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by mastax
1262 days ago
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I agree that this blog is not very good at clearly arguing it's conclusion, though I do agree with it for three reasons. First intentional discomfort encourages you to pay attention to what your body is saying, and trains your willpower. It's easy to fall into a default state of being where impulses come up from your subconscious and you act on them without thinking. Doing uncomfortable things trains you to listen to your body tell you to not do something, and trains you to have the willpower to do it anyway. Second, discomfort helps you appreciate comfort. Hot cocoa in front of the fireplace is nice, but after a day of snowshoeing it's incredible. The fist meal you have after completing the Appalachian trail, whatever it is, will be the best meal of your life. Third, there is increasing evidence that certain types of physical discomfort improve health and longevity. Aerobic exercise is obvious and well supported. There is growing evidence that exposure to very hot and very cold temperatures improves longevity. There is also evidence that fasting helps as well. Keep in mind that "does X make you live longer" is a difficult question to answer in a scientifically rigorous manner. I'm on mobile or I'd link to some studies. |
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This makes a stronger point than the whole article.
However, the reward for the discomfort wasn't just cocoa. Snowshoeing is hopefully also enjoyable. My point in a comment up there was that you should probably save discomfort for things that have some kind of payoff. Hiking is an excellent example of that.