You Can't Always Want What You Like (podcast episode)

https://www.happinesslab.fm/season-3/episode-5-you-cant-always-want-what-you-like

At the risk of becoming the podcast reviewer here on the forum, here's another podcast suggestion. It's also from Dr Laurie Santos on her own podcast, The Happiness Lab.

This one seemed to me to directly address the Epicurean practice of choice and avoidance. Around 5:55, they talk specifically about choosing to experience pain in the pursuit of pleasure ("chosen suffering" at 7:15). It also talks about the myths associated with dopamine. According to current research, dopamine is not the "pleasure" neurotransmitter, it's involved in "wanting." They also talk about Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi's concept of flow. I'm wondering if "flow" has parallels with ataraxia or eudaimonia.

Another reason I've been posting these is to find examples of popular podcasts to see what they're doing: what's their format like, what their production is like, etc, to see if there is anything we might learn for efforts here.

Enjoy (fast forward through the commercials!).

Another reason, I realize, is to share what appears to me to be the widespread presence of Epicurean principles and practices in positive psychology and neurobiology research. They're not identified as such, but I continue to see parallels, echoes, and reflections of those ancient philosophical teachings throughout these podcasts, articles, and papers.

Quote from Godfrey

Funny thing, Don ... I was listening to this podcast earlier this morning while driving and thought that it might be worth posting. Of course my second thought was "I wonder if Don has posted this?"

LOL! We definitely seem to be leading parallel lives around here, Godfrey

And I agree with your conclusions, too!