Alex Hutchinson

And whether that's running a marathon or whatever, people don't run a marathon because it's easy. They run it because it's hard. Sometimes you may start, I want to get in shape, so I'm going to start running. But people who run more than one marathon, they're attracted to the difficulty of it. And you can extend that to buying furniture at Ikea.

you can probably get a similar piece of furniture pre-assembled.

you can probably get a similar piece of furniture pre-assembled.

you can probably get a similar piece of furniture pre-assembled.

But people have done studies of what's called the IKEA effect, that if you've had to struggle with those pictographic instructions and figure out how that Allen key works and all that stuff, you put the coffee table together, you end up valuing that coffee table more highly than if you'd got the exact same coffee table just delivered to your door pre-assembled.

But people have done studies of what's called the IKEA effect, that if you've had to struggle with those pictographic instructions and figure out how that Allen key works and all that stuff, you put the coffee table together, you end up valuing that coffee table more highly than if you'd got the exact same coffee table just delivered to your door pre-assembled.

But people have done studies of what's called the IKEA effect, that if you've had to struggle with those pictographic instructions and figure out how that Allen key works and all that stuff, you put the coffee table together, you end up valuing that coffee table more highly than if you'd got the exact same coffee table just delivered to your door pre-assembled.

So there's something in us that values effort. What that is is... It's hard to pin down, but there are a few studies that have been emerging in the last couple of years suggesting that putting in effort is a source of meaning. People can't define the meaning of life, but they can tell you when something feels meaningful. And doing hard things tends to feel meaningful.

So there's something in us that values effort. What that is is... It's hard to pin down, but there are a few studies that have been emerging in the last couple of years suggesting that putting in effort is a source of meaning. People can't define the meaning of life, but they can tell you when something feels meaningful. And doing hard things tends to feel meaningful.

So there's something in us that values effort. What that is is... It's hard to pin down, but there are a few studies that have been emerging in the last couple of years suggesting that putting in effort is a source of meaning. People can't define the meaning of life, but they can tell you when something feels meaningful. And doing hard things tends to feel meaningful.

Oh man, that's an interesting proposition, or the stormy relationships where it seems like you're having to work at it at all times. I mean, I think there's probably a little bit there that relationships that are too easy tend to get...

Oh man, that's an interesting proposition, or the stormy relationships where it seems like you're having to work at it at all times. I mean, I think there's probably a little bit there that relationships that are too easy tend to get...

Oh man, that's an interesting proposition, or the stormy relationships where it seems like you're having to work at it at all times. I mean, I think there's probably a little bit there that relationships that are too easy tend to get...

I don't want to tar and paper people's negative about relationships, but if it's just totally without strife, without any tension, then it maybe feels a little boring.

I don't want to tar and paper people's negative about relationships, but if it's just totally without strife, without any tension, then it maybe feels a little boring.

I don't want to tar and paper people's negative about relationships, but if it's just totally without strife, without any tension, then it maybe feels a little boring.

Yeah. I mean, I think the first thing to, to, to recognize is to just to recognize that just because something is hard, doesn't mean it should be shied away from. And in fact, some, you know, it's like, with a hat tip to Michael Easter, whose email list is called 2%, because that's the percent of people who take the stairs when there's both the stairs and an escalator available.

Yeah. I mean, I think the first thing to, to, to recognize is to just to recognize that just because something is hard, doesn't mean it should be shied away from. And in fact, some, you know, it's like, with a hat tip to Michael Easter, whose email list is called 2%, because that's the percent of people who take the stairs when there's both the stairs and an escalator available.

Yeah. I mean, I think the first thing to, to, to recognize is to just to recognize that just because something is hard, doesn't mean it should be shied away from. And in fact, some, you know, it's like, with a hat tip to Michael Easter, whose email list is called 2%, because that's the percent of people who take the stairs when there's both the stairs and an escalator available.

It's like, you look at the stairs and you look at the escalator, it seems obvious that going up the stairs or going up the escalator is going to be a more pleasant and better experience. But when you take the stairs, I, you know, I don't think it's just me. It's much more satisfying to have put in a little effort.