[SideburnsOfDoom]

In order to grow, you should push at the edges of your comfort zone; nether staying entirely within the known, nor leaping put into the unknown and flailing wildly not knowing what is gong on.

"cold showers" is a counter-example of this, it is "performative discomfort" as you say without a learning. Not all discomfort is productive in itself. Discomfort is a side effect that has other causes.

But discomfort is an effect of this learning, even a marker: in the words of David Bowie, "If you feel safe in the area that you're working in, you're not working in the right area. Go a little bit out of your depth. And when you don't feel that your feet are quite touching the bottom, you're just about in the right place to do something exciting."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNbnef_eXBM

[superbaconman]

Cold showers have very real effects on the human body.

> Deliberate cold exposure causes a significant release of epinephrine (aka adrenaline) and norepinephrine (aka noradrenaline) in the brain and body. These neurochemicals make us feel alert and can make us feel agitated and as if we need to move or vocalize during the cold exposure. Cold causes their levels to stay elevated for some time and their ongoing effect after the exposure is to increase your level of energy and focus, which can be applied to other mental and/or physical activities.

https://hubermanlab.com/the-science-and-use-of-cold-exposure...

[linhns]

I tried taking cold showers and I can guarantee that "some time" is actually just 5 minutes or so. Not worth considering the risk of strokes and heart attacks.

[SideburnsOfDoom]

Mr Bowie was talking more about his professional craft - be it writing code, public speaking, or playing rock guitar; going to the edge of your comfort zone in that craft is the way to learn it. I don't think that cold showers are anyone's professional craft, even if they might be beneficial to health and alertness.