Discomfort: the world's most underestimated resource

[zephyr911]

Just a snippet, but still surprising.

http://foreignpolicy.com/2016/09/09/in-one-word-what-resource-is-the-world-underestimating-discomfort-bias-claudia-rankine/

[Bicycle_B]

Interesting snippet.

By the way, I am often amused when reading your tag line ("I am not a cog...")

[Warlord1986]

I clicked the link and the webpage only showed a paragraph saying we need to reexamine what makes us uncomfortable. Is there more?

[acroy]

I agree
MMM had one about the 'internal nagging voice' and what a blessing that was... could not find it recently.

I have issue with one thing she says:
"Americans tend to avoid what makes them uneasy; this is a mistake."
I disagree. Most cultures really do avoid confrontation. By contrast, we're 'heart on the cuff' and really do talk about our differences, all the time! Part of the reason we come across as loud-mouth, contentious, crazy to a lot of the world. We're 'out there'.

[zephyr911]

Interesting snippet.

By the way, I am often amused when reading your tag line ("I am not a cog...")

Self-deprecating humor is my favorite kind, and making light of how unimportant I feel at this job is a decent temporary anecdote. The permanent solution, of course, is FIRE.

I clicked the link and the webpage only showed a paragraph saying we need to reexamine what makes us uncomfortable. Is there more?

Unfortunately, no.

I agree
MMM had one about the 'internal nagging voice' and what a blessing that was... could not find it recently.

I have issue with one thing she says:
"Americans tend to avoid what makes them uneasy; this is a mistake."
I disagree. Most cultures really do avoid confrontation. By contrast, we're 'heart on the cuff' and really do talk about our differences, all the time! Part of the reason we come across as loud-mouth, contentious, crazy to a lot of the world. We're 'out there'.

Interpersonal confrontation, yes. Most other practical problems, no...

[arebelspy]

That seemed more like an abstract than an article.

Good premise.  Disappointing execution.

Too bad the author didn't put in the discomfort required in fleshing out an idea to reality.  ;)

Thanks for sharing though!

[Exhale]

Stress/discomfort not automatically bad (as per book and TED Talk by Kelly McGonigal) => https://www.ted.com/talks/kelly_mcgonigal_how_to_make_stress_your_friend?language=en

[Metric Mouse]

Stress/discomfort not automatically bad (as per book and TED Talk by Kelly McGonigal) => https://www.ted.com/talks/kelly_mcgonigal_how_to_make_stress_your_friend?language=en

The difference between eustress and distress is interesting.

[zolotiyeruki]

I think the author is halfway right.  Yes, it's healthy to occasionally examine our discomfort to see if it's caused by cultural bias.  "Because we've always done it that way," is a great tip-off.  But sometimes there's a good reason something is uncomfortable.

Personally, I think one of the most underappreciated resources is laziness.  Laziness has driven an awful lot of important innovation in our world.  I like to say that "If necessity is the mother of invention, then laziness is the father."

[BDWW]

Hmmm, just reads like a veiled endorsement of Hillary to me.

This guy did it better.

http://www.mrmoneymustache.com/2011/10/02/what-is-stoicism-and-how-can-it-turn-your-life-to-solid-gold/