UConn’s Cognitive Science Colloquium Series presents
Pleasures of Suffering
Paul Bloom
Brooks & Suzanne Ragen Professor of Psychology & Cognitive Science
Yale University
Friday, November 30, 4pm, Oak 117
People are hedonists, seeking pleasure and avoiding pain. This view is central to much of psychology and it fits many people’s own sense of why they do what they do. But what about our appetites for spicy foods, hot baths, horror movies, sad songs, BDSM, and hate reading? It runs out that people often seek out pain and suffering—in pursuits such as art, ritual, sex, and sports, and in longer-term projects, such as training for a marathon or signing up to go to war. Drawing on research from developmental psychology, anthropology, and behavioral economics, I suggest that these seemingly paradoxical choices show that we are driven by non-hedonistic goals; we revel in difficult practice, we aspire towards moral goodness, and we seek out meaningful lives.
If you are interested in meeting with Dr. Bloom on 11/30, please contact Dr. Xygalatas: dimitris.xygalatas@uconn.edu
For more information, contact: Dimitris Xygalatas at 860 486-4514