The Science of First World Problems | Michael Easter & Dr. Andrew Huberman

In this podcast episode, Dr. Andrew Huberman and Michael Easter discuss the concept of leaning into discomfort to improve overall well-being. Easter shares his experience of spending 30 days in the Arctic to reset his perception of comfort and luxury, contrasting it with the everyday inconveniences of modern life. He introduces the idea of "prevalence-induced concept change," explaining how people tend to lower their threshold for what they consider a problem as their environment becomes more comfortable. Easter suggests practical ways to push back against this tendency, such as volunteering or attending recovery meetings, to gain perspective and reframe one's understanding of problems. He emphasizes the importance of shaping the narrative around challenging life events to promote mental health and resilience.