What if the very thing you’re running from—your pain, your dissatisfaction, your anxiety—is actually the key to living a full, meaningful life? What if the endless distractions, self-improvement loops, and compulsive scrolling are keeping you from something deeper?
In this episode of The Struggle, I explore why discomfort isn’t a flaw in the system—it’s a necessity. I dive into how modern technology exploits ancient survival mechanisms to keep us addicted to dissatisfaction and why true fulfillment comes not from escaping life’s struggles but from fully embracing them.
I cover:
✅ Why pain and discomfort are fundamental to a meaningful life
✅ How social media, entertainment, and self-improvement fuel dissatisfaction
✅ The evolutionary basis of dissatisfaction and how it’s exploited today
✅ Why avoiding suffering means avoiding life itself
✅ A powerful spoken-word piece that captures life’s greatest paradox
Most of us spend our lives running—from emotions, from discomfort, from reality itself. But as Jean-Paul Sartre wrote, “I have led a toothless life. I have never bitten into anything. I was waiting. I was reserving myself for later on—and I have just noticed that my teeth have gone.” If we keep running, we risk missing life altogether.
Instead of offering another life hack or strategy, I challenge you to do something different: stop running. Look up. Accept life exactly as it is.
🔔 Subscribe for more deep, thought-provoking content
📩 Sponsor
Sign up for The Struggle Newsletter here - https://gregorthomson.com
📺 Watch The Struggle
YouTube - https://youtube.com/@GregorSThomson?si=wTfFwPVYKhJxKAsD
📱 Get In Touch
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/gregorsthomson/
Tiktok -https://www.tiktok.com/@gregor.s.thomson?_t=8ioMNLUnA25&_r=1
Email - [email protected]
🎵 Music
Conal Mooney - https://www.instagram.com/conalmooneyaudio?igsh=dGxqdThlNnNoNzh6
References & Sources Used in This Episode:
1. Jean-Paul Sartre – The Age of Reason
• I reference Sartre’s quote about living a “toothless life” to highlight how many of us delay truly experiencing life, waiting for the “right moment” that never comes.
2. Newton’s Third Law (Physics & Metaphor for Life’s Dualities)
• I discuss Newton’s principle—“For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction”—to explain why life’s binaries (pain & pleasure, joy & suffering) are unavoidable and essential.
3. Evolutionary Psychology & The Science of Dissatisfaction
• I explore how human survival depended on a constant drive for more—food, shelter, safety—yet today, social media and advertising hijack this mechanism to keep us in a state of endless wanting.
• Key studies:
• Panksepp, J. (1998). Affective Neuroscience: The Foundations of Human and Animal Emotions – Explains how the brain’s “seeking system” fuels motivation but can also lead to compulsive behaviors.
• Fisher, M., & Kringelbach, M. (2018). The Neuroscience of Happiness and Pleasure – Discusses how dopamine is not about pleasure but about seekingpleasure, making us perpetually dissatisfied.
4. Social Media Algorithms & The Business of Distraction
• I examine how platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube profit from keeping users discontent and engaged.
• Evidence:
• Harris, T. (2020). The Social Dilemma (Documentary) – Reveals how tech companies manipulate attention and emotions to maximize engagement.
• Zuboff, S. (2019). The Age of Surveillance Capitalism – Explains how data-driven platforms are built to exploit our psychological vulnerabilities.
5. The Psychology of Avoidance & Distraction
• I discuss how avoidance of discomfort (through social media, work, or self-improvement) leads to more suffering, not less.
• Key psychological concepts:
• Experiential Avoidance (Hayes et al., 1996) – The more we resist our emotions, the stronger they become.
• Mindfulness & Radical Acceptance (Linehan, 1993) – Acceptance of pain leads to greater psychological freedom.
6. Tyson Motsenbocker’s Spoken-Word Song - A Kind Invitation
Listen Here - https://youtu.be/x_vz9-TwlwI?si=gcCNtLuQeuS9RX4g
• I read this poem to illustrate the relationship between love, death, and the fleeting nature of life. It serves as a reminder that avoiding death means avoiding life itself.
7. AI & ChatGPT Use in This Episode:
• Topic Structuring – I used ChatGPT to refine the metaphorical link between Devil’s Snare and psychological struggle.
• SEO Optimization – ChatGPT helped structure the title, description, and metadata for maximum reach.
• Reference Curation – AI assisted in gathering psychological research and key literary parallels.
• Editing & Flow – ChatGPT helped streamline and order the episode effectively
If this episode resonates, share it with someone who needs to hear it. And remember: this is life. Look up.
