David DeSteno

Why are people doing that?

They're working on our minds and bodies to help us deal with the challenges that we're facing.

They do.

And there's a lot of coming out, even the covering mirrors.

Some Hindu ceremonies, they cover mirrors.

Some Irish wakes, they cover mirrors, all for different theological reasons.

But I think they serve the same purpose.

And so that's exactly right.

And, you know, even in a lot of the Christian traditions and the Jewish traditions, there are –

meditative contemplative practices, for whatever reason, they've kind of been hidden away more so than in the Buddhist practices that we see now.

And so I think you're right.

These are practices that, again, if there is a divine creator, it has given to all of its creatures, or if not, we all inhabit the same bodies on this earth, and so we're all iterating to similar solutions to deal with them.

Well, yeah, that's a good point.

I mean, traditionally, if you looked at happiness across the lifespan,

It kind of is U-shaped and it hit its nadir, its bottom, around 45 and 50.

And it's a difficult time in life because it's a time when your kids might be moving out and moving on.

If your parents are still around, the generation ahead of you is starting to face health crises and maybe passing.

And it's a very...

It's also a time of life when if you're a person who's working, I don't know about you, but it's hard to keep up that intensity.

I can't do when I'm 57.