my favourite life thinker, these days.
We are biochemically structured to decide and do difficult and important things if we are put to pain. Pain fuels growth. And it drives ourselves to do things we won’t do otherwise. Comfort zones are like big cushion sofas. Once we sit there, we hardly feel like moving. Pain is like being chased by a street dog. Our goal is to outrun. Not to have pleasure. But to avoid the pain. 90% of things we do are to avoid pain than to get pleasure. That is why tough work is incentivised not by immediate rewards, but by not putting you through a painful consequence. The pain can be in different forms. Loss of reputation, guilt, social pressure, change of lifestyle we are used to. Pain leads to frustration. Frustration to action.
So welcome pain in adequate doses. Do not block it with social media dopamine.
