The Comfort Trap with Michael Easter

Forrest is joined by journalist and author Michael Easter to discuss how we can make our lives better by making them (the right kind of) harder. They start with one of modern life’s paradoxes: things have gotten much easier, but this hasn’t led to more happiness or fulfillment. Michael talks about how our biological wiring backfires in today’s world of abundance, why humans need a mission, and the vital experiences we’ve lost. Other topics include problem creep, how everything has become a slot machine, rucking, and the “super medium” body. About our Guest: Michael Easter is a professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, journalist, and best-selling author of The Comfort Crisis, Scarcity Brain, and Walk with Weight. Michael is also the author of the Substack in the Health & Wellness category, Two Percent. Key Topics: 0:00: Intro 2:10: How our world became engineered for comfort 7:39: Problem creep 10:49: Michael’s experience with sobriety 15:00: Abundance in today’s world: the industrial revolution, social media, and slot machines 21:17: Why we need a mission 25:31: Building resilience in a world of comfort and abundance 29:30: Personal agency vs systemic forces 38:09: The lost experience of boredom 48:19: Walking with weight 1:00:46: Getting back into nature 1:10:41: Recap Support the Podcast: We're on Patreon! If you'd like to support the podcast, follow this link. SponsorsVisit to take an additional 10% off your next purchase of non-toxic cookware made modern. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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The Comfort Trap with Michael Easter is an episode from Being Well with Dr. Rick Hanson by Being Well.

This episode is 77:15 long.

This episode was published on Mar 2, 2026.

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